Faculty

Division of Community-Based Pharmacotherapy
Division of Health-System Based Pharmacotherapy
Division of Translational Research

Interim Co-Chairs

Larisa H Cavallari

Larisa H Cavallari Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP

Professor And Debbie DeSantis Term Professor

Dr. Cavallari received her B.S. Pharmacy and Pharm.D. degrees from the University of Georgia. She then completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee and a fellowship in Cardiovascular Pharmacogenomics at the University of Florida. Dr. Cavallari accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago after completing her training and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009. While at UIC, she directed efforts to implement genotype-guided warfarin dosing for all patients newly starting warfarin during hospitalization. Dr. Cavallari joined the University of Florida Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research as an Associate Professor in April, 2014, where she serves as co-director of the Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine. She also serves as Director of the UF Health Precision Medicine Program. In 2021, she was promoted to professor. Her research involves discovery and clinical translation of genetic variants related to drug response and has been funded by the NIH, FDA, American Heart Association, and other awards.

Dr. Cavallari has served on both NIH and American Heart Association grant review committees and is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, former Chair of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Research Institute, and Editorial Board Member for the Lexi-Comp pharmacogenetics series.

Michelle Z Farland

Michelle Z Farland Pharm.D.

Clinical Professor And Interim Co-Chair

Dr. Farland received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2005. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center (now UF Health at Jacksonville) in Jacksonville, Florida and a specialty residency in Ambulatory care/Primary care at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia Hospitals in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Farland joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy in 2007 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and professor in 2021. She then joined the faculty of the University of Florida in 2015.

She currently serves as the Interim Co-Chair for Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. Previously, she was Division Head of Community-Based Pharmacotherapy. Her educational research focuses on outcomes of team-based learning and personal and professional development. Dr. Farland has been recognized by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy with the 2012 New Educator Award, by the Team Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) in 2016 as a team-based learning consultant-trainer, and by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in 2017 as an Emerging Teaching Scholar. She also received an honorable mention for the AACP Innovations in Teaching Award in 2019.

Dr. Farland is the immediate past president of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC), and is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society (PLS). Dr. Farland has served as a national speaker in the areas of diabetes, team-based learning, collaborative learning teams, and situational judgement tests.

Division of Community-Based Pharmacotherapy

Interim Division Head

Eric A Dietrich

Eric A Dietrich Pharm.D., BCACP, CPC-A, CEMC, CPB

Associate Professor

Dr. Dietrich is a Clinical Associate Professor within the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. His work involves managing an Anticoagulation Clinic at UF Health Internal Medicine at Tower Hill monitoring warfarin as well as DOACs in addition to a multidisciplinary transitions of care clinic for patients with a recent acute myocardial infarction. Dr. Dietrich’s research interests include interventions aimed at reducing anticoagulation, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and pharmacy billing and reimbursement for clinical services in collaborative clinical environments. Dr. Dietrich is a Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist as well as a Certified Professional Coder. Dr. Dietrich’s teaching focuses on anticoagulation and cardiovascular disease and he is the Program Director for the UF College of Pharmacy PGY2 Specialty Residency in Ambulatory Care. Dr. Dietrich’s wife, Nicole, is a pharmacist at the VA.

Akash J Alexander

Akash J Alexander Pharm.D., M.S.

Clinical Assistant Professor

Originally from New York, Akash Alexander previously served on faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Long Island University (Brooklyn, NY). He maintained an ambulatory care practice at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan supporting a diabetes management program before transitioning as the primary course coordinator for the college’s pharmacy skills lab course sequence. To better reinforce his teaching, Akash completed his M.S. in Educational Technology from LIU Post. Prior to LIU, he practiced at Putnam Hospital Center (Carmel, NY) with a focus on bedside medication education for high-risk patients. Akash was on faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy (Richmond, VA), where he also completed a community practice residency. While at VCU, he provided pharmacy services for the Daily Planet, a Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) clinic and offered an advanced community practice rotation at CVS Pharmacy. Akash received his Pharm.D. from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PA).

Lakesha M Butler

Lakesha M Butler

Associate Vice President

Dr. Butler serves as a clinical professor within the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy. Prior to joining UF, Dr. Butler was the director of diversity, equity and inclusion and a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Dr. Butler’s collaborative leadership and impact span broadly at the institutional level, nationally and in the community. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, presented nationally at numerous conferences and keynote address invitations, and has been nationally recognized for her work as the 2022 Becker’s Hospital Review top 40 health system diversity and inclusion executives to know. Her professional and research interests include health equity, social drivers of health, cultural humility, under-resourced communities, emotional intelligence and leadership development. Her personal brand statement is “I use my innovative strategies, courageous influence, compassionate heart and effective communication to serve, lead, educate and inspire others to develop, transform and succeed.”

Dr. Butler received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University and completed a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has received extensive training in the areas of culture, belonging and inclusive excellence.

Teresa Cavanaugh

Teresa Cavanaugh Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, FASHP

Associate Dean For Student Affairs; Clinical Associate Professor

Teresa Cavanaugh received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy in 2006. Upon graduation, she completed a pharmacy practice residency at The University Hospital in Cincinnati, which solidified her interest in practice-based research with transplant patients. She then completed a two-year fellowship in health outcomes research with a focus on liver transplantation. During her fellowship, she received board certification as a pharmacotherapy specialist, and a Master of Science degree in pharmacy administration with an emphasis on health outcomes research. Dr. Cavanaugh joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy in 2009. Her practice site was an ambulatory liver transplant clinic. Dr. Cavanaugh was actively involved in both the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists where she served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Commission on Affiliate Relations and with the Ohio Society of Health-System Services where she served two terms as division director for Organizational Affairs and was elected president in 2014. In 2016, Dr. Cavanaugh became introductory pharmacy practice experiences coordinator and the co-curricular activities coordinator. She was promoted to clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice in August 2017. Her current research interests involve student mental health and identifying characteristics that lead to success in pharmacy school.

Kelsey Cook

Kelsey Cook Pharm.D., BCPS

Clinical Assistant Professor

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. ​

Stacey D Curtis

Stacey D Curtis Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor And Assistant Dean For Experiential Education

Stacey Curtis, Pharm.D. CPh., serves as the assistant dean for experiential education and a clinical associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. In addition, Dr. Curtis is serving as the inaugural director of well-being and resilience serving faculty, staff and students. She is also the residency program director of the Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program and provides continuing pharmacy education training to pharmacists throughout the state and nation.

As the assistant dean, she leads the Office of Experiential Programs and helps students with post-graduate training and placement. She previously served the office as an assistant director, the lead regional coordinator, and a regional coordinator for the Gainesville, Panhandle and out-of-state regions. Her experience in experiential education has helped the college develop an innovative experiential curriculum that is nationally recognized.

As the director of well-being and resiliency, she will serve all stakeholders of the college. Dr. Curtis completed the Integrative Mind-Body Medicine training through Georgetown University in the summer of 2019. She serves as the faculty advisor to the Gator Pharmacy Wellness organization, a student led group focusing on well-being and wellness.

Dr. Curtis maintains strong ties to community pharmacy through the residency program. She brings her knowledge and experience with community pharmacy to the UF College of Pharmacy by mentoring and teaching future pharmacists.

Dr. Curtis has been affiliated with the college since 2009 and has held multiple leadership, teaching, and service roles during her tenure. Her enthusiasm and passion for student development have made a significant impact on pharmacy education at UF. In 2019, she was named the UF College of Pharmacy’s Teacher of the Year. She has also won several teaching and service awards.

