catalyst

CATALYSTReseaRch highlights fRom the UniveRsity of illinois college of PhaRmacy

Fall 2013

inside: A Bitter Pill ■ A Dose of Genetics ■ Research Day 2013 ■ Imaging Research ■ A Lasting Contribution: Norman Farnsworth

13 A Bitter PillWomen’s health supplements don’t always deliver as promised, according to researchers at the Uic Botanical center.

In Every Issue03 News

08 Awards

10 Investing in Intellect

Features

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18 A Dose of GeneticsUsing genetic testing, Uic pharmacists are identifying the right dose of warfarin for patients.

22 A Gathering of Great MindsResearch Day showcases the work of Uic’s brightest researchers.

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PublisherJerry L. Bauman, bs ’76, pharmd, res ’77Dean

EditorJessica A. CanlasAssistant Director of Communications

Copy EditorRachel P. Farrell

Contributing EditorsSonya BoothHugh M. CookSamuel Hostettler

PhotographyJoshua ClarkBarry DonaldRoberta Dupuis-DevlinRichard FoertschBen Stickan

DesignerKimberly HegartyUIC Office of Publications Services

College of PharmacyAdministrative Officers

Department HeadsWilliam Beck, phd

Biopharmaceutical Sciences

Judy Bolton, phd

Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy

Janet Engle, pharmd ’85Pharmacy Practice

Nicholas Popovich, bs ’68, ms ’71, phd ’73Office of Professional Development

Glen T. Schumock, pharmd, mba, phd

Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy

Vice Dean, RockfordRegional ProgramDavid W. Bartels, pharmd

Executive Associate DeanJanet Engle, pharmd ’85

Associate DeansClara Awe, phd, edd

Diversity Affairs

James Bono, mha

Business Development and Administrative Affairs

Marieke Schoen, pharmd ’88Academic Affairs

Thomas TenHoeve III, phd

Student Affairs

Assistant DeansDebra Agard, pharmd ’92, mhpe

Student Affairs

Suzanne Rabi, pharmd ’04Academic Affairs

Editorial On the Cover

Illustration by Paul Garland

Contact the CatalystThe Catalyst (MC 874)833 South Wood Street, Room 184MChicago, Illinois 60612

Phone: (312) 996-7785E-mail: [email protected]

Submit letters and feedback to the editor at [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All reader correspondence to the magazine and its editorial staff will be treated as assigned for publication unless otherwise specified. For address changes, call (312) 996-0160.

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Catalyst – Fall 2013 – pharmalumni.uiC.edu | 1

My passion for clinical pharmacy practice began during my junior year of pharmacy school—right around the time when the clinical pharmacy movement was getting started.

During this time, I developed relationships with UIC’s original clinical faculty and, by 1976, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the residency program by Dr. Richard Hutchinson.

Early in my residency, there was controversy over whether phenytoin could be added to intravenous fluids and given as an infusion.

After discussing the topic with my preceptor, Dr. John Siepler, I decided to perform a very simple experiment: I added phenytoin to a bag of 5% dextrose and viola—the concoction turned to crystals. But were these crystals phenytoin? With help from Professor John Fitzloff, I found my answer: Filtering the crystals and completing a melting-point determination proved that they were, indeed, phenytoin.

I wrote a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine with the results of our simple experiment (N=1), and, about a month later, received a letter of acceptance. I was instantly hooked! What fun; how exciting! But hearing the news was sort of scary, too. What if the results of my experiment were wrong?

We conducted a more extensive study and discovered that, although phenytoin crystallizes in dextrose, it is quite stable in other intravenous fluids, such as saline. The results of our subsequent paper were verified by others (whew), and adding phenytoin to saline piggybacks became the preferred method of parenteral administration.

In solving a simple clinical problem, my work (in a very small way) led to a change in clinical practice.

But this story only partially explains my love for research. Here are more reasons why:

1. It’s fun and exciting! Discovering something new or answering a question—no matter how big or small—is simply a thrill.

2. It helps the patients we serve. 3. Making a contribution is rewarding and a point of personal pride.4. It promotes pharmacy as a scientific profession.5. It’s rewarding to train students, residents and fellows in research and see

them go on to make their own contributions.6. It increases your reputation, marketability and, if you’re an academic, your

salary. You can eventually become a dean.7. It enhances your abilities as a practitioner and strengthens your expertise in

the field.8. It teaches you honesty, accuracy, self-discipline and patience, as not all

research projects go well.9. Your work can serve as a foundation for even more important discoveries.10. It’s there forever as your contribution, for better or worse.

My early experiences at UIC inspired a career that combined clinical practice with clinical research. I’ve spent nearly 35 years in academia. And when I think back on those years, I am most proud of my research contributions and the students that I’ve mentored.

Jerry L. Bauman, bs ’76, res ’77, pharmd, fcc, faccDean and Professor

2 | pharmalumni.uiC.edu – Fall 2013 – Catalyst

Why I Love

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From The Dean

News


UIC scientist fights war against bacteria

by Sam Hostettler

Michael Federle believes bacteria are smarter than many scientists give themcredit for.

By studying quorum sensing—the means by which bacteria cells communicate with one another—Federle, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, is trying to convince sickness-causing microorganisms to remain in a non-hostile state.

Federle is one of 10 U.S. scientists to receive a five-year grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, which brings multidisciplinary approaches to the study of human infectious diseases. The program, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., provides $500,000 to support accomplished investigators still early in their careers to study what happens at the points where human and microbial systems connect.

“We’re losing the war with bacteria,” Federle says. “Every antibiotic we’ve come up with has some level of resistance.”

Federle is studying the bacteria in streptococci, which are responsible for strep throat, cases of meningitis, bacterial pneumonia, endocarditis, erysipelas and the flesh-eating bacteria necrotizing fasciitis. His research explores ways to disrupt biofilms—communities of bacteria that live on a surface that are extremely resistant to antibiotics.

Manipulating bacteria that carry health complications is Federle’s long-term

goal. Bacteria enter the body and grow quietly until reaching a certain population density to inflict damage, but quorum sensing can help ward off this illness-breeding form of bodily terrorism.

“If we can manipulate bacteria by understanding the chemical signals they use, then we can interfere with the bacteria’s ability to make people sick,” he says. “We’ll try to fool the bacteria by artificially stimulating them.”

