Four student pharmacists in The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy have earned grants and recognition by the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP) Foundation. In addition to a Student Chapter Impact Grant, the foundation awarded a staggering three Texas Pharmacy students travel and registration grants to attend AAPP's Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. These grants are highly selective and only 28 Pharm.D. students in the entire country were awarded.
The four recipients work closely with the college's Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine (PhARM) Program, which provides continuing education to health professionals via the Texas Opioid Training Initiative, leads opioid poisoning prevention efforts through Operation Naloxone and conducts innovative research to identify and address gaps in access to substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction resources.
Amber Tran
Third Year Student Pharmacist
Amber is the president of Texas Pharmacy's AAPP student chapter. She spearheaded a Student Chapter Impact Grant proposal to the AAPP Foundation with support from fellow grant recipient Saumyaa Patel and was the top 2022 awardee in the amount of $2,535.
With this grant she and Saumyaa will assess change in stigma related to serious mental illness (SMI) among Pharm.D. students after participating in immersive workshop experiences with people with SMI. Amber will present both a 10-minute oral platform presentation and poster presentation at the annual meeting.
Morgan Murchison
Fourth Year Student Pharmacist
Each year AAPP awards student registration grants to outstanding applicants. This is a competitive application open to any student pharmacist in the United States. Morgan was a recipient of one of those prestigious travel registration grants. Additionally, she led a national survey of professional recovery programs to assess program policies related to the use of medications for opioid use disorder. Morgan submitted those findings to AAPP for an opportunity to give a poster presentation at the annual meeting.
Saumyaa Patel
Second Year Student Pharmacist
Saumyaa is the vice president of the collegiate chapter and vital to the organization's success with a Student Chapter Impact Grant. She is another recipient of a travel registration grant.
Sofia Garcia
Second Year Student Pharmacist
Sofia is a student director of the PhARM Program's Operation Naloxone, providing overdose education and naloxone distribution to the UT campus. She also earned a travel registration grant.