Dr. Curtis earned her Pharm.D. from the UF College of Pharmacy and a B.S. in Pharmacy from the Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy.

Eric F Egelund

Eric F Egelund Ph.D., Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

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.

Michelle Z Farland

Michelle Z Farland Pharm.D.

Clinical Professor And Interim Co-Chair

Dr. Farland received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2005. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center (now UF Health at Jacksonville) in Jacksonville, Florida and a specialty residency in Ambulatory care/Primary care at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia Hospitals in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Farland joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy in 2007 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and professor in 2021. She then joined the faculty of the University of Florida in 2015.

She currently serves as the Interim Co-Chair for Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. Previously, she was Division Head of Community-Based Pharmacotherapy. Her educational research focuses on outcomes of team-based learning and personal and professional development. Dr. Farland has been recognized by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy with the 2012 New Educator Award, by the Team Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) in 2016 as a team-based learning consultant-trainer, and by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in 2017 as an Emerging Teaching Scholar. She also received an honorable mention for the AACP Innovations in Teaching Award in 2019.

Dr. Farland is the immediate past president of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC), and is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society (PLS). Dr. Farland has served as a national speaker in the areas of diabetes, team-based learning, collaborative learning teams, and situational judgement tests.

John Gums

John Gums Pharm.D., FCCP

Associate Dean For Clinical And Administrative Affairs; Professor

Dr. Gums is the Associate Dean for Clinical and Administrative Affairs in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. He also serves as a Professor of Pharmacy and Medicine in the Departments of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research and Community Health and Family Medicine at UF. Gums received his undergraduate degree in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. Subsequently, he completed a fellowship in Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Gums joined the faculty at the University of Florida in 1985, and is actively involved in teaching in the colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine. He has received the Faculty Recognition Award from the College of Pharmacy and twice was selected as Teacher of the Year by the University of Florida, Department of Family Medicine.

Jessica C Huston

Jessica C Huston Pharm.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

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.

Tracy E Leonard

Tracy E Leonard R.Ph., BCPP, BCACP, CDCES, CPh

Instructional Assistant Professor

Tracy Leonard, received her B.S. from the University of Florida in 1991. She earned her Board Certification as an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) in 2011 and her Board Certification as a Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) in 2018. She was an IPPE & APPE preceptor while Pharmacy Manager at Winn Dixie Pharmacy and is currently an APPE preceptor at the College of Pharmacy Center for Quality Medication Management (CQM). She has been a Career Coach since 2014. She has experience in community and closed door pharmacies, as well as consultant pharmacy.

She is a lifelong learner and enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets.

Robin M Li

Robin M Li Pharm.D., BCACP, NBC-HWC

Clinical Associate Professor And Assistant Director

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.

Lisa S Miller

Lisa S Miller Pharm.D., M.A., BCPS, MSCP

Assistant Dean For The Orlando Campus; Clinical Professor

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.

Carol A Motycka

Carol A Motycka Pharm.D., BCACP

Assistant Dean For The Jacksonville Campus; Clinical Professor

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.

Bradley N Phillips

Bradley N Phillips Pharm.D., BCACP

Clinical Assistant Professor

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.

Jason Powell

Jason Powell Pharm.D., BCACP

Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Jason Powell, a Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, was born and raised in Gainesville FL, with well-established roots within the Gainesville community. From a young age he has spent many fall Saturdays in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium along with countless other UF sporting events. He was able to spend his undergraduate years at UF marching in the drumline for the Pride of The Sunshine Gator Marching Band. After graduating from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Dr. Powell completed his residency with the UF College of Pharmacy specializing in anticoagulation, diabetes, hypertension, other chronic disease state management and academia. Starting in 2012, Dr. Powell began precepting 4th year pharmacy students completing their ambulatory care practice experience, while teaching within the working professional PharmD program precepting registered pharmacist seeking their Doctor of Pharmacy degree. In 2013, Dr. Powell was promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor with UF College of Pharmacy and was able to maintain his clinical practice site at UFHealth Family Medicine Eastside. In 2016, Dr. Powell was jointly appointment by the Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine to become the clinical faculty pharmacist at both Family Medicine -Main st. and Eastside. With this appointment, Dr. Powell acted as clinical preceptor to the college of pharmacy fellowship program and managing editor for the college of pharmacy’s publication, Pharmanote. In 2019, he took on the additional role as the clinical preceptor to the PGY1 community pharmacy residency program. Dr. Powell continues to be active in research and scholarly works with a major focus on ambulatory care practice and newly approved medications. He continues to increase his teaching roles within the college of pharmacy while serving as the academic advisor for Doctor of Pharmacy students.

Teresa E Roane

Teresa E Roane PharmD, MBA, BCACP

Director Continuing Pharmacy Education; Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Roane joined the faculty of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida (UF) in March 2010 as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Currently, she is also the Director of UF’s online medication therapy management (MTM) graduate program, Assistant Director of the online Individualized Medicine graduate program, and the Director of the PharmD MTM professional certificate program. She spends the majority of her time teaching within the PharmD curriculum as well as the online programs. Her clinical practice activities as of December 2021 includes working with the College of Pharmacy’s Continuing Pharmacy Education Department where she helps create content and facilitates training sessions for various clinical programs such as the collaborative practice agreement certification, immunization trainings, and pharmacy-based test and treat certificate program. For the eleven years prior, her clinical practice site was located at the College of Pharmacy’s Center for Quality Medication Management (CQM)–a clinical call center supported by contracts and grants offering MTM services to patients on behalf of national healthplans. While with CQM, Dr. Roane served in various roles including the Center Director, Director of Clinical Development, Clinical Operations Director, and Residency Program Director. Her teaching activities focuses on topics such as MTM, managed care, effective communications, business concepts, and vaccinations/immunizations. Before joining UF, Dr. Roane was as a Clinical Pharmacist at AvMed Health Plans, a managed care organization, where she helped develop and lead the organization’s first MTM program, provided direction to and oversight of the utilization management program, and served as the APPE preceptor for UF PharmD students. Dr. Roane received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the UF College of Pharmacy and her Master of Business Administration in HealthCare Management (MBA) degree from Western Governor’s University. She also obtained board certification as an ambulatory care pharmacist and holds her consultant pharmacist license. She serves on various committees for the College of Pharmacy as well as several state and national pharmacy organizations including the Florida Affiliate of AMCP, Alachua County Association of Pharmacists (ACAP), the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), and the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA).

Casey A Rowe

Casey A Rowe Pharm.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

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.

Janet Schmittgen

Janet Schmittgen Pharm.D.

Instructional Assistant Professor

Dr. Janet Schmittgen received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy Working Professional Pharm.D. Program in 2019. She received her B.S. in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University in 1986. She practiced at several hospital pharmacies including; Kettering Memorial Hospital in Kettering, OH, Mount Carmel Medical Center in Columbus, OH, and Santa Teresita Hospital in Duarte, CA. She has also practiced in both Independent and Chain Community Pharmacy settings. She accepted a position as Instructor of Pharmacy Practice at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington in 1996 and served as Coordinator of the Pharmaceutical Care Laboratory and Instructor of Record for three courses in the entry level Pharm D curriculum. She also practiced at Express Scripts as a Clinical Pharmacist specializing in Prior Authorizations.