When he learned he was a recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome grant, Federle was “flabbergasted,” especially considering the exceptional quality and impact of research conducted by current and past awardees, he says.

“I don’t consider this work. I’m having so much fun unraveling the basic nature of bacterial communication,” he says.

In addition to the Burroughs Wellcome award, Federle’s research is being funded through a grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is a private independent non-profit foundation whose mission is to advance the medical sciences by supporting research and other educational activities. The awards are intended to give recipients the freedom and flexibility to pursue high-risk projects and new avenues of inquiry.

Michael Federle tries to track bacterial cell communication.

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News

Test makes medication safer for African Americansby Sam Hostettler

With a new genetic test, more than 150 African American patients at UI Health received customized dosages of a blood-thinning medication that make the drug safer.

UI Health is among the first centers in the U.S. to use genetic information to precisely tailor a patient’s dose of warfarin, a highly effective blood thinner for people at risk for blood clots and stroke.

“Genotyping personalizes the warfarin dosage for each patient,” says Larisa Cavallari, associate professor of pharmacy practice.

“This is helping to prevent both overdoses and underdoses of the drug, and may significantly lower serious adverse events such as hemorrhage, thrombosis and even death.”

UI Health’s Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Service is part of the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium, which recently reported that a newly discovered genetic variant affects the safe dosage of the blood thinner for about 40 percent of African American patients taking it. The findings were published in The Lancet.

Cavallari and Edith Nutescu, clinical professor of pharmacy practice, are two of the 42 researchers from 17 institutions involved in the study, led by University of

Florida Health researcher Julie Johnson, director of the UF Center for Pharmacogenomics.

Warfarin is the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulant in the U.S., with doctors writing more than 33 million prescriptions in 2012. It is also one of the most dangerous drugs, accounting for one-third of hospitalizations related to adverse drug events in patients older than 65.

Proper dosing is difficult, but critical for safe and effective treatment.

Warfarin daily doses range from 1 to 20 milligrams, and even the smallest miscalculation can lead to clotting or bleeding complications, Cavallari says.

The genetic test used at UI Health identifies common variants in a clotting enzyme that warfarin targets, and in

another enzyme that breaks down warfarin in the body, Cavallari says. The newly discovered variant also affects the breakdown of warfarin.

“Without the use of genetics—along with other factors, including a patient’s weight, age and other drugs being taken—the proper dose may take a few weeks or even months to determine,” she says. “We hope to add this new variant to our testing panel for all patients.”

As part of the Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Service, when warfarin is first prescribed to a patient at UI Health, a computer orders a genetic test, along with pharmacy and medical consultations. A blood sample is sent to the laboratory, where the DNA is isolated and processed on an FDA-cleared genotyping platform.

Results for the clotting enzyme and eight variations of the other enzyme’s genes are usually available within six hours, Cavallari explains.

Patients are also asked for their consent to use their leftover DNA samples for research, she adds.

“We hope to find additional variants that are important for warfarin dosing in both African American and Hispanic populations.”

“Genotyping personalizes the warfarin dosage for each patient.”

Edith Nutescu (left) and Larisa Cavallari (above) are among researchers at 17 institutions working on the nationwide study.ph

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News

Key to TB cure could lie underwaterby Sam Hostettler

The search for a tuberculosis cure has led Brian Murphy and Scott Franzblau deep underwater.

Murphy, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, and Franzblau, director of UIC’s Institute for Tuberculosis Research, are lead investigators on a new, three-year, $1.1 million grant from the Defense Department to investigate whether select strains of actinomycete bacteria— found in freshwater and marine water—may help treat tuberculosis.

Murphy has so far collected a “library” of nearly 1,000 actinomycete strains from freshwater in the Great Lakes region and marine waters off Massachusetts, Maine, the Florida Keys and Vietnam. He has also gathered 1,200 samples of biochemicals produced by these strains.

From this collection, Murphy and Franzblau have identified eight aquatic actinomyces strains that target nonreplicating tuberculosis. The team’s screening process has revealed a promising new class of compounds with drug-like potency. The compounds were isolated from sediment collected 260 feet below the surface of Lake Michigan and are the focus of the new grant.

“Freshwater environments are a new frontier for drug-lead discovery,” Murphy says. “Actinomycetes have the ability to produce molecules that have a high potential for use as medicines, and very little is known about these bacteria in such environments.”

The UIC team will be the first to explore each of the five Great Lakes for antibiotic-producing actinomycete bacteria and will evaluate the viability of freshwater systems as a source for drug-lead discovery.

“If we can understand the capacity for these bacteria to produce new, small-molecule drug leads, it will help guide a global freshwater discovery effort,” Murphy says.

Multi-drug and extensively drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, which are unaffected by first- and second-line drug regimens, are the most serious threat, Franzblau says.

“Perhaps the most problematic aspect of tuberculosis treatment is its duration,” adds Murphy. Franzblau explains that lengthy treatment is required to eliminate a persistent population of slow-growing or non-replicating tuberculosis.

As a killer, tuberculosis—caused by a bacterium that most often attacks the lungs—is second only to HIV among infectious agents, according to the World Health Organization. The bacteria lie dormant in about one-third of the population, and 8 million new cases are reported annually. In 2011, the disease killed more than 1.4 million people worldwide.

Compared to American civilians, U.S. military personnel are at higher risk for tuberculosis because of their frequent deployment to developing countries, where infection rates are often higher, Murphy said. Some units are stationed in locations where the spread of tuberculosis is a major hazard.

As a result, Murphy says, “novel drug scaffolds that can reduce the spread of tuberculosis throughout the military and quickly address a tuberculosis epidemic are in serious need.”

Read more about Franzblau’s work at the Institute for Tuberculosis Research in the Winter 2012 issue of UIC Pharmacist at issuu.com/uicpharmacy.

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As part of a search for new antibiotics, Brian Murphy, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, collects bacteria from water throughout the world.


News

UIC researcher searches for ovarian cancer treatmentsby Sam Hostettler

The mortality rate for ovarian cancer has not improved in more than 40 years. Maria Barbolina is working to change that.

“Metastatic ovarian cancer is currently incurable,” says Barbolina, assistant professor of pharmacology. “One way to change this situation is to develop new approaches and drugs that either alone or in combination with already existing ones are capable of fighting the disease.”

