ATLANTA – Faculty and graduate students from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Mercer University's College of Pharmacy made a total of 24 presentations at the annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS), Nov. 2-6, in San Diego.
The event serves as a gathering of the country's leading academic, government and industrial pharmaceutical scientists predominantly working in the areas of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics towards the development and manufacture of pharmaceutical products and therapies.
The department had a strong presence at the meeting with four faculty and more than 20 Ph.D. students and recent graduates in attendance to present their work. These studies represented diverse areas, including topical and transdermal drug delivery, as well as nanotechnology-based delivery of drugs and vaccines for therapeutic areas such as pain/inflammation, psoriasis, and a variety of cancers including triple-negative breast cancers, ovarian cancer, and melanoma.
Yingzhe Wang, a fourth-year graduate student working under the direction of Dr. Chalet Tan, received a student travel award from the Formulation Design and Development Section of AAPS for her research project, titled “Reduction-Responsive Vitamin E-Based Crosslinked Micelles for Enhanced Tumor Delivery of Paclitaxel.” This highly competitive award was given to only 12 graduate students internationally this year.
Mahima Manian, a third-year graduate student in Dr. Ajay Banga's laboratory also received a competitive student travel award from the Nutraceuticals and Natural Products Section of AAPS. Manian presented two posters on her studies: “Effect of Viscosity and Ionization on In Vitro Skin Permeation of a Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug” and “Investigation of the Dermal Absorption and Irritation Potential of Sertaconazole Nitrate Anhydrous Gel.”
Dr. Banga, chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, addressed the Mercer contingent at the meeting and noted that due to support from Dean H.W. “Ted” Matthews and faculty, the department has grown to 44 Ph.D. students and had a record 14 Ph.D. graduates at the May 2014 commencement.
About the College of Pharmacy
Mercer University's College of Pharmacy is ranked No. 4 among pharmacy programs at private institutions in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. The College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.). Founded in 1903 as the independent Southern School of Pharmacy, the school merged with Mercer University in 1959 and in 1981 became the first school in the Southeast to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy degree as its sole professional degree. In 1988, the College launched its graduate program, offering the Ph.D. degree in pharmaceutical sciences. The College is one of four health sciences units within the Mercer Health Sciences Center. With an enrollment today of more than 650 students and a distinguished faculty of basic scientists and clinicians, the College of Pharmacy houses seven centers focusing on research, teaching and learning. The College's motto, “A Tradition of Excellence – A Legacy of Caring,” frames its philosophy of providing excellent academic programs in an environment where every student matters and every person counts. For more information about the College, call (678) 547-6244 or visit http://pharmacy.mercer.edu.