Currently she is a Instructional Assistant Professor at University of Florida College of Pharmacy in Gainesville and serves as the Teaching Partnership Leader for the 2PD Skills Laboratory course (PHA5163/5164). She also assists with Continuing Professional Education in the College of Pharmacy. She has a special interest in Pharmacy History. She serves as Director for the Pharmacy Museum at UF COP and teaches a 2-credit hour elective course in History of Pharmacy.

Janel Soucie

Janel Soucie Pharm.D.

Instructional Assistant Professor And Regional Coordinator Orlando

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 L St. Onge

Erin L St. Onge Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

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.

James Taylor

James Taylor Pharm.D., CDE, BCACP

Professor

Hello, my name is Jim Taylor, and I am a clinical professor in the University of Florida Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. I received my doctor of pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University. Upon graduation, I completed an ASHP-accredited pharmacy practice residency at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia, and then completed a family medicine residency at UF. After graduating pharmacy school, I spent two years completing additional residency training focused on ambulatory care. I am a certified diabetes educator and board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist.

After becoming interested in pursuing a career in health care, I spent time shadowing a pharmacist and really enjoyed the patient interactions and helping patients with their medications. I currently serve as the pharmacy director for the UF Health Shands Anticoagulation Clinic and director of the Professional Practice Skills Lab series for the UF College of Pharmacy. I coordinate the third-year lab courses and am responsible for oversight of the third- and fourth-year OSCEs.

In past years, I practiced in a family practice clinic and served as residency director for an ambulatory care residency. I have had an active role in the Laboratory Instructors SIG since 2016, serving as chair of the mentoring and networking committee for the past three years. I have presented at the AACP Annual Meeting on Lab SIG topics and lead Lab SIG webinars. I have given numerous other professional presentations on diabetes, anticoagulation and other primary care topics, and I have published extensively on primary care and educational topics such as OSCEs. Finally, I have served as principal investigator and co-principal investigator for a number of clinical trials.

In addition to clinical practice, I spend a significant amount of time educating pharmacy students in the classroom and in clinical environments. My current research interests include assessing APPE readiness and anticoagulation. I have over 20 years of experience managing chronic mediations and am currently focused on managing all the patients on anticoagulant therapies.

I am married with two children. When I’m not working, you can find me exercising, playing golf or spending time with my family.

Angelina Vascimini

Angelina Vascimini Pharm.D., BCACP

Clinical Assistant Professor

Angelia Vascimini, Pharm.D., BCACP is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and maintains a clinical practice site, as an ambulatory care pharmacist, at UF Health Family Medicine – Main Street. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed a PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency and a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Dr. Vascimini has experience teaching within pharmaceutical skills labs and classrooms, as well as clinical experiential teaching. Her research interests are centered around, but not limited to, quality improvement for diabetes patients, fostering relationships between community and ambulatory care pharmacists, and developing sustainable value based care pharmacy services.

Karen Whalen

Karen Whalen Pharm.D., BCPS, FAPhA

Associate Dean For Professional Advancement And Assessment; Clinical Professor

Karen Whalen received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree with highest honors from the University of Florida. She completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the Moses Cone Health System followed by a Primary Care Residency at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. Following residency training, Dr. Whalen was a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) for 12 years. While at NSU College of Pharmacy, she was an eight-time recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2008, Dr. Whalen joined the faculty of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy as assistant director of the St. Petersburg Campus. In 2010, she transitioned to the main campus in Gainesville. She now serves as the Assistant Dean for Curricular Affairs and a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. Her excellence in teaching has been recognized with the Faculty Recognition Award in 2011 and 2012, and the Teacher of the Year Award in 2013.

Dr. Whalen is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She has practiced ambulatory care pharmacy in a variety of settings including an academic family medicine center, community pharmacy practice, and a Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare System. Dr. Whalen is active in local, state and national pharmacy organizations, and is a Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association and a past president of the Florida Pharmacy Association. She is a past recipient of the National Community Pharmacists Association Pharmacy Leadership Award, and the Florida Pharmacy Association Jean Lamberti Mentorship Award.

Chardaè L Whitner

Chardaè L Whitner Pharm.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

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.

Division of Health-System Based Pharmacotherapy

Division Head

Kalen Manasco

Kalen Manasco Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, FPPAG

Clinical Professor

Kalen Manasco received a B.S. degree in microbiology and a Pharm.D. degree from the University of Georgia. After graduation, she completed a pharmacy practice residency at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and a pediatric specialty residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She served as a clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy from 2007-2017, where she also served as the PGY2 pediatric pharmacy residency program director. From 2003-2007, she served as a clinical assistant professor in the department of clinical and administrative sciences at Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia. Manasco joined the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in March 2017, as a clinical professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and translational research. She is also a clinical pharmacist with UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in the pediatric intensive care unit. Her research interests include pediatric infectious disease and pediatric pulmonology (cystic fibrosis and asthma). Manasco is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist, chair of the ACCP Pediatric Practice and Research Network, and co-series editor for the pediatric pharmacotherapy self-assessment program.

Kaitlin M Alexander

Kaitlin M Alexander Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Kaitlin Alexander, Pharm.D. is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. Dr. Alexander joined the University of Florida faculty in May 2021 and maintains a clinical practice in the trauma intensive care unit at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

Dr. Alexander graduated from the University of Florida with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2012. She then completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at West Virginia University Healthcare, followed by a PGY-2 Residency specializing in critical care at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Prior to her appointment at the University of Florida, she was an Associate Clinical Professor at the Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy from 2014-2021.

Dr. Alexander is an active member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). Her professional interests, include: the management of pain, agitation and delirium in the ICU, infectious diseases, optimization of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, and trauma & acute care surgery critical care management.

Shauna Buring

Shauna Buring Pharm.D.

Associate Dean For Professional Education; Clinical Associate Professor

Shauna Buring, Pharm.D., assumed the leadership role as associate dean for student affairs in May 2016, and in July 2018, she moved into her current position as Associate Dean for Professional Education.

Buring joined UF following 14 years at the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, her alma mater. She most recently served as associate dean for professional education and assessment where she helped UC secure an eight-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. In addition, she has led many curricular improvements, including the development of new pharmacy practice skills lab courses and a teaching certificate program for first-year pharmacy residents in the Cincinnati area. Prior to her work at UC, Buring was an assistant professor at Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy.

With the appointment, Buring returned to Florida where she started her professional pharmacy career as a staff pharmacist at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers from 1991-94. Additionally, she completed a drug information specialty residency at Shands Hospital in Gainesville in 1997.

Anthony M Casapao

Anthony M Casapao PharmD, MPH, FIDSA

Clinical Associate Professor

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.

Lindsey Childs-Kean

Lindsey Childs-Kean Pharm.D., M.P.H., BCPS

Clinical Associate Professor

After completing her Pharm.D. from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Dr. Childs-Kean completed a PGY-1 residency at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, FL, followed by a PGY-2 residency in Infectious Diseases Pharmacy at the South Texas Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Antonio, TX. Prior to joining UF full-time, she was the Hepatology Pharmacy Program Manager at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Bay Pines, FL. In that role, she established a pharmacist-led Hepatitis C clinic for patients throughout the Bay Pines System, including patients seen using Clinical Video Telehealth technology. Her professional interests include infectious diseases pharmacotherapy as well as professional development of students and new practitioners. Dr. Childs-Kean is active in many professional organizations at the state and national level, including the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Randell E Doty

Randell E Doty Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Doty received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Tennessee in 1988 and completed a general clinical residency at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis Tennessee in 1989. He accepted an appointment in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Florida in 1989 and served as Associate Director of the Computer Applications in Pharmacy Center until it closed in 1991. Dr. Doty is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. He served for more than 20 years as director of Experiential Programs at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and currently co-coordinates the Pathophysiology and Patient Assessment course sequence in the first year. He also teaches in the skills lab, instructs students in their immunization training and practices in the UF Health adult Emergency Department.