Barbolina is one of six U.S. scientists to receive a grant from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund through its Liz Tilberis Scholars Program, named for the former British fashion magazine editor who died of ovarian cancer in 1999.

Barbolina will receive $150,000 annually for three years to fund her continuing research.

Through her research, Barbolina has discovered that fractalkine receptor–a protein found on the cell surface–is expressed in the majority of ovarian cancer cases. The fractalkine receptor could help the cancer spread to other organs throughout the body if it is stimulated by another protein that binds to it.

If the expression of the fractalkine receptor is decreased, it leads to significant slowing of metastatic growth in an animal model, Barbolina says. Therefore, fractalkine could be a potential drug target against ovarian cancer.

About 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, and 15,500 women will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. A woman’s lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is 1 in 17. Most cases develop after menopause.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, feeling of fullness, or urinary tract complaints.

Few treatments were available in the 1970s. Diagnosis often did not occur until the disease was in its advanced stages, and women typically did not survive longer than six months. Today, almost half of patients are alive five years after diagnosis.

Barbolina is the second UIC researcher to be awarded a Liz Tilberis grant since its inception in 2000. Joanna Burdette, assistant professor of pharmacognosy, was a recipient in 2011.

“Metastatic ovarian cancer is currently incurable. One way to change this situation is to develop new approaches and drugs that either alone or in combination with already existing ones are capable of fighting the disease.”

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Maria Barbolina seeks drug targets in the battle against cancer.


News

Grant will help train natural product scientistsby Sam Hostettler

Elizabeth Martinez hopes to one day discover a cure for menopausal symptoms using an herbal dietary supplement. With help from a new federal training grant awarded to the UIC Chicago College of Pharmacy, her vision may become reality.

The College of Pharmacy has received a five-year, $2.1 million grant to train graduate and postdoctoral students like Martinez in natural product drugs and dietary supplements. The grant is funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the National Institutes of Health.

“This grant will support the education of the next generation of scientists who will be responsible for establishing the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements and for the discovery of new therapeutic agents from natural product sources,” says Richard van Breemen, professor of medicinal chemistry and director of the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research.

“The majority of drugs and supplements in use today are derived from natural products,” he adds.

The T32-Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Training Grant provides funding to eligible institutions to develop or enhance predoctoral and postdoctoral research training opportunities in biomedical and behavioral research.

The award provides five years of renewable support to institutions, including annual NRSA stipends for trainees and institutional allowances to defray the expenses of those receiving the grant.

To be eligible for a predoctoral award, a student must have a baccalaureate degree and be enrolled in a doctoral program leading to a PhD, a comparable research degree, or dual research/clinical doctorate like the MD/PhD. A postdoctoral fellow must have a PhD, MD or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Trainees are selected by faculty from UIC’s medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy department.

Two Ph.D. students–Martinez and Michael Mullowney–were selected as the first recipients of the grant. Both were engaged in other careers before they began studying medicinal chemistry.

Martinez was working as an industrial food scientist when she decided it was not satisfying her need to “make an impact on the lives of people.”

Under the direction of van Breemen, Martinez is now studying how to prevent dangerous side effects caused by drug-herb interactions in menopausal women. She tests plant extracts used in the formulation of dietary supplements for potential connections with drugs that are metabolized in the liver by the same enzymes.

“Preventing harm and improving the quality of life for menopausal women is the driving force of our research,” Martinez says. “This grant will allow me to continue my dream of helping people.”

Mullowney entered the pharmacognosy program after discovering an interest in science while working in illustration and the music recording industry.After earning an undergraduate science degree, pharmacognosy “lured me as a science based in nature,” he said. Its importance can be readily understood by people, “thus reinforcing the environmental value of its natural roots.”

Working in the laboratory of Brian Murphy, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, Mullowney is attempting to discover leads for new antibiotics in marine and freshwater bacteria–sources that he says have been “largely overlooked by traditional drug discovery programs.”

He hopes to one day oversee his own university laboratory.

“I want to be part of the future of medicine that unravels the mysteries of science to more effectively treat humanity,” Mullowney says. “The intersection of biology and chemistry found in the research in UIC’s pharmacognosy department is the perfect next step in my life of creative discovery.”

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Michael Mullowney, left, and Elizabeth Martinez, right, are the first recipients of a new federal grant to train UIC students in natural products drugs and dietary supplements. Richard van Breemen, front, is principal investigator of the grant.

Awards

Researcher gleans lessons in nanotechnology from natureBy Sam Hostettler

Thousands of lives are lost each year to breast cancer, ovarian cancer and leukemia. If Seungpyo Hong can save even one life, he will consider his work a success.

Hong, assistant professor of biopharmaceutical sciences, is one of 10 outstanding UIC researchers honored with the 2013 Researcher of the Year Award, a $5,000 cash prize. Among this distinguished group, Hong is one of five early-career scientists honored as Rising Stars.

His research combines nanotechnology and biomimetics (taking ideas from nature to solve problems in engineering) to create new polymer-based nanomaterials that can detect circulating tumor cells and create artificial surfaces to remove damaged cells from the blood.

Hong’s work could help solve some of the current challenges in biomedical research.

“We want to take advantage of what nature gives us,” says Hong, who came to UIC in 2008 after completing postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His research could also provide the technology for targeted delivery of multiple drugs to cancer cells, he says.

Since joining the UIC faculty, Hong has published 26 papers (he has more than 40 in print in his career). He has 10 issued or pending patents and his work has been cited in other scientific articles more than 2,800 times.

Although his career is relatively young, Hong has already had a major impact on the cutting-edge interface area of chemistry, polymer science, biology and nanotechnology, says William Beck, professor and head of biopharmaceutical sciences.

“In addition to his outstanding research, he has also made major contributions to our educational efforts to produce the next generation of leaders,” Beck says.

Hong’s research is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, as well as other internal and external sources.

Other awards he’s received include a new investigator grant from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the College of Pharmacy’s Vahlteich Research Scholar Award and the University of Michigan’s Overberger Award.

Pharmacy researcher receives young investigator awardBy Sam Hostettler

Dejan Nikolic, research assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, has received an international early-career award for studies of plant medicinal chemistry.

The Arthur C. Neish Young Investigator Award is presented annually by the Phytochemical Society of North America.

