John
M. Dopp, Pharm.D. |
University
of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmacy Practice |
| Project
Title: |
“Effect of
Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Humoral and Cell-Mediated Vaccine Responses.” |
| Project
Description: |
This study
proposes to examine humoral and cell-mediated responses to influenza
vaccine in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep
deprivation and hypoxia, characteristic of OSA, impair certain
aspects of immune activation. The hypothesis is that patients
with OSA will have attenuated humoral and cell-mediated immune
activation following influenza vaccination compared to healthy
control subjects. Subjects will have influenza antibody and cytokine
production measured at baseline and 14 days after vaccine administration.
Data analysis will include paired t-tests between OSA subjects
and control. The results of this proposal may have an impact on
understanding immune responses and identifying immune dysregulation
in OSA, which may be linked to the development of inflammatory
conditions and cardiovascular disease. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Michael
E. Ernst, Pharm.D. |
University
of Iowa College of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor |
| Project
Title: |
”Comparative
Effects of Hydrochlorothiazide and Chlorthalidone on Ambulatory
and Office Blood Pressures.” |
| Project
Description: |
We intend
to perform and 8-week, open-label, crossover trial comparing the
blood pressure lowering effects of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)
versus chlorthalidone on both office based and ambulatory blood
pressures in hypertensive patients. We expect to show that (1)
24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring will reveal that
blood pressure is lowered to a greater extent with chlorthalidone
than HCTZ (hypothesis 1); and, (2) that the differences in antihypertensive
effects between the two agents will not be apparent in office
based measurements (hypothesis 2). |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Robert
A. Fecik, Ph.D. |
University
of Minnesota College of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Medicinal/Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Pharmacognosy |
| Project
Title: |
“Discovery
of FtsZ Polymerization Inhibitors as Novel Antibacterial Agents.” |
| Project
Description: |
FtsZ is a
highly conserved, essential bacterial cell division protein that
holds great promise as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment
of bacterial infectious diseases. The major aim of this project
is the discovery of the first potent and selective inhibitors
of FtsZ polymerization by targeted reverse chemical genetics.
Such compounds will be useful to validate FtsZ as an appropriate
drug target, and will serve as valuable tools to study the molecular
chemistry and biology of the bacterial cell division process. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Dana
P. Hammer, Ph.D., R.Ph. |
University
of Washington School of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Director,
Bracken Pharmaceutical Care Learning Center and UW Community/Ambulatory
Pharmacy Residency Program |
| Project
Title: |
“Continued
Testing and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Behavioral Professionalism
of Pharmacy Students.” |
| Project
Description: |
The proposed
study will collect data with two versions of a previously-tested
instrument in order to further validate psychometric properties
of the instrument. The instrument measures “behavioral professionalism”
(professional behavior) of pharmacy students and will be used
to rate students’ professional behavior during experiential rotations
and laboratory-type courses. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Carol
J. Hermansen-Kobulnicky, Ph.D. |
University
of Wyoming School of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Social & Administrative Sciences |
| Project
Title: |
“Rural Cancer
Patient Self-Monitoring of Side Effects and Symptoms: Patient
and Provider Perspectives.” |
| Project
Description: |
Although
research and theory support the likelihood that patient self-monitoring
behaviors can be important contributors to improve patient coping
and increase patient participation with providers for improved
decision-making, little is know of the extent to which patients
self-monitor. This is true in the cancer patient population, and
among patients and provider perspectives of self-monitoring in
a rural cancer care setting. A descriptive, multi-method design
will be used. Self-monitoring perceptions and behaviors will be
gathered from patients vial mail survey (single cancer center
census), patient chart review, and fact to face interview (n~20).