Carinda J Feild

Carinda J Feild Pharm.D., FCCM

Associate Director Of Experiential Programs,Lead Regional Coordinator, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Feild earned her Pharm.D. degree from the University of Florida in 1989. She then completed an ASHP accredited two-year residency with emphasis in critical care at the University of Kentucky and a two-year critical care fellowship at the University of Kentucky’s Drug Product Evaluation Unit. She joined UF College of Pharmacy faculty in 2010 as a Clinical Associate Professor and previously served as Assistant Dean and Campus director for the St Pete Campus. She currently serves as Associate Director for the Office of Experiential Programs.

Prior to taking this position, she worked at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center / University of Maryland Medical Center for seven years. For the last four of those years she served as the critical care research section manager and a clinical research pharmacist. For the 10 years prior she worked as a clinical pharmacy specialist in critical care caring for surgical, cardiothoracic, and trauma patients and teaching pharmacy students at Boston University Medical Center, Orlando Regional Healthcare System where she also served as the Clinical Coordinator, and Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center where she was also involved in research. She has been an Assistant Professor with the University of Florida’s Working Professional Pharm.D Program since 1997. She started as an Orlando site facilitator and has also served as the regional director, a course coordinator and advisor, a pharmaceutical care project reviewer, and currently works on special projects. She was awarded the Air Force Clinical Research Award for work done at Keesler in 2001, she was the Spring 2007 recipient of the Faculty Service Award for the WPPD program, and has received multiple teaching and service recognitions since joining the faculty in 2010.

Adonice Khoury

Adonice Khoury Pharm.D., BCPS

Clinical Associate Professor

Adonice Khoury is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research and Clinical Specialist in Internal Medicine at UF Health/Shands Hospital. Dr. Khoury received a B.S. in Microbiology & Cell Science from the UF College of Agriculture and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the UF College of Pharmacy. He also completed an ASHP accredited specialty residency in Geriatric pharmacy practice at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville. Prior to joining the college, Dr. Khoury was the head clinical pharmacist and antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist for six years at Select Specialty Hospital in Gainesville, a 44-bed long-term acute care hospital. Dr. Khoury was active with the college at Select Specialty Hospital, serving as a preceptor for adult medicine APPE rotations. His primary clinical practice and research interest is in internal medicine with specific interests in the subspecialties of gastrointestinal and infectious diseases pharmacotherapy.

Kayihura Manigaba

Kayihura Manigaba Pharm.D., BCIDP

Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Kayihura Manigaba stands as an exemplar of excellence in the field of pharmacy, embodying an unwavering commitment to advancing pharmacy education, showcasing exceptional clinical proficiency, and spearheading pioneering research. With strong leadership skills at the forefront, his achievements and impact have positioned him not only as a respected educator but also as a revered leader in the field. Dr. Manigaba’s dynamic mentoring skills, coupled with his research prowess and innovative mindset, further underscore his role as a beacon of inspiration within the pharmacy community.

Dr. Manigaba embarked on his journey with the completion of his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the prestigious University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in Memphis, TN. This foundation led him to further elevate his expertise through an ASHP-accredited PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency and a distinguished ASHP-accredited PGY2 Residency in Infectious Diseases at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

Dr. Kayihura Manigaba is an esteemed educator in the pharmacy doctorate program at the University of Florida, where he imparts his profound knowledge across an array of courses including Professional Practice Skills labs in the 2nd and 3rd years, as well as Patient Care 2, Patient Care 4, and Patient Care 5. His commitment to bridging theory and practice resonates deeply, serving as a cornerstone in the comprehensive development of future pharmacists.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Manigaba’s dedication to advancing the pharmacy profession is evident. As a valued member of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists research committee, he plays an active role in evaluating and awarding research grants. This engagement underscores his commitment to driving progress within the infectious diseases field and contributing to improved patient outcomes.

As a board-certified infectious diseases pharmacist, Dr. Manigaba’s influence spans a diverse range of critical healthcare domains. His professional pursuits and research interests encompass infectious diseases, therapeutic drug monitoring, interventions for multidrug-resistant pathogens, and the pivotal area of antimicrobial stewardship.

Dr. Manigaba’s influence reaches beyond borders. His dedication to advancing healthcare has driven him to collaborate on a global scale, specifically targeting the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance. Through innovative approaches and strategic partnerships, he endeavors to make a transformative impact on healthcare systems worldwide.

Dr. Manigaba’s tenure as Clinical Pharmacy Manager underscored his exceptional leadership skills and transformative impact. Leading a team of pharmacists and physicians, he orchestrated the implementation of varied clinical services across the hospital, resulting in improved patient care. His strategic leadership extended to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, where he spearheaded best practices that not only enhanced patient care but also optimized costs. Under his guidance, the hospital earned regional distinction due to consistent surpassing of performance metrics.

In summary, Dr. Kayihura Manigaba’s journey underscores his exceptional contributions to pharmacy education, clinical proficiency, and transformative healthcare change. His role as both an esteemed educator and a visionary leader is evident through his dedication to bridging theory and practice, active involvement in committees, and impactful research engagements. Dr. Manigaba’s influence reaches beyond academia, as his global collaborations and leadership in critical healthcare domains showcase his commitment to driving positive change on a broad scale. His legacy leaves an indelible mark on the pharmacy profession, resonating through enhanced patient care and the advancement of healthcare systems worldwide.

Priti Patel

Priti Patel Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Patel completed and ASHP-accredited drug information residency at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals in Fort Washington, PA. Prior to joining UF, she was an associate clinical professor at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, and co-director of the St. John’s University drug information service at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

At the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Dr. Patel serves as Director of Personal and Professional Development, overseeing the series of 9 PPD courses in the PharmD curriculum. Her areas of teaching in the PharmD program include evidence-based practice and women’s health.

Barbara Santevecchi

Barbara Santevecchi PharmD, BCIDP

Clinical Assistant Professor

Barbara Santevecchi joined the College of Pharmacy as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research in August 2019. She serves as an Infectious Diseases Clinical Specialist and member of the Antimicrobial Management Program at UF Health Shands Hospital. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Wingate University School of Pharmacy in Wingate, North Carolina in 2015. Following graduation, she completed PGY1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY2 Infectious Diseases pharmacy residencies at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. After completing residency training, she worked as an Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. Barbara is a board certified infectious diseases pharmacist. Her research interests include HIV/AIDS, microbiology, rapid diagnostics, novel agents for multidrug resistant infections, and antimicrobial stewardship. Barbara has published research in several peer-reviewed journals and has delivered presentations on her research at national meetings.