Nikolic, who is also a co-investigator in the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research, was a featured speaker at the society’s annual meeting, recently held at Oregon State University.

Nikolic’s research focuses on botanical dietary supplements for women’s health. He utilizes modern liquid chromatophy-mass spectrometric approaches

to determine the structure of active plant ingredients, their bioavailability, metabolic pathways and potential toxicity.

He also looks for active ingredients in clinical specimens collected from patients enrolled in clinical trials involving plant compounds.

His current research has focused on the phytochemistry of black cohosh, a popular dietary supplement for women seeking alternative treatments for menopausal symptoms. Nikolic and his colleagues recently discovered 73 different metabolites of black cohosh, many of which are new natural products.

The identified compounds belong to structural groups that include several classes of alkaloids, Nikolic says. “Alkaloids are among the most bioactive compounds found in plants, so discovering so many of these will certainly shed a lot of light on our understanding the pharmacological profile of black cohosh,” he adds.

The society’s award is named in honor of Arthur C. Neish, who in the 1950s and 1960s was a pioneer in the synthesis and use of radiolabeled precursors. He was a major contributor to the field of plant natural-product biosynthetic pathways.

Nikolic says he was honored to win the award, as it is “a recognition of the quality of research carried out in the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical and Dietary Supplements Research.”


UIC Rising Star Seungpyo Hong uses nanomaterials to detect tumor cells.

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Dejan Nikolic’s research focuses on botanical dietary supplements for women’s health.

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Mankin recognized for ribosome, biotech researchBy Sam Hostettler

Biotechnology is the use of biological processes to manufacture products to improve the quality of human life. But Alexander “Shura” Mankin, professor and director of the Center for Biopharmaceutical Technology, says it is that and much more.

“Biotechnology is about developing new technologies to understand the nature of diseases and drug discovery, as well as applying unorthodox approaches to basic research that will eventually feed the applied branches of pharmaceutical sciences,” Mankin says.

Mankin is the 2013 recipient of the Paul R. Dawson Biotechnology Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The award recognizes an active scientist within pharmacy education who is a leader in the teaching of biotechnology and its related science.

Throughout his career, Mankin has performed extensive research on the functions of the ribosome and how it can be inhibited by drugs. His laboratory has established modes of action of several important classes of antibiotics.

“We’re working to discover how antibiotics bind to the ribosome, which is responsible for churning out all the proteins a cell needs for survival, and how they interfere with its function,” Mankin says. “We investigate mechanisms of drug resistance and are trying to develop new, superior antibiotics.”

Currently, Mankin is studying how the ribosome deals with the newly formed polypeptide, how drugs can affect this process, and how microbes can become resistant.

The Dawson Award, Mankin says, is for a team effort, recognizing not only him but the “excellent work of the members of his laboratory, whose support, efforts and contributions made this possible.”

“I was humbled when I learned I was nominated, and even more so when I learned that I received the

award. I greatly appreciate the assistance of those in UIC’s College of Pharmacy who made this possible,” he says.

“I view this award as an indication of the success of UIC’s Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, founded by Michael Johnson 20 years ago,” Mankin continues. “The center has been extremely successful in its research, publications, attracting extramural funding, and training students and postdoctoral students with its outstanding faculty.”

Mankin has published more than 100 papers in leading journals. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies.

Jerry Bauman, dean of the UIC College of Pharmacy, said Mankin was “extremely deserving” of the prestigious award.

“Shura’s work in elucidating the mechanism of antibiotic action will pave new ways to consider the effective treatment of serious infections,” he says. “It is truly at the cutting edge of science.

“Shura is a wonderful leader in our college, not only leading by example, but also in mentoring young faculty for a career in pharmaceutical education and research. We are lucky to have him in our college.”

Read more about Mankin’s work in the 2012 edition of Catalyst at issuu.com/uicpharmacy.

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Awards


Alexander Mankin is the recipient of AACP’s Dawson Biotechnology Award.

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Investing in Intellect

The legacy of Norman Farnsworth lives on.

During his 41 years at UIC, Farnsworth, a distinguished professor in the department of medicinal chemistry and pharmocognosy, garnered international acclaim for his research on the properties of medicinal plants and natural products. His 2011 passing inspired the College of Pharmacy to raise money to establish the Norman R. Farnsworth Lectureship, a program that invites globally renowned leaders in pharmacy to present annual public lectures on pharmacognosy research and education. Many alumni and friends have donated to support the lectureship.

“We get a lot of public interest in our efforts to find drugs from plants and other natural sources,” says Jerry Bauman, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “We’re hoping that the lectureship will further bolster our reputation by exposing more individuals to our College.”

Paul Coates, director of the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health

(NIH) and a close friend and collaborator of Farnsworth, was the lectureship’s first guest speaker. On March 22, the eve of Farnsworth’s birthday, Coates delivered the lecture “Dietary Supplement Research—How Hard Can it be?” During the lecture, he covered the topics including research funding, research collaborations and the outlook for the dietary supplements field.

“Coates is very much like Norm; he unites people, remarks Guido Pauli, a professor in the department of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy. “Norm inspired individuals to work together, which is the same function this lectureship has. The lectureship helps fill the vacuum Farnsworth left and reminds faculty members to come together.”

“As the first-named lectureship in the department of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy at UIC, I know it’s going to benefit the faculty and our graduate students greatly,” adds Judy Bolton, professor and head of the department.

Jordan Gunn, a PhD student in pharmacognosy, agrees. “Just to have Paul Coates speak at UIC exemplifies Farnsworth’s influence living on,” he says. Dr. Coates is one of the biggest names that has walked through the doors in my time here. His NIH branch supports a number of research programs in our department.”

Those benefits are not lost on those who choose to support the lectureship with monetary means.

“Public funding, including tuitions and fees, are small in the context of the programmatic needs and costs in higher education,” says Harry Fong, professor emeritus. “Lectureships such as the Norman R. Farnsworth Lecture in Pharmacognosy are enriching to the academic community.”

“This is not just a named lectureship,” adds Pauli, “but an active part of UIC’s pharmacognosy program that’s supported by the researchers, faculty and students.”

A lasting contributionA new lectureship honors—and continues—the work of Norman Farnsworth

This past spring, the College of Pharmacy hosted its 3rd annual Images of Research competition, assembling a striking portfolio of creative images and photography.

