The 21st Annual Louis C. Littlefield Celebrating Pharmacy Research Excellence Day was held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center and featuring innovative research from across the college community.
Hosted by the College of Pharmacy’s Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, this annual event highlights the accomplishments of Texas Pharmacy researchers at all levels: undergraduate, Pharm.D. and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and residents, as well as research staff and faculty.
The day began with a keynote scientific lecture "The Secret Life of a PI" from Kerry LaPlante, Pharm.D., FCCP, FIDSA, FIDP. Dr. LaPlante is dean of the College of Pharmacy and Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island and founding director of the Rhode Island Infectious Diseases Antibiotic Research Program at the Providence VA Medical Center.
The event also included a distinguished faculty lecture from Feng Zhang, Ph.D., associate professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery. Zhang's presentation was titled "Application of Material Sciences in Developing Long-Acting Implants."
Abstract winners shared their current research during a lunch-hour presentation leading into the afternoon scientific poster session. After abstract presentations, attendees went to the poster rooms to see and hear about more research.
2025 Abstract Award Winners
Pharm.D. Program:
Kristopher A. Rodriguez
"Texas Community Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices Related to Dispensing Buprenorphine
for Opioid Use Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey”
Mentor: Lindsey J. Loera, Pharm.D.
Graduate Program:
Rachel Clark
"Synergistic Inhibition of Prostate Cancer Progression by the Combination of Xanthohumol and Ursolic Acid in the Diet"
Mentor: John DiGiovanni, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Program:
Natalie Nawarawong
"Binge Alcohol-Induced Changes in Dorsal Dentate Gyrus Activity During Contextual and Cued Fear Recall”
Mentor: Kimberly Nixon, Ph.D.
Resident Program:
Sydney Thompson, Pharm.D.
"Safety and Effectiveness of GLP1 Receptor Agonists in Liver Transplant Recipients”
Mentor: Helen Sweiss, Pharm.D., BCTXP, FAST
Staff Scientist:
Louise Ince
"A Tale of Two Timescales: Impact of Age and Circadian Rhythms on Neuroimmune Signaling in Microglia”
Mentor: Laura Fonken, Ph.D.
2025 Poster Award Winners
Pharm.D. Professional Program:
Philip Baily
"ELUCIDATING THE MECHANISM OF ESTROGEN-INDUCED DNA DAMAGE"
Mentor: Seongmin Lee, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Program:
Miranda M. Anders, Lourdes K. Davis, Jeffrey S. Darling, Laura Fonken
"EARLY LIFE HORMONE MANIPULATION IN RATS LEADS TO LIFELONG ALTERATIONS IN MICROGLIAL MORPHOLOGY AND REACTIVITY"
Mentor: Laura Fonken, Ph.D.
Graduate Program:
Kimberly J. Long, Luke S. Browning, Mohamed Gadallah, Andrea Piserchio, Jennifer S. Brodbelt, Ranajeet Ghose, Kevin N. Dalby
"ENGINEERING A CONSTITUTIVELY ACTIVE EEF2-KINASE USING THE C-LOBE OF CALMODULIN"
Mentor: Kevin Dalby, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Program:
Emily N, Hilz, Nicholas R. Gonzalez, C.D. McAdams, Lizzie Giorgberidze, Lindsay M. Thompson, Andrea C. Gore
"OBESOGENIC EFFECTS OF EDCS ASSOCIATED WITH EPIGENETIC AND TRANSCRIPTIONAL CHANGES IN THE BRAIN REWARD SYSTEM"
Mentor: Andrea C. Gore, Ph.D.
Resident Program:
Travis VanOtterloo, Dana Foster, Kyllie Ryan-Hummel, Rebecca Attridge, Susannah Nicholson, Sarah Berman
"EFFECT OF NON-BENZODIAZPINE VS BENZODIAZEPINE SEDATION ON DAYS ALIVE AND FREE OF MECHANICAL VENTILATION IN THE SURGICAL/TRAUMA INTENSIVE CARE UNIT"
Mentor: Sarah Berman, Pharm.D., BCCCP
Staff Scientist:
Rae M. Sammons, Eun Jeong Cho, Amanda L. Bohanon, Kevin N. Dalby
"SEX DIFFERENCES IN MICROGLIA FUNCTION IN AGED RATS UNDERLIE VULNERABILITY TO COGNITIVE DECLINE"
Mentor: Kevin Dalby, Ph.D.
If you missed this event, please visit the Research Day website to access/download the PDF program that includes the event itinerary and listing of trainee abstract award speakers, the Keynote and Distinguished Faculty speakers and a complete listing of the abstracts (requires EID login).
A special thank you to all of the faculty, staff and participants who made Research Excellence Day possible, including its namesake "Cliff" Louis Littlefield.