Data will be gathered from providers and the same cancer center
via focus group regarding the potential clinical use of patient
self-monitoring information. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Larisa
M. Humma, Pharm.D. |
University
of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmacy Practice |
| Project
Title: |
“Influence
of Vitamin K Reductase Genotype of Warfarin Dose Requirements.” |
| Project
Description: |
Genetic polymorphisms
for cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 have been associated with warfarin
sensitivity. However, these polymorphisms are uncommon in African
Americans and thus, likely contribute to warfarin response in
only a small percentage of African American patients. Polymorphisms
in the gene for vitamin K reductase NQO1 are common in the African
American population and may influence warfarin sensitivity in
this ethnic group. The specific aim of this study is to determine
whether the NQO1 gene influences warfarin dose requirements in
the African Americans. This will be done by comparing warfarin
maintenance does between African American with varying NQO1 codon
187 Pro/Ser genotypes. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Jane
E. Ishmael, Ph.D. |
Oregon
State University College of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmacology/Toxicology |
| Project
Title: |
“The Neuronal
Cytoskeleton as a Biomarker of NMDA Receptor-Mediated Neurotoxicity.” |
| Project
Description: |
We have demonstrated
that a myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) interacts with NMDA-type
glutamate receptors. This cytoskeletal/motor protein may serve
as a molecular link between a ligand-gated ion channel implicated
in ischemic brain injury and the neuronal cytoskeleton. We will
determine if a change in the phosphorylation of state of myosin
RLC: (1) changes its ability to bind NMDA receptors and (2) can
be used as a marker of neuronal injury in cultured neurons. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Euni
Lee, Pharm.D., Ph.D. |
Howard
University School of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor |
| Project
Title: |
“ Patterns
of Osteoporosis Pharmacotherapy in U.S. Hospital and Stand-Alone
Ambulatory Care.” |
| Project
Description: |
A cross-sectional
study is proposed to evaluate and compare physician practice patterns
of anti-osteoporosis medication (AOM) use in elderly patients
in two ambulatory care settings (stand-alone vs. hospital-based
outpatient clinic) using two national surveys. This project will
provide the national prevalence and predicting factors of AOM
use/non-use after adjusting for visit characteristics, physician
specialties, and medical conditions using a multivariate analysis.
Based on the findings, the investigator will develop a pharmacy-based
prospective intervention study targeting older patients associated
with suboptimal AOM therapy to increase quality of life as suggested
in the Healthy People 2010. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Swu-Jane
Lin, Ph.D. |
University
of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmaceutics/Pharmacy |
| Project
Title: |
“Consequences
of Self-Restriction of Medications: A Longitudinal Study on Functional
Change of the Oldest Old.” |
| Project
Description: |
Pharmaceuticals
are increasingly being relied upon to cure or control acute and
chronic illnesses. However, many patients without sufficient insurance
coverage have found it difficult to receive required pharmacotherapy.
It is not uncommon to find patients who self-regulate or self-restrict
medications to accommodate their financial constraints. The purpose
of this project is to evaluate the impact of cost-constrained,
patient self-restriction of medications on the subsequent functional
health and healthcare utilization of the oldest old group (> 70
years old), who are also one of the most vulnerable United States
populations. This study will use a longitudinal dataset that contains
four waves of a panel survey over an eight-year span (1993-2000).
The casual effect of cost-constrained noncompliance on future
health and health utilization will be assessed employing hierarchical
linear models. These statistical models are most appropriate to
estimate the trajectory of dependent variables (i.e., health and
healthcare utilization in this study) and effects of individual
variables on the differential trajectories over time. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Stephen
A. O’Barr, Ph.D. |
Western
University of Health Sciences |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmaceutics/Pharmacy |
| Project
Title: |
“Regulation
of the Human Amyloid-beta Precursor Protein (huAPP) Gene Expression
and Processing by Thyroid Hormone: Novel Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Strategies.” |
| Project
Description: |
Alzheimer’s
disease (AD) is pathologically identified by the deposition of
the neurotoxic peptide amyloid beta (Ab) leading to senile plaque
formation and neuroinflammation. Ab is derived from abnormal expression
and or processing of the amyloid beta precursor protein (APP),
which itself, is under the transcriptional control of biological
modifiers, including thyroid hormone. Although clinical data suggest
a link between thyroid hormone levels and AD, there is little
molecular data conclusively supporting its role in altering AD
molecular processes. Preliminary data from my laboratory show
thyroid hormone to be a negative regulator of APP both in vivo
in normal mice and in vitro in human cultures. Using a human APP
transgenic mouse model (huAPP-YAC) of AD, these proposed studies
will test the hypothesis that thyroid hormone alters transcription
and processing of human APP in vivo. Changes in APP mRNA expression
and processing will be analyzed by PCR while protein expression