Open to students and postdocs, the competition invites submissions of images that depict the depth and breadth of research taking place at COP. College faculty, staff, and students vote for their favorite images, and cash prizes are awarded to the top three entries.

Here are the images that received the most votes this year.

Imaging Research

First PlaceRaising or “Racing” Glioblastoma CellsTuyen Nguyen and Mary Tang, Biopharmaceutical SciencesGlioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive form of primary brain tumors, accounts for approximately 60 percent of all diagnosed brain tumors in the United States each year. In our lab, we treat gliobastoma using hydrogels made of a variety of polymers as drug delivery vehicles. Pictured are confluent glioblastoma U87-MG cells grown on tissue culture plastic. Can you spot the racing horse outlined by the cells?

Imaging Research


Second PlaceThe Plate of RainbowShangwen Luo, Medicinal Chemistry and PharmacognosySiderophores are high-affinity, iron-chelating natural products that are produced by microorganisms. The secretion of siderophores into extracellular environments is crucial for the growth of microorganisms in iron-limiting environments. This picture was captured during the development of a siderophore detection assay. The iron-chelating agents under different concentrations rendered a plate of rainbow colors.

Honorable MentionThe Evolution of Computational Drug DesignShuyi Cao, Medicinal Chemistry and PharmacognosyTwenty years ago, we used tapes to store information and large machines to analyze data. Now the computational drug design has marched into a new era. We have large clusters and work stations that can process data thousands of times faster than before.

Third PlaceBeauty of Crystal VioletJia Xie, Biopharmaceutical SciencesThe cells stained with crystal violet are skov-3, a kind of epithelial ovarian cancer cells that are derived from human ascites. Originally, our goal was to compare differences in the intensity of the purple color, which indicates the growing ability of the cells under different conditions. While magnifying the cells under the microscope, we observed staining results that elucidate the structure of the cells.

Honorable MentionWaitingWei-Lun Chen, Medicinal Chemistry and PharmacognosyThe growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I (GH/IGF) pathway may be important in cancer development. Down regulation of the GH/IGF axis may substantially retard initiation and the promotion/progression stages of carcinogenesis. The dwarf mouse, which lacks GH due to a missense mutation in its GH gene, is our mouse model in GH research. These dwarf mice were waiting to be weighed.

View these and images from previous competitions at www.uic.edu/pharmacy/research/Image_Competition.php.12 | pharmalumni.uiC.edu – Fall 2013 – Catalyst

Imaging Research


Women’s health supplements don’t always deliver as promised, according to researchers at the UIC Botanical Center.

by John Spizzirri

A bitter pill

Photography by Joshua Clark


These days, supplements are available just about everywhere—online, in health stores and at the local grocer. And, it seems, there’s a supplement treatment for

nearly any deficiency, symptom or ailment.

Some manufacturers claim that the active ingredients in supplements are “clinically proven” to support, maintain, manage and/or improve specific functions in the body. But every couple of months, new research emerges suggesting that certain products are not all they’ve touted—or worse, can potentially harm your health.

So just how effective—and safe—are supplements? And how do consumers and physicians know whether the information they’ve received from

manufacturers is correct? These are among the questions researchers in the UIC Botanical Center have been trying to answer—specifically in the area of women’s health—for more than a decade.

Meeting a need

The UIC Botanical Center, founded in 1999, is the oldest botanical center funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States. Its directive is to research and assess the properties of botanical ingredients used in women’s health supplements.

In 1995, Congress directed NIH to establish the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) as part of its earlier Dietary Supplements Health Education Act. The ODS mandate to investigate the safety

and efficacy of supplements was fulfilled with joint funding from the newly realized Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and its establishment of the Botanical Center for Dietary Supplements Research in 1999.

Funded again in 2005 and 2010, the UIC Botanical Center is among five centers based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University and Wake Forest University.

The center focuses on women’s health, in large part because of its founding members.

When writing the original grant proposal for the center, a group of faculty gathered to frame its focus.

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Guido PauliCo-Director, UIC Botanical Center


Among those was the late Norman Farnsworth, the center’s founding director and a champion in the field of pharmacognosy for the use of botanicals as active ingredients in dietary supplements.

“Norm said, ‘We should focus on women’s health. It is understudied and undervalued, and it’s an important area of research,’” recalls Richard van Breemen, director of the UIC Botanical Center. “Women are the primary consumers of botanical dietary supplements and supplements of all kinds. So knowing about the safety and efficacy of what they’re taking is of paramount importance.”

By the late 1990s, the market for natural health supplements had exploded. And with this expansion came an interest in botanicals as alternatives to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the promise of which had not panned out as hoped. While HRT provided some relief from hot flashes and helped prevent osteoporosis, it appeared to cause decreases in cognitive function and increases in the risks for heart disease, heart attack and estrogen-related cancers such as breast cancer.

So as women began to look elsewhere for menopause relief, the Botanical Center started conducting in-depth research on botanicals. They began by studying

10 plant species. And they asked a lot of questions, says Judy Bolton, the center’s Project 2 leader: Do botanicals have any efficacy in terms of alleviating menopausal hot flashes? Do they have other beneficial effects from a preventative standpoint? Do they have any toxic effects? Is there anything else we need to worry about as far as women taking these formulations?

Covering the botanical bases

Since the center’s early days, the number of plant species studied has grown significantly—and continues to grow. Each plant and its attendant

Judy Bolton Project 2 Leader,

UIC Botanical Center

components undergoes a rigorous cycle of testing across three project arms.

Project 1, themed “botanical standardization,” is concerned with methods to establish and control the quality of botanical materials. During this phase, plant species are identified and authenticated, and parameters for efficacy are established, explains Professor Guido Pauli, the center’s co-director and Project 1 leader.

Adds van Breemen, the center’s Project 3 leader, “We insist that botanical supplements [are] authenticated, because [ethnobotanical] literature … doesn’t always make clear what was being tested. And sometimes it appears that the wrong species of plants were used.”

Bolton’s team on Project 2, themed “biological activity and safety of botanicals,” is responsible for developing and implementing bioassays to better evaluate the mechanisms that drive the efficacy, chemoprevention and potential toxicity of botanical extracts used for menopausal women’s health.

