This Week@WesternU, March 7-11, 2022

March 7-11, 2022

Western University of Health Sciences welcomes President Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA

WesternU welcomed its new president, Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA, on March 1, 2022, during a transformational moment in health care in which opportunities abound for WesternU and its students. He brings a dedication to uniting and bonding with the communities of Pomona, California and Lebanon, Oregon.

College of Pharmacy celebrates 25th anniversary

Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Pharmacy celebrated 25 years of accomplishments and student-centered growth and thanked the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters who helped the College reach these milestones.

WesternU College of Pharmacy 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration

COMP and COMP-Northwest students earn awards at regional research conference

WesternU continues to increase its presence and garner impressive accolades at high-profile research conferences.

College of Podiatric Medicine news

CPM Associate Dean of Clinical Education and Graduate Placement Jonathan Labovitz, DPM, FACFAS, CHCQM, co-authored a study. “Cost-effectiveness of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allografts in lower extremity diabetic ulcer treatment” was recently published in the Journal of Wound Care Vol. 31, No. Sup2. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of using standard care (no advanced treatment, NAT) compared with an advanced treatment (AT), dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (DHACM), when following parameters for use (FPFU) in treating lower extremity diabetic ulcers (LEDUs).

College of Pharmacy news

Dr. Hyma Gogineni and her multi-disciplinary team was recognized as one of the top 30 applicants in the Sternfels Prize competition for drug safety discoveries, a competition that aims to reduce the risk associated with the real-world use of pharmaceuticals (The Sternfels Prize for Drug Safety Discoveries).

This prize is awarded to individuals who submit the best feasible ideas for drug safety. This is a national competition and is judged by three internationally-known physician scientists and one PharmD/PhD scientist.

The title of the submission was “Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessment of bupropion in pre- and post-bariatric surgery patients.”

The team included College of Pharmacy faculty Drs. Hyma Gogineni and Patrick Chan from PPAD, Drs. Ying Huang and Jeffrey Wang from PSD, adjunct faculty Dr. Kevin Wang from Ketchum University, Dr. Weidong Huang from City of Hope, and COP alumna Dr. Hajer Ibrahim.

Dr. Moses Chow and third-year COMP student Jessica Cao were also recognized as one of the top 30 recipients of the Sternfels Prize for Drug Safety discoveries.

Cao received her WesternU Summer Fellowship in 2020 when she was a second-year COMP student, during which time she worked on this project under Dr. Chow’s preceptorship.

The title of the submission was “Cell culture and drug sensitivity testing model for potential individualized prostate cancer therapy: current technique and future perspective.”

Jessica’s article has also just been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Oncology (Impact factor 5.65).

With Dr. Chow’s encouragement, Cao submitted her idea for the Sternfels competition, and he notes that he “is very proud for Jessica in her publication and in receiving this award. I am glad that our collaborative effort among different colleges within WesternU can be productive in nurturing future bright stars of our health care profession.” Dr. Chow also states that Jessica “is a bright student with dedication and excellent organizational skills. She is a fine representation of the quality a health professional student at WesternU.”

WSC Newsletter accepting submissions

The WesternU Staff Council (WSC) will send out the spring WSC Newsletter in April. The newsletter is another opportunity for staff to engage, so don’t be shy. Your voice matters too. Share your update, opportunity, meme, quote, art, or poetry by submitting it here: https://forms.gle/H71g9aVFJsDbQ2gN6. The deadline is March 15.

Short video tutorial on how to access your Google account via your WesternU single sign-on (SSO): WSC SSO_WesternU Google Account.mp4 (Please use Google Chrome as the web browser)

The Fentanyl Crisis: A Pharmacist's Perspective

6 p.m. Tuesday, March 29

This WesternYou Webinar will provide an overview of the fentanyl crisis and expand on overdose prevention awareness. Attendees will better understand strategies to educate our communities on harm reduction and how to best support the well being of people who use drugs, connecting them to various services. WesternYOU Webinars are informational only. No CE credits are provided. For more information about this event, please contact alumni@westernu.edu.