Distance Campuses

John M. Allen, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP, FCCM, FCCP is the UF College of Pharmacy’s associate dean for accessibility, belonging and community health, and a clinical associate professor at the college’s Orlando campus. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Allen joined the college in 2018. Dr. Allen’s professional areas of interest include health equity, antimicrobial stewardship in the intensive care unit, antibiotic dosing in sepsis, and treatment of multi-drug resistant infections in critically ill patients.

Dr. Allen graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL. He then completed a PGY-1 residency, followed by a PGY-2 Critical Care residency at Tampa General Hospital, in Tampa, FL. Dr. Allen is a dual board-certified pharmacist in critical care, and pharmacotherapy.

Dr. Allen is an active member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists and the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists and has been appointed to committees within all of these organizations. In 2017, Dr. Allen received the prestigious honor of induction as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, which honors individuals whose achievements and contributions demonstrate personal commitment to critical care excellence, a distinction at the time of his induction bestowed upon seven pharmacists in the state of Florida.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Florida, Dr. Allen has held a variety of diverse administrative experiences including serving as a pharmacy clinical coordinator, pharmacy residency program director, and director of infectious diseases pharmacy for a 16-hospital system. In his free time, Dr. Allen enjoys watching anything with four wheels going fast, traveling, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Jürgen B. Bulitta, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the UF College of Pharmacy. He is supported by the University of Florida’s preeminence program in Drug Discovery and Development, and received the Perry E. Foote Eminent Scholar Chair, Endowed Professorship, in 2019. Dr. Bulitta’s research focuses on combating multidrug-resistant bacterial ‘superbugs’ which present one of the three most serious threats to human health.

His mission is to optimize patient therapies and innovative drug development by providing a focal point for translational research in infectious diseases and related areas, and to serve as an internationally-leading, interdisciplinary, collaborative program for translational research.

Dr. Bulitta’s vision is to provide novel solutions and great hope for patients with serious, life-threatening infections by developing new safe and effective therapies. These are informed at the molecular level by an innovative combination of mechanistic, in vitro, animal and quantitative approaches to rationally optimize outcomes in patients. His highly collaborative research program leverages latest pharmacological, microbiological, biochemical and computational approaches. This creates unique translational insights that enable novel therapies and dosing strategies, as well as the design and development of new drugs. We work hard so that we can say “we have an effective therapy for you” when you most need it.

He won 26 peer-reviewed grants (15 as PI) from the NIH, FDA, the Australian equivalents of NIH and NSF, as well as 30 collaborative projects with pharmaceutical industry (total: $35M, 18M active). Dr. Bulitta published 140 peer-reviewed papers and contributed to over 97 phase I-IV clinical trials. He reviewed for several NIH study sections and received 23 awards since 1998. These include the Giorgio Segré Prize 2010 for distinct contributions in the field of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics by the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences (EUFEPS) and the 2012 ASCEPT Denis Wade Johnson & Johnson New Investigators Award. Dr. Bulitta created the Translational Clinical Pharmacology course (PHA6133). He is the creator and developed of the SADAPT-TRAN package that greatly facilitates the development of systems pharmacology models in the S-ADAPT population modeling package.

Yinzhi Lang, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the UF College of Pharmacy. Dr. Lang completed her PhD program in 2016 from Ocean University of China and worked as a senior Scientist in Shanghai Greenvalley Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd between 2016 and 2018. In 2018, Dr. Lang joined the College of Pharmacy at UF as a Postdoc and has received systematic training in antimicrobial pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics from Dr. Bulitta and his collaborators. In 2021, Dr. Lang was appointed as a Research Assistant Professor at UF. Her current research focus on elucidating the mechanisms of drug action and resistance via the latest mass spectrometry (MS)-based technology and Quantitative & Systems Pharmacology (QSP) modeling approach.