Project 3 focuses on the pharmacokinetics metabolism of botanicals and examines “how the chemical components of these botanicals, contained in extracts for example, behave in a human system, in an in vivo system; how they get into it, how they are metabolized and how they’re absorbed,” explains Pauli. “We call this ADME: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.”

Collectively, the projects cover the chemistry, biology and pharmacokinetics of botanicals.

The center also relies on collaborations that reach beyond the College of Pharmacy. Faculty from the UIC College of Medicine, physicians from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and even an international hops producer, among others, pool their expertise to examine some of the more prevalent botanicals used in women’s health supplements.

Black cohosh: black magic?

Black cohosh is one of the most common botanical ingredients found in menopause supplements. An article on the growth of herb sales in HerbalGram, The Journal of the American Botanical Council, showed that black cohosh ranked eighth among the 20 top-selling herbal dietary supplements in the Mainstream Food, Drug, and Mass Market (FDM) channel in the United States in 2010, having increased in sales by 14.34 percent over 2009.

Black cohosh has been a focus of attention for the UIC Botanical Center since it opened its doors. It is one of only two botanicals—the other, red clover—studied by the center that has made it to a Phase II clinical trial.

“In the first five years, we studied black cohosh extensively,” says van Breemen. “It has no estrogenicity that we could measure in any assay. Despite that, we continued to pursue it, thinking it might have some [impact on] central nervous system activity.”

Further investigation identified serotonin derivatives that might affect serotonin receptors in the hypothalamus that help regulate body temperature, thus providing the potential for some relief for hot flashes. But a human trial showed no observable benefit.

Even after the center developed its own standardized extract of red clover and tested it in Phase II clinical trials, it too showed no signs of efficacy.

Still, manufacturers continue to claim that their products are clinically proven, citing studies conducted elsewhere. And van Breemen admits that there have been other well-designed clinical studies that might show efficacy.

“But we felt our study was properly designed,” he says. “We tried to reduce bias by making it double-blind and placebo-controlled.”Approximately 80 women completed the study, taking either Prempro, black cohosh, red clover or a placebo. The relatively small sample size, notes van Breemen, might explain how a very weak effect could be missed.

“Part of the reason we couldn’t see it was the placebo effect, which was at least 50 percent. It was quite astounding. You can see that if a study is done without a placebo group, one could see a big positive effect.”

As with many botanical dietary supplements, researchers know little about what causes the beneficial effects. Extracts like those from black cohosh and red clover are relatively poorly understood because they are often combined with other chemical ingredients.

“Essentially, the understanding of a botanical has to start by identifying its actives,” says Pauli. “Then these actives have to be studied the same as we study drugs, except that there’s more [than one compound] to be studied … which makes this a very complicated task overall.”

“This is why our center has a certain advantage,” he adds. “I think we can harvest more information from botanical research than other groups because we have a more integrated approach.”

“…our center has a certain advantage. I think we can harvest more information from botanical research than other groups because we have a more integrated approach.”

— Guido Pauli



The cancer-estrogen link

The center continues to add new and interesting plants to its research menu—including hops and licorice, both of which show promise of estrogenicity. However, women aren’t likely to find relief from either beer or candy any time soon.

Researchers have studied the cancer-preventing properties of hops and licorice for some time. The compound xanthohumol, found in hops, has been investigated as a chemo-preventive in the fight against breast cancer and neurologic degeneration. Because it can convert into both weak and potent estrogens, xanthohumol has potential to serve as an estrogen replacement or alternative.

“The longer women are exposed to estrogen, the higher the risk of developing certain cancers, like breast cancer,” says Bolton. “And one of the mechanisms by which estrogens cause cancer is

through metabolism of reactive quinones. Some evidence shows that certain botanical extracts, hops in particular, can actually decrease the amount of reactive intermediates from estrogen and protect women from certain hormone-dependent cancers that are related to estrogen.”

Asked whether Guinness was “good for you” as advertisements once claimed, Bolton notes, “Unfortunately, it’s a spent-hop extract. So it’s actually the stuff you throw away when making beer.”Like hops, a compound in licorice called isoliquiritigenin shows estrogenic properties. Several species of licorice will be studied from sources grown at the Botanic Center’s field station in Downer’s Grove, Ill.

Safety first, efficacy second

Although evidence for the efficacy of many botanical ingredients is lacking, consumers can count on the

safety of most products, clinical research shows.Unfortunately, the dietary supplement industry is not regulated in the same way as the food and drug industry. So safety remains an issue women should discuss with their doctors, especially given the possibility of interactions between botanicals and prescriptions.

“One of the major goals of botanical centers like ours is to try to clear up some of this confusion,” says Bolton, explaining that the NCCAM aims to acquire “real scientific data … so women and their doctors have a trusted resource that they can go to.”

Richard van BreemenDirector, UIC Botanical Center

To learn more about botanical supplements or the safety and efficacy of specific botanicals, visit the websites of NCCAM at nccam.nih.gov/ or the Office of Dietary Supplements at ods.od.nih.gov/.

A Dose of Genetics

Using genetic testing, UIC pharmacists are identifying the right dose of warfarin for patients by Alice Patenaude


Photography by Lloyd DeGrane

The right dose for the right patient: That’s the goal of all pharmacists and physicians. And now, the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences

System is pioneering the use of genetics to make that personalized-health aim a reality.

In its work with new patients taking warfarin (a drug used to treat blood clots and prevent strokes), UI Health is the first in the nation to automatically use pharmacogenetics — the science that predicts a response to drugs based upon a person’s genetic makeup — to prescribe the correct dosage. The project is a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Chicago colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine.

Each year, more than 2 million people are prescribed warfarin, the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulant drug in North America. But determining the right dose, especially the initial critical doses, can be difficult because of variable factors including a patient’s diet, age and the use of other medications. Warfarin is the leading cause of adverse drug reactions among older people in the United States. Patients who take a dose larger than they can tolerate are at risk of life-threatening bleeding. Those who receive too low a dose are at risk of equally dangerous blood clots.

The process of personalizing optimal warfarin dosages is based upon data from numerous studies which show that a patient’s variants of the genes CYP2C9 and VKORC1 affect why people process the drug differently.