Bethany Shoulders

Bethany Shoulders Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Bethany Shoulders, PharmD, BCCCP works as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and serves as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit at UF Health Shands Hospital. Dr. Shoulders received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2014 and completed a PGY1 residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and a PGY2 Critical Care residency with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Since joining the faculty in 2016, she has maintained a collaborative clinical practice site and was awarded the Exemplary Clinician Award in 2022. Her professional interests include completing quality improvement projects and research related to antimicrobial use in the ICU and surgical patient populations and advocating for a personalized approach to patient care. She is also an active member of SCCM, ACCP, FSHP/ASHP, and AACP.

Lisa Vandervoort

Lisa Vandervoort Pharm.D.

Instructional Assistant Professor And Regional Coordinator Orlando

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.

Veena Venugopalan

Veena Venugopalan Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Veena Venugopalan received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Following graduation, she completed her pharmacy practice residency and infectious diseases specialty residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. As a board certified pharmacist with added qualifications in infectious diseases pharmacotherapy, Venugopalan has developed and maintained antimicrobial stewardship programs at large academic centers as well as community teaching hospitals. She joined the faculty at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in January 2016. She serves as the infectious diseases clinical specialist at UF Health Shands Hospital. Her research and patient care activities focus on health care associated infections, multidrug resistant gram-negative infections and antimicrobial stewardship. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and she has been presented at national and international conferences.

Division of Translational Research

Division Head

Charles Peloquin

Charles Peloquin Pharm.D.

Professor And The Jack C. Massey Professor; Division Head, Translational Research

Prior to coming to the University of Florida, Dr. Peloquin completed a hospital pharmacy residency at Duke University Medical Center, where he also served on the clinical staff. He also completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases and Pharmacokinetics at the Clinical Pharmacokinetics Laboratory, Millard Fillmore Hospital, Buffalo, N.Y. For 20 years, Dr. Peloquin was the Director of the Infectious Disease Pharmacokinetics Laboratory (IDPL) at National Jewish Health, Denver, CO. He now serves as Professor of Pharmacy and Medicine at UF, where the IDPL now is located. Dr. Peloquin and his lab are part of the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute. He has served a consultant to the FDA, CDC and WHO, and has contributed to national guidelines on the treatment tuberculosis and the treatment of opportunistic infections in patients living with AIDS.

John M Allen

John M Allen Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP, FCCM, FCCP

Associate Dean And Clinical Associate Professor

John M. Allen, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP, FCCM, FCCP is an associate dean in the UF College of Pharmacy 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 Bulitta

Jürgen Bulitta Ph.D.

Professor And The Perry E. Foote Eminent Scholar Chair

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.

Larisa H Cavallari

Larisa H Cavallari Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP

Professor And Debbie DeSantis Term Professor

Dr. Cavallari received her B.S. Pharmacy and Pharm.D. degrees from the University of Georgia. She then completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee and a fellowship in Cardiovascular Pharmacogenomics at the University of Florida. Dr. Cavallari accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago after completing her training and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009. While at UIC, she directed efforts to implement genotype-guided warfarin dosing for all patients newly starting warfarin during hospitalization. Dr. Cavallari joined the University of Florida Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research as an Associate Professor in April, 2014, where she serves as co-director of the Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine. She also serves as Director of the UF Health Precision Medicine Program. In 2021, she was promoted to professor. Her research involves discovery and clinical translation of genetic variants related to drug response and has been funded by the NIH, FDA, American Heart Association, and other awards.

Dr. Cavallari has served on both NIH and American Heart Association grant review committees and is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, former Chair of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Research Institute, and Editorial Board Member for the Lexi-Comp pharmacogenetics series.

Emily J Cicali

Emily J Cicali Pharm.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Emily Cicali, Pharm.D., received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences in 2015. She then completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Tabula Rasa HealthCare in Geriatric Personalized Medicine. After her residency, she was hired to work Tabula Rasa HealthCare at as a Research Pharmacist, as well as adjunct faculty at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, focusing on clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics implementation. In 2017 she decided to fully transition to academia, which led to her completion of a fellowship in pharmacogenomics at the University of Florida. Cicali is now a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. Her clinical practice is within the UF Health Personalized Medicine Program and her research interests include clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics as well as further understanding the role of phenoconversion for optimal medication safety.

Joseph Collins

Joseph Collins Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Joseph Collins, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Dr. Collins received his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2018 from the University of Florida. Before becoming UF faculty in the fall of 2023, Dr. Collins worked as a post-doctoral researcher investigating the underlying cause of variable expression of the pharmacogenes in the UF department of pharmacotherapy and translational research.

Dr. Collins’s research interests are related to the regulation of gene expression and how genetic and epigenetic variation contributes to differential gene expression. He uses bioinformatics and functional genomics to identify putative targets and then validates them through an array of molecular biology approaches. His current research focuses on the identification of enhancers that control key pharmacogenes and the identification of novel variants to explain observed differences in gene expression between populations.

Rhonda M Cooper-DeHoff

Rhonda M Cooper-DeHoff Pharm.D., M.S., FAHA, FACC, FCCP

Associate Professor

Dr. Cooper-DeHoff is a Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, and the Department of Pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy, and in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine at the University of Florida.

David DeRemer

David DeRemer Pharm.D., BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA

Clinical Professor

David DeRemer received his B.S. Biology and Pharm.D. degrees from the University of Kentucky. Following graduation, he completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency and an Oncology specialty residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. He followed that with an Oncology Postdoctoral Fellowship focusing on Drug Discovery/Development at the University of Kentucky. DeRemer is a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the Hematology Oncology Pharmacist Association (HOPA). He is currently the President-Elect for HOPA and actively participates in multiple HOPA committees. He joined the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in September 2017 and is actively participating in early phase UF Health Cancer Center clinical trials.

Julio D Duarte

Julio D Duarte Pharm.D., Ph.D., FAHA

Associate Professor

Julio Duarte is an associate professor of pharmacy and medicine as well as Co-Director of the UF Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine. He received his Pharm.D. as well as his Ph.D. in clinical pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Florida. He was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Co-Director of the University of Illinois Hospital Personalized Medicine Program until returning to UF in 2015. Dr. Duarte has served as a grant reviewer for both NIH and U.S Department of Defense. He is an elected Fellow of the American Heart Association and has received awards for his research from both UIC and UF. Dr. Duarte also serves as Graduate Coordinator of the Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences concentration within the College of Pharmacy’s graduate program.

Mohammed Gbadamosi

Mohammed Gbadamosi Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Mohammed Gbadamosi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Gbadamosi completed his graduate studies Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Thereafter, He completed his postdoctoral training as an NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program for Applied Research and Development in Genomic Medicine (PARADIGM) at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy under the mentorship of Dr. Duane Mitchell.

In 2023, Dr. Gbadamosi was selected as one of thirteen individuals to receive the highly prestigious NIH Director’s Early Independence Award. This award enables outstanding junior scientists with the intellect, scientific creativity, drive, and maturity to bypass the traditional postdoctoral training period and launch independent research careers. Dr. Gbadamosi leads a collaborative multidisciplinary research group and his research broadly leverages advanced molecular, cellular, and computational approaches to optimize the efficacy of chemotherapeutic and immuno-oncology agents. His research spans basic and translational sciences with the ultimate end goal of maximizing the efficacy of combinatorial strategies using chemotherapy and immunotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy) and developing curative chemoimmunotherapeutic treatment regimens.