Dr. Lang has over 11 years of experience working with identification and quantification of biological endogenous molecules using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based approaches. This includes the in-depth component and structural analysis of polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids from marine algae, human milk, animal meat byproducts and microbial cells. For the pharmaceutical compounds, she has created a series of novel UPLC-MS/MS assays to quantify the target site penetration of various classes of antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria and the intracellular accumulation of antiviral nucleosides/ nucleotides analogs in mammalian cells. Further, she has significantly contributed to the development of advanced QSP models, which can integrate the experimental mechanistic data with pathogen killing and resistance to rationally optimize anti-infective therapy. Moreover, she has extensive experience in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics analysis of anti-infectives in in vitro and mouse infection models. Dr. Lang is leading and co-leading multiple federal funded anti-infective pharmacology research programs to create novel insights to combat serious infections.

Dr. Lisa Miller is the Assistant Dean of the Orlando Campus where she devotes her time to teaching, research, advising, and administration. Dr. Miller received a B.S. in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University, a Pharm.D. from University of Kentucky, and M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. She completed a postdoctoral clinical pharmacy residency at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC and is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS). Prior to joining the UF College of Pharmacy, Dr. Miller held various roles at Wingate University School of Pharmacy including Professor, Director of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience, Assistant Dean for Faculty, and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Her current research interests include women’s health, women’s mental health, and scholarship of teaching and learning.

Bradley Phillips, Pharm.D., BCACP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor within the University of Florida Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the College of Pharmacy. Dr. Phillips graduated from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in 2018. He then went on to complete his PGY1 residency and teaching certificate at AdventHealth Celebration the following year. Post-residency, he had the opportunity to continue his career at AdventHealth Celebration where he worked as a clinical pharmacy specialist and precepted both residents and rotational students. He is board certified in ambulatory care and his interest areas include academia, medication management, anticoagulation, and transitions of care. Dr. Phillips hopes to continue making a meaningful impact in his patients’ lives while educating the next generation of pharmacists. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys spending time with family and attending sporting events.

Dr. Casey Rowe received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2019 and completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency program at the Center for Quality Medication Management (CQM) at the University of Florida (UF) in 2021. After completing her residency program, she began working as a clinical pharmacist at CQM providing MTM services to patients and was instrumental in the successful launch of CQM’s electronic prior authorization program. In December 2021, Dr. Rowe transitioned to a faculty position as an Instructional Assistant Professor for the UF College of Pharmacy where she focused on medication management and patient care. In April 2023, Dr. Rowe was promoted to a clinical assistant professor position.

Alaa Ropy Sayed, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the UF College of Pharmacy. He completed his PhD degree in molecular biosciences at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM, Spain) in 2014. Then, he moved to Egypt and held a Faculty position at Fayoum University in 2015 until he joined University of Florida as a postdoctoral research associate in 2019.

Dr. Sayed’s current research is focused on studying the mechanisms of action of penicillins and related antibiotics from the β-lactam class. This includes in-depth studies on the receptor binding in lysed and intact bacteria, as well as the associated morphology changes using latest technologies. The latter include biochemical receptor binding studies, flow cytometry and automated confocal microscopy.

All β-lactam antibiotics target penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and a related class of targets, the so called L,D-transpeptidases (LDTs). Both of these enzymes are responsible for cell wall synthesis and maturation. Our team is applying latest proteomics via mass spectrometry for identifying these target enzymes in different bacteria. Dr. Sayed worked extensively on creating large databases for receptor binding data in lysed bacteria of Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for about 50 β lactams and β-lactamase inhibitors.

Moreover, Dr. Sayed created and refined latest time-course assays on β-lactams for their receptor binding in intact bacteria of A. bau¬mannii, K. pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He has a publication on first penicillin-binding protein occupancy patterns for 15 β-lactams and β-lactamase inhibitors in Mycobacterium abscessus. He is also working on PBPs of mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium complex. Finally, he developed a series of latest direct PBP-binding assays, which can quantify bound PBPs and LDTs using clickable probe β-lactams. This approach allows us to label bound and unbound PBPs using different fluorophores by employing azide or alkyne versions of the targeted β-lactams and BocillinTM FL for labeling of unbound PBPs.