“These two genes explain about 30 percent of the variability in dose that we see in patients,” says Larisa Cavallari, PharmD, an associate professor. “Without using genotype information, it can take weeks or months to figure out the correct warfarin dosage.”

Cavallari, along with Edith Nutescu, PharmD, the founder of the University of Illinois Hospital & Health System’s Antithrombosis Clinic, are the clinical directors behind the health system’s new Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Service, which launched in mid-August.

When patients are first prescribed warfarin under the new service, the computer system automatically triggers a laboratory order for warfarin pharmacogenetics and a pharmacy consultation. A small sample of the patient’s blood is drawn and sent to the medical laboratory, where the DNA is isolated and processed on an FDA-cleared genotyping platform. Results for the VKORC1 and eight variations of the CYP2C9 genes are usually available within a mere six to eight hours.

The Pharmacogenetics Consult Service provides a patient assessment and a genotype-guided warfarin dose recommendation to the medical team via a consult note in the patient’s electronic medical record. Patients are then monitored with blood tests to ensure that the dosage is correct. The pharmacogenetics service follows up until the patient is discharged from the hospital, and even after for those receiving care at the university’s Antithrombosis Clinic.

Rather than starting all patients on the same initial dose, genotyping personalizes the warfarin dosage for each patient, helping to prevent both overdoses and underdoses of warfarin. Studies have shown that patients who used genotype-guided warfarin dosing had significantly fewer serious adverse events (including hemorrhage, thrombosis and death) during the initial three months of therapy compared with control groups.

“Not basing a person’s treatment on one standard is better for the patient,” says Vanessa Flores, a UI Health employee and a patient with a blood clotting disorder, who has been treated for deep

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vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism at the Antithrombosis Clinic for the last decade. “As a patient, I appreciate having access to the best and newest technology.”

Targeting underrepresented patient groups

Cavallari also has been instrumental in taking pharmacogenetics research further, by helping the UI Health System become one of the few centers across the country investigating how genotyping affects the warfarin dosage level in African Americans and Hispanics, who have been underrepresented in earlier research.

In a 2010 study of more than 200 patients from the university’s Antithrombosis Clinic, Cavallari used buccal cells from mouthwash samples of patients who agreed to be part of the study. DNA from the buccal cells was isolated, and genotype was determined first using biochemical technology called the polymerase chain reaction and then

different forms of sequencing to map the chemical building blocks within the DNA, using technology in her laboratory and the UI Research Resources Center.

Using these data, Cavallari was the first to describe an association between a variant of the CYP2C9 gene, which occurs very commonly in African-Americans, and the need for lower warfarin dose requirements. “We are working toward adding this CYP2C9 variant to the hospital’s warfarin genotyping service within the next year,” she says. Cavallari also is researching another gene that could have implications for lower warfarin dosing requirements for Hispanics.

A team effort

With the new Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Service, an estimated 500 patients annually will receive their optimal warfarin dose based on their individual genetic testing. This latest addition to the health system’s approach to personalized

medicine is a team effort involving many disciplines. For example, medical directorship is provided by physicians Thomas Stamos, MD, William Galanter, MD, PhD, and Victor Gordeuk, MD, with laboratory support by Shrihari Kadkol, MD, PhD, a board-certified pathologist, and Carol Dodge, manager of the UI Health Molecular Pathology Laboratory. Two pharmacy fellows, Adam Bress, PharmD, and James Stevenson, PharmD, handle the daily requests for warfarin genotyping and communication with physicians.

Galanter has had three roles in the launch of the new pharmacogenetics service — as a practicing physician, as chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee where he is responsible for the quality of the drug utilization at the hospital, and as the medical director for clinical information systems.

Galanter, with the support of teams from information services and the laboratory, brought the computer technology behind the new warfarin


Larisa Cavallari and Edith Nutescu are the clinical directors for the Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Service.


Katarzyna Drozda, research associate, and Adam Bress, research fellow, are part of the Pharmacogenetics Service Team.

service to life — implementing the clinical decision support rules that assist physicians in their warfarin dosage decisions. These clinical support rules allow the computer to automatically order the warfarin genotyping lab tests and pharmacy consult. The system also provides physicians with dosing information based on available literature, even prompting them if the dosage they prescribe is very different than the recommended dose.

“The pharmacogenetics service makes it more convenient for the doctor to do the right thing for the patient,” he says. “It automates the process so there is less chance for error. The new genotyping service is completely transparent to the patient, but it allows for a more accurate dosage rate and should reduce complications for the patient. It’s a win-win from both the patient’s and physician’s points of view.”

Galanter notes that the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System has a long tradition of using technology to improve the utilization of medication. “If a physician orders a medication which shouldn’t be given to a particular patient for a variety of reasons — allergy, kidney function, or a change in lab results — the computer will prompt the doctor,” he says. “We use computer technology to help reduce medication errors.”

The future of Illinois pharmacogenetics

The warfarin genotyping service is the first time that the particular genetic predisposition of the patient comes into play in individualized care at UI Health, but it won’t be the last. “We wanted to build the system in such a way that it is scalable to

other genetic markers and other medications,” says Galanter.

In fact, genetic testing for clopidogrel (Plavix), a drug for patients who have heart disease or stents, also was recently introduced as part of the health system’s genotyping service.

“We’re continuing to expand our genotyping services as well as our research, focusing on how gene variants might affect optimal prescription dosages, particularly in underrepresented populations,” says Cavallari. “Our goal is to improve the safety and effectiveness of drug therapy based on a patient’s individual characteristics. At the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, we’re working to improve disease management through a better understanding of genetics.”

Research Day 2013


A gathering of great mindsResearch Day showcases the work of Uic’s brightest researchersCuriosity abounds at the UIC College of Pharmacy, where both budding and experienced researchers are exploring some of the most pressing issues facing pharmacy today.

Research Day is a chance to see the outcome of that great work. Each year, the College convenes faculty, staff and students to honor a select group of researchers and recognize their achievements in academic study.

At this year’s Research Day on Feb. 22, the College recognized these exceptional faculty and students.