Dr. Gbadamosi’s Early Independence Award study focuses on utilizing multi-omics and machine learning approaches to (1) identify, characterize, and establish the clinical relevance of molecular features that influence chemoimmunomodulation in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and other types of cancers and (2) construct computational models capable of predicting chemoimmunomodulatory effects using a patient’s baseline molecular profile thus enabling refined methods for personalizing chemoimmunotherapy. Given the poor prognosis and critical health disparities observed in triple-negative breast cancer and the poor efficacy observed from chemoimmunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer, this study is of critical importance and holds the potential to drastically improve clinical outcomes.

Dr. Gbadamosi also holds membership in the University of Florida Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program and Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy where he leads studies focused on developing and characterizing models of triple-negative breast cancer brain metastases and their response to chemoimmunotherapy.

Dr. Gbadamosi’s leadership at the University of Florida has driven transformative initiatives, effecting policy changes and fostering academic excellence. His notable contributions include founding the College of Pharmacy Graduate Student Organization, initiating the UF Graduate Education Diversity Champion Award, and serving on the College of Pharmacy Dean’s Leadership Council (2020-2023). Dr. Gbadamosi has a passion for serving the next generation of trainees and students as a mentor, providing advocacy, opportunities, and experiences that enable them to succeed. Thus far he has mentored 6 trainees (4 undergraduate and 2 PharmD students) and actively engages with mentorship-focused programs such as the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program. Dr. Gbadamosi serves on the Gene Regulation in Cancer NIH Study Section, is a Fellow of the Cancer Research Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center, and contributes as a reviewer for esteemed journals. His scientific contributions are reflected in five research articles, one patent, and numerous award-winning presentations.

Yan Gong

Yan Gong Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Yan Gong, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida (UF) College of Pharmacy and the UF Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine. Dr. Gong received a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics in 2004 from Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy at UF. She also obtained a Master’s Degree in Statistics in 2003 from UF Department of Statistics. Before joining the UF faculty in 2005, she completed one year of post-doctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Pharmacogenomics at the UF Center for Pharmacogenomics.

Dr. Gong’s research focuses on pharmacogenomics of efficacy and adverse response of antihypertensives medications, and pharmacogenomics of serious adverse drug events such as medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and cardiotoxicities related to cancer therapies (Cardio-Oncology). Dr. Gong has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications.

In addition to research, Dr. Gong has been involved in teaching multiple graduate level and professional level courses at the UF College of Pharmacy and College of Medicine. She is currently the course co-coordinator for Pharmacogenomic and Genomic Data Analysis (PHA6449), a required graduate level course for the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the UF College of Pharmacy.

Jatinder Lamba

Jatinder Lamba Ph.D., M.Sc.

Associate Dean For Research And Graduate Education; Professor And The Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair

Dr. Jatinder Lamba is currently the associate dean for research and graduate education in the UF College of Pharmacy and a professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. In 2022, she was appointed the Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair.

Lamba did her post-doctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to joining University of Florida, she was an Associate Professor at University of Minnesota, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and the Director of the Pathway driven Pharmacogenomics; University of Minnesota Alliance (PUMA) Institute of Personalized Medicine.

Dr Lamba’s research is focused on identification, characterization and clinical validation of genomic/epigenomic markers predictive of therapeutic outcome in cancer patients. This research spans from preclinical basic research comprising the discovery phase utilizing cell line model systems to translational/clinical phase in patient populations from multi-institute clinical trials. The long-term goal of her research is to move pharmacogenetic testing into the clinical setting to improve safety and efficacy of drug therapy. Dr. Lamba’s research on pharmacogenomics of anti-leukemic agents has been funded by NIH/NCI since 2008. Specifically, her current NCI funded R01 focuses on pharmacogenomics/ epigenomics of cytarabine (ara-C), a nucleoside analog that is the backbone of anti-leukemia chemotherapy in pediatric AML patients. Her group is working on developing algorithms to incorporate pharmacogenomics/epigenomic markers with other prognostic factors to advance precision medicine in oncology. Identification of such patients upfront will provide opportunity to tailor the initial chemotherapy to achieve maximum benefit.

Dr. Lamba’s lab is the first one to identify genetic polymorphisms in CD33 gene that are predictive of response to CD33 targeted agents in AML. These results hold promise in utilizing preemptive genotype to select patients most likely to benefit from CD33-directed therapy such as gemtuzumab ozogamicin in treating AML. Previous work on CD33 genomics was funded by NCI and more in-depth characterization of CD33 as AML therapeutic target is funded by a recent award from leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Given a critical gap of our understanding in metabolic dysregulation in AML, Dr. Lamba’s group is focused understanding the metabolomics differences and biomarkers of prognostic significance in pediatric AML. Dr. Lamba’s recent work is focused towards utilizing transcriptomics to build and refine leukemic stem cell signatures and AML drug response signatures of prognostic and predictive value in AML.

Dr. Lamba has served as chair of Pharmacogenomics SIG at AACP (2013) and is currently vice-chair of Pharmacogenomics focus group with AAPS. She has served as a grant reviewer for numerous NIH study sections and has reviewed grants for international agencies as Italian Ministry of Health. She has published more than 90 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and is on the editorial boards of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Pharmacogenomics and Frontiers in Pharmacogenomics and genomics, JCMM. Dr. Lamba is currently Professor in College of Pharmacy and is also Graduate Program coordinator for PTR department. Dr. Lamba is very committed towards training of future generation of scientist. She has trained 6 Ph. D students, 5 Post-doctoral fellows several Pharm D students and 3 hematology-oncology fellows and several under-graduate students including minority and underrepresented students.

Yinzhi Lang

Yinzhi Lang Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

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.

John S Markowitz

John S Markowitz Pharm.D., BCPP

Professor

Dr. Markowitz received his BS in Biology from Memphis State University, and his Doctorate in Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences (UTCHS). He completed an ASHP-accredited specialty residency in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice, also at UTCHS. Following his education and training, Dr. Markowitz served for a decade as a Clinical Specialist in Psychiatry, and eventually Clinical Coordinator within the Institute of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, South Carolina. He eventually transitioned from clinician to a primary faculty research position in the MUSC College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences with a dual appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences where he had remained prior to joining the UF College of Pharmacy in 2009. Dr. Markowitz has been credentialed by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties in Psychiatric Pharmacy (BCPP) since 1997 and is a founding member of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP).

Caitrin W McDonough

Caitrin W McDonough Ph.D., M.S.

Assistant Professor

Dr. McDonough received a B.S. in Biochemistry (with a minor in chemistry) from the University of Iowa and then earned a Ph.D in Molecular Medicine and Translational Science from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. After completing graduate studies, she completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Pharmacogenomics under the direction of Dr. Julie Johnson.

Dr. McDonough is an investigator in the Center for Pharmacogenomics. Her research focuses on identifying and predicting patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease. She uses multiple methods (regression modeling and machine learning) to integrate data from multiple sources (e.g. electronic health records, insurance claims, ‘omics) to identify factors or signatures that are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Khoa Nguyen

Khoa Nguyen Pharm.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

Khoa Nguyen, Pharm.D., received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy. He then completed a fellowship in medical informatics at the VA Indianapolis, HSR&D. After his fellowship, he joined the Regenstrief Institute, Center for Health Services Research as a research scientist and Purdue University, College of Pharmacy as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Currently, Dr. Nguyen is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy. His clinical practice is within the UF Health Personalized Medicine Program to help develop and improve pharmacogenomic clinical decision support. Additionally, he serves as a faculty liaison at the UF CTSI Integrated Data Repository (IDR) Services to support both research data requests and research IT integration into UF Health electronic health record (EHR) system.

