New $3.5M study aims for early detection of autism to help patients thrive
By Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy In a search for the keys to autism, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University are about to begin one of the largest and most thorough scans of the set of chemical instructions, the methylome, that regulates the activity of human genes. The goal is to identify infants who have high […]
PrideRx paves the way for LGBTQ+ student “pharmily”
In just a few years, PrideRx at VCU’s School of Pharmacy has become one of the nation’s most visible and active groups for LGBTQ+ student pharmacists and their allies. In this essay, PrideRx founder Olivia White, a fourth-year pharmacy student at the SoP, describes its creation. By Olivia WhitePharm.D. Class of 2022 I moved to […]
Study: Sickle cell costs U.S. $1.5 billion per year in lost wages and productivity
Sickle cell disease causes $1.5 billion in lost wages and productivity each year in the U.S. alone, according to the first study of its kind. That comes to more than $650,000 lost over the average working life of a person living with the painful genetic disorder. Lead researcher David Holdford, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacoeconomics […]
2021-22 Pillar Goals
The School of Pharmacy’s 2021-22 Pillar Goals are below. These are updated annually through input from school leadership, faculty and staff, and tracked throughout the year. Download, print or view them using the buttons below.
Beloved pharmacy professor remembered with scholarship
The MCV Campus is full of inspiring people and moments, even in the face of tragedy. Shortly before the pandemic, the VCU School of Pharmacy experienced an emotional loss when Amy Pakyz, Pharm.D., Ph.D., died of ovarian cancer at age 52. Pakyz was a beloved professor and researcher, and soon after her death, her loved […]
DiPiro named associate vice president for health sciences
Joseph T. DiPiro, Pharm.D., has been appointed Virginia Commonwealth University’s associate vice president for health sciences, faculty affairs. He will continue in his role as dean of VCU School of Pharmacy. He succeeds Dr. David C. Sarrett, former dean of VCU’s School of Dentistry, who served in the role for ten years. “I am grateful […]
Bujnoch named 2021 Healthcare Policy Fellow
Tatiana Bujnoch has been named the American College of Clinical Pharmacy-American Society of Health-System Pharmacists-Virginia Commonwealth University Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow for 2020-21. The fellowship offers pharmacists an opportunity to gain insight into health care policy analysis and development through immersion in the congressional environment. Fellows are mentored in legislative evaluation, policy development, research and […]
A link in the chain: Building on his mentor’s work, Martin Safo closes in on sickle cell treatment
By Greg Weatherford School of Pharmacy News For 30 years, Martin Safo, Ph.D., has worked to find a solution to a complex puzzle: How can chemistry stop human blood cells from twisting and sticking together? The answer is critical for millions of people with sickle cell disease. Their blood cells fold into bizarre shapes including […]
SoP Pride Month designs
Our SoP team has created special designs to honor Pride Month! You can access a special (Photoshopped) Pride version of the Smith Building — seen above — as well as our Welcome to the Future logo recolored to represent many LGBTQIA+ flags like the one below by clicking on this link to a Google Drive […]
Cen wins Powe award
Yana Cen, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the School of Pharmacy’s Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The award comes with a $5,000 financial award and an equivalent match from the winner’s local institution. […]