Faculty Vahlteich Research Awards Pharmacy Practice: Julio D. Duarte Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy: Leslyn Hanakahi Pharmacy Practice/Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: Monsheel S. Sodhi

Poster Session WinnersNew Category: Office of Technology Management Innovation AwardMary Ellen MolloyBiopharmaceutical Sciences (Tonetti Lab)Selective Estrogen Mimics for the Treatment of Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Cancer

Pre-doctoral CategoryFirst Place: Ryan PearsonBiopharmaceutical Sciences (Hong Lab)Positively Charged Dendron Micelles Display Surprisingly Negligible Cellular Interactions

Second Place: Chaitanya AggarwalCenter for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Federle Lab)Identification of Bacterial Pheromones and Their Effect on Cognate Receptor Function

Third Place: Yang Yang, Biopharmaceutical Sciences (Hong Lab) Dendron-Based Micelles for Topical Delivery of Endoxifen: A Potential Chemo-Preventive Medicine for Breast Cancer

Postdoctoral CategoryFirst place: Sharon Eddie, PhDMedicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy (Burdette Lab)Molecular Signaling in the Human Fallopian Tube; Insights into Initiation of Ovarian Cancer

Second Place: Jinho Heo, PhDMedicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Rockford Campus (Hanakahi Lab)Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1 Regulates Phosphorylation of XRCC4 by DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase

Third Place: Breah LaSarre, PhDCenter for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Federle Lab)Antagonistic Rgg Regulators Mediate Quorum Sensing via Competitive DNA Binding in Streptococcus pyogenes

AAPS Student Choice AwardChaitanya AggarwalCenter for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Federle Lab)Identification of Bacterial Pheromones and Their Effect on Cognate Receptor Function

Photography by Josh Clark

Research Day 2013


And the winner is…the 2013 sister margaret Wright graduate award goes to Daniel S. Fabricant, PhD ’05

At this year’s Research Day, the College recognized Daniel S. Fabricant, PhD ’05, division director for the dietary supplement programs at the Food and Drug Administration, with the Sister Margaret Wright Graduate Award. The annual award, named in honor of an exemplary former student, recognizes an alumnus or alumnae who has distinguished themselves through research and service.

Fabricant is presently the highest-ranking U.S. Food and Drug Administration official charged with the responsibility for the full implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education

Act (DSHEA). In this job, he advises the FDA on policy issues involving dietary supplements, including the safety of new dietary ingredients, good manufacturing practices and problems reported by consumers. He’s also responsible for developing enforcement priorities and interpretations of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in order to ensure that dietary supplements are safe, meet quality standards and are accurately labeled.

Before joining the FDA, Fabricant was active in the dietary supplement industry, serving most recently as vice president of the Natural Products Association, the largest nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to the makers and distributors of natural products. While in that role, he was named to a consumer product advisory committee for the Department of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative. He was also instrumental in winning a National Institutes of Health contract for the National Products Association’s work on a nationwide label database prototype for dietary supplements.

Fabricant has served as an adjunct professor in the department of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy since 2009. He has also written numerous peer-reviewed articles for scientific journals and serves on a number of editorial boards.

What a day, what a year highlights from this year’s Research Day

▶THE WORK: Nearly 70 trainees presented their research

▶THE JUDGES: Poster judges included alumni faculty and pharmaceutical industry experts

▶THE SEMINAR: “Oncofertility, Translation in Multiple Dimensions,” presented by Teresa K Woodruff, the Thomas J. Watkins professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine and professor of molecular biosciences at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University

▶THE AWARDS: Nearly $35,000 in scholarships and awards were handed out at the Graduate Students Awards Ceremony


UIC College of Pharmacy

Research DayFriday, March 7, 2014UIC College of Pharmacy833 South Wood Street, Chicago

Keynote Lecture

Pharmacogenetics: Discovery and Implementation

Join us for this poster competition and lecture, which will feature our students presenting for our faculty, alumni judges, and a guest speaker.

Mary V. Relling, PharmDChair, Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSt. Jude Children’s Research HospitalMemphis, TN

Learning Objectives:

1. Contrast approaches for pharmacogenetic discovery vs implementation of pharmacogenetics in the clinic.

2. Describe the frequency of high-risk diplotypes for two different genes.

3. List commonly used medications whose prescribing should be guided by pharmacogenetic testing.

Program

11:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M. KeynOte LectuReRoom 134-1, COPRoom E230, Rockford 1:00-2:00 p.m. StuDent anD FacuLty LuncheOn2N Suite, COP

2:00-4:00 p.m. POSteR PReSentatiOnS anD POSteR JuDging1st Floor Lobby and Hallways, COP

2:00-5:00 p.m. VenDOR BOOthS anD StuDent ORganizatiOn DiSPLayS 1st Floor Lobby, COP

5:00-6:00 p.m. gRaDuate StuDent hOnORS anD awaRDS PReSentatiOnSRoom 134-1, COP

6:00-7:00 p.m. RecePtiOn 1st Floor Lobby and Hallways, COP

Interested in judging? Please contact Ben Stickan at (312) 636-7491 or [email protected].

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of pharmacy continuing education. This program has been assigned ACPE Universal Activity Number 0016-0000-14-001-L04-P, for 1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs). Attendance at the knowledge-based program, completion of the self-assessment activities on the evaluation form, and submission of NABP eProfile ID and MMDD are prerequisites for receiving continuing pharmacy education credit(s). All ACPE credit awarded to participants must be uploaded to CPE Monitor ™ within 30 days of the program date, so pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are required to provide their e-Profile ID and date of birth (MMDD) at the time of the program.

Catalyst – summer 2012 – pharmalumni.uiC.edu | 25Catalyst – Fall 2013 – pharmalumni.uiC.edu | 25

The Dorothy Bradley Atkins Medicinal Plant Garden, situated adjacent to the College of Pharmacy building at the corner of Polk and Wood streets, was constructed and is maintained by a generous gift commitment from Dr. Robert A. Atkins to honor his late wife Dorothy, a 1945 graduate of the UIC College of Pharmacy. Dedicated on July 19, 2002, the garden contains more than 200 species of medicinal plants, many of which are mainstay drug-producing botanicals whose products are currently in use in clinical practice around the world—a fitting testimony to the College’s longstanding reputation as one of the world’s foremost centers of natural products research (see page 13). The garden exists not only for educational and research purposes, but also for the enjoyment it offers as an oasis of natural beauty on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

UIC College of Pharmacy (MC 874)833 South Wood StreetChicago, Illinois 60612

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDChicago, IllinoisPermit No. 4860

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