and processing, including Ab generation, will be assessed by western
blot under both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid conditions. Results
from this study may lead to novel treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s
diseases sufferers. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
David
Oupicky, Ph.D. |
Eugene
Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmaceutics/Pharmacy |
| Project
Title: |
“Efficient
Cellular Delivery of DNA Mediated by Multifunctional Polypeptide
Carriers Containing Nuclear Localization Membrane Transduction
Sequences.” |
| Project
Description: |
The use of
small bioactive cationic peptides for gene transfer is hindered
by restricted biological activity due to unwanted interactions
with DNA and by low extracellular stability of the vectors. To
address these limitations, this proposal describes the use of
reversible polypeptides consisting of a nuclear localization signal
sequence (SV40 large T) and a virus derived protein transduction
domain (Tat). The use of high molecular weight polypeptides increases
the overall biophysical stability of the DNA delivery vectors
and enables sufficient copies of the peptide residues to be displayed
on the outer surface of the vector. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Manjunath
(Amit) P. Pai, Pharm.D. |
University
of New Mexico College of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Pharmacy Practice |
| Project
Title: |
“The Effect
of Calcium Supplementation on the Steady-State Pharmacokinetics
of Oral Once Daily 750 Milligram Doses of Levofloxacin in Adult
Cystic Fibrosis Patients.” |
| Project
Description: |
The current
proposal will evaluate the effect of calcium supplementation on
the pharmacokinetics of oral once-daily 750 mg doses of levofloxacin
in adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and in age, sex, race,
estimated creatinine clearance, and body mass index (BMI) – matched
healthy volunteers. Levofloxacin is the only once daily oral antibiotic
available for the management of acute pseudomonal pulmonary exacerbations
in CF patients. These patients receive large oral does of calcium
supplementation chronically to prevent osteoporosis that can potentially
decrease the absorption of levofloxacin. This study will evaluate
the extent of this potential interactions. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Jean-Christophe
Rochet, Ph.D. |
Purdue
University |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Medicinal/Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Pharmacognosy |
| Project
Title: |
“Effect of
Interaction Between DJ-1 and a-synuclein on neurodegeneration
in Parkinson’s Disease.” |
| Project
Description: |
Parkinson’s
disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that results from the
death of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. The protein a-synuclein
is thought to play a role in the disease by forming toxic aggregates.
Loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding DJ-1 were recently
linked to familial Parkinson’s disease. The aims of the proposed
research are to determine whether DJ-1 prevents the death of dopaminergic
neurons induced by a-synuclein, and whether neuroprotection by
DJ-1 might occur via the inhibition of a-synuclein aggregation. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Lynne
S. Taylor, Ph.D. |
Purdue
University School of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Industrial and Physical Pharmacy |
| Project
Title: |
“Molecular
Level Characterization of Amorphous Solid Dispersions.” |
| Project
Description: |
A Significant
number of new chemical entities exhibit low aqueous solubility
leading to poor bioavailability and ultimately decreased clinical
efficacy. Forming an amorphous solid dispersion with a hydrophilic
polymer is an established method to improve bioavailability. Although
there have been numerous publications on solid dispersions, it
is acknowledged that a better understanding of the fundamental
nature of these systems is necessary in order to be able to achieve
reproducibility and routinely use this technology. This project
aims to address this issue by characterizing these systems on
a molecular level using vibrational spectroscopy. Particular attention
will be paid to hydrogen bonding interactions between drug and
polymer with the specific aim of quantifying the degree of hydrogen
bonding as a function of composition. It is anticipated that this
research will aid in the rational selection of excipients and
drug loading levels for these systems. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
Ross
V. Weatherman, Ph.D. |
Purdue
University School of Pharmacy |
| Faculty
Position: |
Assistant
Professor, Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology |
| Project
Title: |
“Chemical
Probes of Rapid Estrogen Signaling.” |
| Project
Description: |
Compounds
that target estrogen signaling in women are validated therapeutic
agents for breast cancer treatment and prevention, osteoporosis
and hormone replacement therapy. Even so, there are increasing
numbers of reports indicating that the traditional model of estrogen
action through gene regulation is not sufficient to explain estrogen’s
many cellular actions. There appear to many responses to estrogen
that are too rapid to involve gene transcription. The proposed
models for these rapid responses invoke either novel receptors
for estrogen or know estrogen receptors acting in novel ways,
but the structure activity relationships between ligand and rapid
responses are unknown. This proposal details a plan to design,
synthesize and test known and novel estrogen modulators in assays
aimed specifically at testing the effects of these compounds on
rapid estrogen signaling. |
| AFPE
Award: |
AACP Pharmacy
Faculty New Investigator Grant |