Dr. Khoa Nguyen’s research interests include medical informatics, human-computer interaction, pharmacogenomics, and artificial intelligence (AI). His research focused on improving patient safety through human factor engineering and health information technology. Specifically, Dr. Nguyen wants to utilize human factor engineering, and human-computer interaction method to enhance the implementation of pharmacogenomic clinical decision supports (PGx-CDS). PGx-CDS, when implemented, can foster pharmacogenomics service to predict and prevent severe adverse drug reactions from genetic mutations. Finally, Dr. Nguyen wants to improve the integration of AI tools into EHR systems to assist clinical decision-making. Current projects include the integration of a machine-learning opioid prediction and risk stratification into the UF EHR system as well as develop an AI prediction model and CDS to improve PGx uptake.

Luisel Ricks-Santi

Luisel Ricks-Santi Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Dr. Luisel Ricks-Santi is a cancer genomics researcher and population scientist possessing over 15 years of academic research experience. She is committed to diversity & inclusion through research education and training and is particularly adept in the areas of grantsmanship, organizational leadership, clinical-translational methods and transdisciplinary team science approaches.

Dr. Ricks-Santi is a 2000 graduate of Hampton University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Cellular and Molecular biology. She also received her PhD from Georgetown University in Tumor Biology and completed two post-doctoral fellowships at Howard University in Cancer Genomics/ Cancer Disparities research, and Clinical-Translational Sciences. Her current research aims to identify the genetic drivers of cancer disparities with a focus on the breast and prostate cancer, two (2) cancers with high mortality rates in the African American community.

In her spare time, Dr. Ricks has been using her cancer biology background in service to her community by educating about cancer screening recommendations, participation in clinical trials and engaging diverse communities precision medicine research. Interacting directly with the community has inspired her to become a greater advocate for cancer screening especially in communities where cancer incidence and mortality is high.

She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. an organization dedicated to the implementation of programs that impact health disparities in the global community.

Areas of Expertise Cancer Epidemiologist | Population Sciences | Genomics | Genetic Epidemiology | Precision Medicine | Clinical-Translational Medicine | Next Generation Sequencing | Microbiome | Bioinformatics | Biostatistics | Epidemiology | Biospecimen Science |Cancer Genetics & Genomics | Public Health Genomics | Molecular Biology | Health Disparities | Cancer Disparities | STEM Education in Minorities and Women

Alaa R M Sayed

Alaa R M Sayed Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

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

Nathan D Seligson

Nathan D Seligson Pharm.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

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.

Marwa Tantawy

Marwa Tantawy Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Marwa Tantawy, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida (UF) College of Pharmacy . Dr. Tantawy received a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2016 from the College of Science, Ain Shams University, Egypt. She also got a master’s degree in immunology in 2010 from the College of Science, Cairo University, Egypt. Before Joining the UF Faculty in 2023, she completed a three-year post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular pharmacogenomics at the UF Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research Department. Dr. Tantawy has expertise in molecular oncology and laboratory experiments, particularly genetic association studies, including genome-wide association analyses (GWAS), genotyping, miRNA sequencing, Next Generation Sequencing, methylation, and cell culture. Dr. Tantawy’s current research focuses on adverse drug events such as cardiotoxicity related to cancer treatment, with a particular emphasis on multi-omics (genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and proteomics) to identify early detection markers that help in treatment management and reveal the underlying mechanisms.

Katie Vogel Anderson

Katie Vogel Anderson Pharm.D., BCACP, FCCP

Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Vogel Anderson earned her B.S. degree in biochemistry at Florida State University in 1999, and her Pharm.D. at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in 2003. After completing a primary care PGY1 pharmacy residency in 2004, Katie worked as a clinical pharmacy specialist at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida. In 2010, she joined the faculty at the UF College of Pharmacy. With 20 years of experience as an ambulatory care pharmacist, Katie specializes in the management of anticoagulation therapy, hypertension, and transitions of care. In the Pharm.D. curriculum, Katie teaches pharmacotherapy of hypertension, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, venous thromboembolism, men’s and women’s health, and geriatric care. In 2012, Katie established an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program at the UF College of Pharmacy, for which she served as program director for 11 years. To become a better educator, Katie enrolled in the Higher Education Administration and Policy Ph.D. program at the UF College of Education, in 2019. She passed her qualifying exams in 2022, and her dissertation study focuses on first year student pharmacist outcomes. Katie has served as Chair of the UF Faculty Senate, as the faculty representative on the UF Board of Trustees, and as a faculty representative on the UF Foundation Board. Katie and her husband, Shawn Anderson (also a Gator pharmacist), established the endowed Vogel/Anderson Exceptional Leader Scholarship for third year UF pharmacy students in 2009. In her free time, Katie likes to attend Gators athletics events (especially gymnastics) and to go RVing with Shawn and their two dogs, Teddie Roosevelt and Johnnie Adams.

Danxin Wang

Danxin Wang M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Dr. Wang received her MD degree from Fudan University Medical School and her Ph.D from the Academy of Military Medical Science in Beijing. She did postdoctoral training at the University of California San Francisco. She was a Research Assistant Professor at Ohio State University, Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Associate Director of Center for Pharmacogenomics prior to joining the University of Florida.

Dr. Wang’s research interests are the discovery of genetic biomarkers for personalized drug therapy. She has discovered many functional regulatory variants in genes related to drug therapy in the areas of cardiovascular diseases, mental diseases and drug dependence. Some of these functional variants are currently included in biomarker testing panels to predict drug response.

Funded by NIH R01 and R35 awards, Dr. Wang’s current research is to understand factors controlling the expression of cytochrome P450 drug metabolizing enzymes (CYPs) in the liver. Using recently developed cutting edge functional genetics/genomics approaches, the research will focus on understanding what genetic, epigenetic and non-genetic factors may contribute to CYPs variability, with the goal to identify biomarker predicting enzyme activity of CYPs for guiding personalized drug therapy.

Dr. Wang has served as an Associate Editor of “European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” and was on editorial Board of “Journal of Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacoproteomics”. She has also served as grant reviewer for NIH.

Emeritus Faculty

Diane Beck

Diane Beck Pharm.D.

Professor Emeritus

Diane E. Beck, Pharm.D., is a Clinical Professor Emeritus with the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. She was previously Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs and Accreditation (2009-2019) and also Clinical Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (2004-2019). She received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (1977 and 1979). She is also Professor Emerita at Auburn University, Harrison School of Pharmacy. Dr. Beck is a past-president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. During Dr. Beck’s career, her research and scholarship focused on curricular and teaching innovations. Her practice and teaching focused on clinical pharmacokinetics.

Paul L Doering

Paul L Doering M.S.

Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus

Doering is a Emeritus Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research at the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy. He is also Co-director of the statewide Drug Information and Pharmacy Resource Center.

Doering received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Florida in 1972 and continued his training at the same institution, earning the Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy in 1975.

Upon graduation, Doering accepted a position in the University’s Department of Medicine as a research assistant where he designed, implemented and evaluated a program of adverse drug reaction monitoring in the obstetric patient.

Current teaching responsibilities include: coordinating a Non-prescription Products course for undergraduate pharmacy students, a senior-level course in Pharmacotherapy, and an elective course in Drug Abuse. He also guest lectures in a variety of team taught courses in the College of Pharmacy and other Health Center colleges.

