The 14th Annual Louis C. Littlefield Celebrating Pharmacy Research Excellence Day kicked off the morning of April 17, 2018 during The University of Texas at Austin’s Research Week. Undergraduates, Pharm.D. students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and residents presented their research in abstracts and poster presentations to see who would take the top prizes. The event was hosted by the College of Pharmacy’s Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.
The festivities began with the Keynote Scientific Lecture from Kenneth S. Ramos, M.D., Ph.R., Pharm.B., who serves as Vice President for Precision Health Sciences and a professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. His talk focused on shifting paradigms in healthcare and the bench to bedside translation in genomic medicine, particular in how new advancements in genomic screening and care can become more accessible to patients from a wider range of income levels.
Dr. Ramos’s presentation preceded the Distinguished Faculty Lecture from John G. Kuhn, RPh, Pharm.D., FCCP, FHOPA, professor emeritus of pharmacology from UT’s College of Pharmacy. Kuhn talked of Repurposing FDA approved drugs for cancer therapy.
During the lunch break, select students, postdocs, and residents presented their winning research abstracts and were presented with their awards by Dean M. Lynn Crismon and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Research Day Chair John H. Richburg, Ph.D.
The floor then opened up for attendees and colleagues to walk the floor to investigate poster presentations and talk to researchers about their work. The day concluded with announcements for the poster presentation winners in all categories.
A special thank you to all of the faculty, staff, and participants who all made Research Day possible, including its namesake Louis Littlefield, who continues to attend and walk to the floor discussing research with the participants.
Abstract Winners
Undergraduate Program
Rodan Devega
“Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase (ALKB) Homolog 6 Protects Pancreatic Cancer Cells from Alkylating DNA Damage Cytotoxicity”
Mentor: Dawit Kidane
Professional Program
Kailee Gaines
“Hmgb3 As A Novel Molecular Target to Induce Cisplatin Sensitivity In Chemoresistant Ovarian Cancer Cells”
Mentor: Karen Vasquez
Graduate Program
Hannah O’Mary
“An Approach to Targeting Anti-Inflammatory Agents to Chronic Inflammation Sites”
Mentor: Zhengrong Cui
Postdoctoral Program
Nicolas Blazanin
“Solar Ultraviolet (SUV) Irradiation-Dependent Activation of IFNγ/Stat1 Pathway in the Epidermis is Required for Keratinocyte Proliferation and Inflammation”
Mentor: John DiGiovanni
Resident Program
Daria Zaygorodnyaya
“A Comparison of Injectable Diazepam and Lorazepam in the Goal-Directed Management of Severe Alcohol Withdrawal”
Affiliation: Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas
Poster Presentation Winners
Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation
Erin Vasquez
“TRANS-GENERATIONAL PRENATAL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICAL EXPOSURE ON BEHAVIOR AND TIMING OF ADOLESCENCE”
Mentor: Andrea Gore
Best Pharm.D. Poster Presentation
Samantha Le
“METFORMIN TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINES IN OLDER ADULTS”
Mentor: Grace Lee
Best Graduate Student Presentation
Fernando Eguiarte-Solomon
“DELETION OF TWIST1 INHIBITS UV-B INDUCED HYPERPROLIFERATION IN MOUSE EPIDERMIS”
Mentor: John DiGiovanni
Best Postdoctoral Fellow Presentation
Clara Luisa Dominguez Delgado
“NANOTECHNOLOGICAL APPROACHES INTENDED TO TREAT SKIN CANCER”
Mentor: Hugh Smyth
Best Resident Presentation
Amy Carr
“IMPACT OF MATRIX-ASSISTED LASER DESORPTION/IONIZATION TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETRY (MALDI-TOF MS) ON MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH GRAM POSITIVE BLOOD CULTURES IN A MULTICENTER HEALTHCARE SYSTEM”
Supervisor: Dusten Rose