Selection of major research grants where Dr. Sayed is playing a key role:

NIH/NIAID R01 AI136803 Bulitta JB (PI) Role: PI Combating resistant superbugs by understanding the molecular determinants of target site penetration and binding

NIH/NIAID R01 AI148560 Tsuji BT (contact) / Bulitta JB Role: PI Novel Strategies for Antibiotic Combinations to Combat Gram-negative Superbugs

NIH/NIAID SBIR 2R44AI136213-04 Roemer T (PI) Role: Co-I Development of a PO-administered beta-lactam-tarocin combination agent to treat methicillin susceptible and methicillin resistant Staphylococci

NIH R01 R01 AI173064 Bulman Z (PI) Role: Co-I Precise Combination Strategies Targeting Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

Dr. Soucie received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy, following which she completed a Primary Care Pharmacy Residency at Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Since that time, she has practiced in a variety of settings, including as a staff pharmacist in both the inpatient and community pharmacy settings, and, primarily, in the area of ambulatory care which is her current area of clinical practice. She served as Adjunct Clinical Faculty for the University of Florida College of Pharmacy for many years before joining the college in 2016 in her current position. In addition to her role as an Orlando Regional Coordinator for the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Office of Experiential Programs (OEP), she serves as the OEP Disability Resource Center (DRC) Liaison for experiential accommodations.

Erin St. Onge, Pharm.D., joined the faculty in July 2002 to help start the University of Florida College of Pharmacy program in Orlando.

St. Onge graduated from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree with honors in 1999. Upon graduation, she completed a residency in Community Clinical Pharmacy with St. Louis College of Pharmacy/Walgreens. Dr. St. Onge accepted her first faculty position with Texas Tech University School of Pharmacy at their Lubbock campus. During her two years with Texas Tech, she gained valuable experience with their 3-campus (Amarillo, Lubbock, Dallas) distance education program. Also, she developed a community site for 3rd and 4th year students, as well as a residency program in Community Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. St. Onge and her family moved to Orlando in summer of 2002 at which time she accepted the position as Campus Director/Assistant Dean for Orlando. After 20 years in this role, St. Onge stepped down from administration to engage more with students in the classroom as a Clinical Associate Professor. Dr. St. Onge has practiced ambulatory care in a variety of settings. She currently provides clinical services via telemedicine to patients at Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers. In addition to her current position with UF College of Pharmacy, she is active in national pharmacy organizations and has held numerous leadership positions in state and local pharmacy organizations. Dr. St. Onge’s interests include diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and women’s health.

Lisa Vandervoort received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in 1995 and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in 1996. She spent 10 years as the Clinical Specialist in Infectious Disease/Internal Medicine at Orlando Regional Medical Center. She joined the faculty at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Orlando Campus in 2007. Through coordinating the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) Readiness course, the Hospital Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (HIPPE) course, and 2PD Skills Lab for the Orlando campus, as well as her work as a Regional Coordinator for the Office of Experiential Programs, Dr Vandervoort’s focus is on preparing students for pharmacy practice. Her interests include APPE Readiness, Professional Identity Formation, and Infectious Disease.

Anthony M. Casapao received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. He then pursued post-graduate training at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida, by completing an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, or ASHP, -accredited pharmacy practice residency. Casapao continued his post-graduate training at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania, completing an ASHP-accredited specialty practice residency in infectious diseases. Upon completion of his residency, he maintained his interest in infectious diseases and pursued an American College of Clinical Pharmacy peer reviewed pharmacotherapy fellowship in infectious diseases and health outcomes. After achieving five years post-graduate training, Casapao served as an assistant professor in the department of pharmacy practice at Husson University School of Pharmacy in Bangor, Maine. Casapao joined the University of Florida in October 2017, as a clinical assistant professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and translational research. He was promoted to clinical associate professor in 2022.

