School of Pharmacy grad students celebrated for research and communications skills
Ph.D. candidates Sara Abudahab and Akua Donkor excel in research and explanations. By Leah SmallFor VCU School of Pharmacy Sara Abudahab and Akua Donkor, Ph.D. candidates in the VCU School of Pharmacy, are researching topics that outsiders might find intimidatingly complicated — epigenetics and healthy aging and the mechanisms behind tumor formation in plants, respectively. Nonetheless, […]
Circular mRNA may improve treatments
SoP researchers are changing the shape of the fight against COVID, cancer and more. Although they’ve been effective at preventing the virus, the VCU School of Pharmacy’s Guizhi “Julian” Zhu, Ph.D., notes that mRNA molecules used in those vaccines still have room for improvement: Their linear shape makes them more susceptible to being broken down […]
Pharm.D. program accredited through 2031
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has renewed accreditation for the VCU School of Pharmacy’s doctor of pharmacy program for a full eight-year cycle, effective through June 2031. The School of Pharmacy’s Pharm.D. program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, based in Chicago. The accreditation term granted for the doctor of pharmacy […]
Christmas-gift project connects pharmacy students across years and continents
A Christmas tale: “It really drove home the impact those kinds of things can have.” Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy There’s a saying in Swahili: “Kidogo kidogo hujaza kibaba.” Little by little fills the cup. In other words, every step counts — no matter how small. Sometimes those steps come in the form of a […]
Kelechi “K.C.” Ogbonna named dean of School of Pharmacy
By Greg WeatherfordSchool of Pharmacy Kelechi “K.C.” Ogbonna, Pharm.D., M.S.H.A., has been named dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy after an extensive national search. Ogbonna has served as interim dean since June 2022. Prior to that appointment, he served as associate dean of admissions and student services at the School of Pharmacy, overseeing […]
Health care fellowship leads to congressional report and hearing
A position as a congressional fellow through a program from VCU School of Pharmacy, ACCP and ASHP led to a leadership role in researching and writing a congressional report on the intersection of health care and climate change. With the U.S. health care system responsible for an estimated 10% of national greenhouse gas emissions, the […]
Leading the way in pharmacy and health
SoP’s Jean-Venable “Kelly” Goode recognized as one of the nation’s top women in pharmacy By Leah Small Jean-Venable “Kelly” Goode, Pharm.D., had been working for months with a patient who was fighting to control his diabetes while experiencing homelessness. After a frightening pattern of life-threateningly high levels of blood sugar, he was finally on track. […]
Recruitment scholarship boosts School of Pharmacy
Pharmacy school can be stressful enough, but imagine your school closing midway through your training to enter the profession. That’s the challenge Lance Berkowitz faced as a young student at George Washington University’s School of Pharmacy, who closed its doors in 1964. Berkowitz decamped to Richmond with seven of his classmates and finished schooling at […]
Edwards honored as VCU Alumni Star
Eric S. Edwards, M.D., Ph.D., was honored Sept. 29 by his alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, as one of the university’s brightest alumni stars. The biennial event, hosted by VCU Alumni, honored alumni from across the university’s academic units for their remarkable personal and professional achievements. Edwards is co-founder and CEO of Richmond-based Phlow Corp., a […]
Paul Massawe’s ‘mission impossible’ life is a story of perseverance
By Julie Dillon Paul Massawe is on a mission. Given the near constant obstacles he has encountered in life, it would be easy to assume that mission is impossible. But a combination of personal conviction, faith and individual generosity have Massawe, a second-year student in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, closer to achieving […]