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 […]
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 […]
D. Brophy departs after 25 years
By Greg Weatherford SoP News When Don Brophy first visited Richmond more than 25 years ago, he was struck by the balmy weather. Compared to the Minnesota winters he was used to, Richmond’s mild climate seemed like the tropics. “I was instantly sold,” Brophy recalls, though he adds, “It didn’t hurt that [VCU] was an […]
Once a coronavirus vaccine exists, a VCU researcher’s mailable patch could deliver it to millions
Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy Someday, hundreds of millions of vaccinations against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could show up in people’s mailboxes and be applied as simply as slapping on a Band-Aid. That’s the vision of Guizhi “Julian” Zhu, Ph.D., at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy. Zhu, an assistant professor in the school’s Department of […]
Researcher develops novel vaccine to treat colorectal cancer in combination with immunotherapy
A School of Pharmacy researcher’s new vaccine to boost the immune system’s ability to fight colorectal cancer has shown promise in pre-clinical experiments. Julian Zhu, Ph.D., an assistant professor at VCU School of Pharmacy and a member of the Developmental Therapeutics research program at VCU Massey Cancer Center, developed the novel vaccine and used it […]
Colonial Williamsburg internship gives Pharm.D. students chance ‘to do something unusual’
By Greg WeatherfordSchool of Pharmacygoweatherfor@vcu.edu Mortar and pestle? All set. Pill-rolling molds? Check. Bonnet and corset? Check and check. Leeches? Hold on … For their fourth and final year of school, Virginia Commonwealth University pharmacy students travel across the country or the world for a series of five-week internships in professional settings. They usually can […]
Pharmacy named No. 1 school at VCU for inclusion and engagement
Greg WeatherfordDirector of Communications, VCU School of Pharmacy The School of Pharmacy has been named the most inclusive academic department at VCU — a notable distinction at a university that has long cited inclusion as a main priority. The honor is the result of an exhaustive survey by VCU’s Division for Inclusive Excellence. The Office […]
Pharmacy joins with engineering to make inhaled medications more effective for infants
Pharmaceutical aerosols are painless, fast-acting and less likely to cause side effects than medicines delivered via pills or injections. Yet inhaled therapies are often avoided because of the challenges associated with targeting how aerosol particles are deposited within the lung. “Current inhalers produce fairly large particles, so approximately 90 percent of the medication gets lost […]
Be bold, Class of 2023 is urged at White Coat Ceremony
Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy Be fearless. That’s the message keynote speaker Michelle Thomas, Pharm.D., gave the VCU School of Pharmacy Class of 2023 and assembled friends, family and fellow classmates. They gathered Saturday, Sept. 28, at St. Paul’s Baptist in Henrico County to celebrate the White Coat Ceremony for VCU School of Pharmacy’s latest […]