Kelsey Cook, Pharm.D., received her B.S. from the University of Maryland and her Pharm.D. from the University of North Carolina. She completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas and a PGY2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Dr. Cook joined the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Jacksonville campus as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research in 2019. In her role, she supports the implementation of pharmacogenomics at Nemours Children’s Health. Dr. Cook is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Her research interests include clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenomics in pediatrics. ​

After completing his Pharm.D. at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Dr. Egelund enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Florida. Dr. Egelund completed his graduate studies in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Peloquin, director of the Infectious Disease Pharmacokinetics Laboratory (IDPL) in Gainesville. Currently Dr. Egelund is a Clinical Associate Professor at the College of Pharmacy’s Jacksonville campus. In addition to this role Dr. Egelund works part-time at Walgreens and volunteers at HIV clinics when time permits.

Dr. Jessica Huston is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the University of Florida College of Pharmacy at the Jacksonville Campus. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Florida and her Doctor of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University before completing a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Research and Pharmaceutical Industry at the East Coast Institute for Research. Dr. Huston joined the University of Florida College of Pharmacy as an Adjunct Clinical Lecturer in 2019 and lectured for the Physician Assistant Program at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Huston’s research interests include diabetes and heart failure, where she has served as a Sub-Investigator on many clinical studies.

Robin Moorman Li is currently a Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and serves as the Assistant Director of the Jacksonville campus. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University in 1996 and completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at University of Kansas in 2000. Moorman Li completed a primary care residency at University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2001, and became a pharmacy practitioner with Shands Jacksonville from 2001 to 2008 where she created a pharmacist driven pain management clinic in a primary care clinic. In 2003, she began teaching part time with the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and transitioned to full time faculty with the College in 2008. Moorman Li practiced at the River Garden Hebrew Home for the Aged from 2008-2016 and is now practicing at UF Health Jacksonville in the Ambulatory Pharmacist ran Pain Management Clinic and also in the Center for Pain Management at UF Health Jacksonville.to Moorman Li completed the Take Courage Coaching program which focused on developing coaching skills to help patients suffering with chronic pain. She then became a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach to further develop her skills.

Carol Motycka, graduated from the University of Florida with her Pharm.D. and completed a residency in Ambulatory Care at Florida Hospital in Orlando. After practicing at Florida Hospital for several years, Motycka joined the University of Florida to help build the College of Pharmacy program in Jacksonville. She is board certified in Ambulatory Care has completed fellowships in both leadership and education. Motycka has been published in multiple academic and clinical journals and has provided over 100 presentations in the field. She has received awards on the state and national level for her teaching, research, and leadership. Motycka is a strong advocate of the profession of pharmacy and serves the profession through public relations events in her community and professional organizations where she has served in multiple capacities including Speaker of the House for the Florida Pharmacy Association and President of Duval County Pharmacy Association. As assistant dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Jacksonville Campus, Motycka spends her time teaching, completing research, advising and administrating.

Dr. Seligson earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of South Florida prior to completing a pharmacy practice residency. Dr. Seligson then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in translational hematology/oncology focused on precision medicine in sarcoma.

Dr. Seligson is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. His clinical practice includes activities as a clinical pharmacogenomics specialist and hematology/oncology research scientist at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care in Jacksonville, Florida.

Dr. Seligson has been published in as first author in leading journals including: JAMA Open Network, The Oncologist, and npj Precision Medicine. His current research includes work to better understand cancer biology and tumor evolution in order to provide actionable molecular subtyping and pharmacogenomic therapy guidance in sarcoma.

Dr. Chardaè Whitner joined the University of Florida College of Pharmacy at the Jacksonville Campus in 2021 as a clinical assistant professor. She also serves as the Jacksonville Campus Coordinator for the Office of Accessibility, Belonging and Community Health. Whitner received her Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina and Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Following graduation, she pursued postgraduate training, completing a community-based pharmacy residency with the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in Jacksonville.

Whitner’s professional areas of interest include diversity, inclusion, health equity, bias, mitigating health disparities among underserved populations, improving health literacy, in addition to increasing cultural awareness and appropriateness among health care professionals.

In her free time, Whitner enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and traveling.