Doering has strong ties with the practice of pharmacy, having been a practicing pharmacist both in the hospital and community setting. A member of many local, state, and national pharmaceutical societies, he is a past-president of his local pharmacy association.

Doering has been recognized four times as Teacher of the Year. In March, 1990, he was awarded Fellowship status in the APhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management. In 1993, he received one of two Teaching Incentive Awards given to UF College of Pharmacy faculty. In 1995, Doering was promoted to Distinguished Service Professor, the university’s highest honor awarded to a faculty member, he was the first professor in the College of Pharmacy to be recognized in this way.

Leslie Hendeles

Leslie Hendeles Pharm.D.

Professor Emeritus

Dr. Hendeles is a Professor Emeritus in the College of Pharmacy and also in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida. Among his current research interests are the improvement of adherence to asthma medications and delivery of inhaled drugs to young children. He is a consultant to FDA’s Pulmonary Division, and previously served on the Coordinating Committee of NIH’s Asthma Education Program, as well as CDC’s Expert Panel on Asthma Guidelines for Emergency Medical Services. Dr. Hendeles provides advice on drug therapy and teaches in the Pediatric Pulmonary Clinic at the University of Florida.

Julie A Johnson

Julie A Johnson Pharm.D.

Dean Emeritus

Julie Johnson is a dean emeritus at the University of Florida. She recently completed a term as Dean of the UF College of Pharmacy, having served in that role from 2013 to 2022. She received her B.S. in Pharmacy from the Ohio State University and her Pharm.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular pharmacology/ pharmacokinetics at Ohio State.

Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on cardiovascular pharmacogenomics and implementation of precision medicine approaches into clinical practice. She is an internationally recognized leader in clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenomics and genomic medicine, with over 330 peer reviewed original publications and over $50M in research funding as principal investigator. In 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 she was named a Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher, indicating she was in the top 1% most highly cited scientists globally in the discipline in previous decade (pharmacology and toxicology 2015-2017 and across disciplines in 2018).

Under her leadership as dean, the UF College of Pharmacy implemented a new Pharm.D. curriculum, its faculty grew by 90%, the U.S. News & World Report ranking rose from #14 to #5, research funding grew 3.8-fold and research funding rankings rose from the high teens to #3, and it had the highest percentage of under-represented minority students among professional degree programs at UF and the top 40 colleges of pharmacy, with the percentage or URM Pharm.D. students doubling in her time as dean.

Dr. Johnson has had numerous service roles, including with the NIH, FDA, CDC, American Heart Association, American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT), for which she served as President in 2016-17. She is currently serving as President-Elect of the Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network, and President of the Academy for Science, Engineering and Medicine – Florida (ASEM-FL). Dr. Johnson has received numerous awards and honors. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and has been the recipient of the Leon I Goldberg Young Investigator Award, Rawls Palmer Progress in Medicine Award and Mentoring Award from the ASCPT, Volwiler Research Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) (2007), the Therapeutic Frontiers Award, and Paul Parker Medal from ACCP, the ACCP-Pharmacology Distinguished Scientist Award, the Luminary Award from the Precision Medicine World Conference, among others. She has also received teaching awards from both the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida.

Larry Lopez

Larry Lopez Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS

Professor Emeritus

Dr. Larry Lopez joined the faculty of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in September, 1979, after completing requirements for his post-baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Before accepting the faculty appointment he had worked as a community pharmacist and a hospital pharmacist for nearly 10 years. He received his high school diploma in 1964 from Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida and his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in 1969. Dr. Lopez retired from the faculty on November 30, 2011, after 32 years of service.

While a member of the faculty Dr. Lopez was responsible for teaching a number of topics related to the pharmacotherapy of both general internal medicine and cardiovascular disorders for the Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine. He also maintained clinical practices in Internal Medicine and Anticoagulation at Shands at the University of Florida for the last 10 years of his appointment. Dr. Lopez served as Chairman of the Department of Pharmacy Practice from January, 1997 until July, 2002, Associate Chair of the same department from July, 2002, until July, 2011, when he once again assumed the position of Department Chairman until his retirement later that year.

Dr. Lopez’s research revolved primarily around clinical evaluations of new therapeutic modalities for management of hypertension, myocardial ischemia and/or congestive heart failure. He received over 30 grants and contracts for support of his work in these areas and published approximately 130 abstracts, articles, monographs, and chapters on these and other topics as well. Dr. Lopez was recognized for his research accomplishments by being named as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American Society of Hypertension. He was Board Certified as a Pharmacotherapy Specialist in October, 2004.

AFFILIATIONS American College of Clinical Pharmacy North Central Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists American Heart Association Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties

Michael McKenzie

Michael McKenzie Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

After receiving his master’s degree in 1972 he continued his work as a researcher on the FDA study on the epidemiology of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized pediatric patients until he accepted a position as assistant professor of pharmacy in the College of Pharmacy in Sept. 1972. He assumed clinical pharmacy responsibilities in the pediatric department of Shands Hospital, coordinated the clinical pharmacy clerkship program, lectured on pediatric pharmacy in the therapeutics course, and coordinated an introductory pharmacology course for nursing students. He taught an elective course in pediatric pharmacy and supervised pharmacy students in a pediatric pharmacy clerkship for many years prior to assuming administrative positions in the College of Pharmacy. For 24 years he coordinated and taught a UF Honors Seminar: In Search of Magic Bullets for students in the Honors Program. He was recently recognized by the UF Honors Program as the Honors Professor of the Year for 2015-2016. He helped organize, implement and teach in a new course, Medications and Health, for UF undergraduates in the spring semester 2016.

In 1977 he was promoted to associate professor and decided to take a two year leave of absence to complete requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in clinical pharmacy at Purdue University. After receiving the Ph.D. degree he returned to the College of Pharmacy and assumed clinical pharmacy responsibilities in the pediatric ambulatory clinic and coordinated the therapeutics course. He accepted the position as coordinator of the post-baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy program in 1981.

In 1984 he was appointed as assistant dean for student affairs responsible for recruitment, prepharmacy counseling, financial aid, awards, academic performance, registration, examination scheduling, classroom scheduling, and faculty advisement. In 1989 he was promoted to professor of pharmacy in the department of pharmacy practice and as associate dean for student affairs.

Promoted to associate dean for academic and student affairs in 1995, he was given the responsibility over curriculum development and faculty development in addition to student affairs responsibilities. He worked with the college’s curriculum task force and the curriculum committee to assist in the planning, organization, implementation, and evaluation of a new Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum.

In 1999 he was promoted to associate dean for professional affairs with administrative responsibilities in student affairs, academic affairs, and the clinical experiential program. He also was given responsibilities as the College’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. In 2005 he was promoted to senior associate dean for professional affairs.

As an administrator in the College of Pharmacy he and the staff in the Office for Student Affairs along with other offices in the College implemented and refined programs and events that have enhanced the services to students and faculty in the College. These include the peer advisor program, faculty advisor program, early academic warning program, orientations, awards ceremonies, open houses, career days, white coating ceremony, commencement ceremonies, computer database for applications and admissions, and recruitment activities. He has chaired the admissions committee, academic and professional standards committee, and financial aid and awards committee during his tenure in the Office for Student Affairs.

He was instrumental in the creation of joint degree programs for pharmacy students to obtain the Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Physician Assistant degrees, Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Public Health degrees, Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degrees, and Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. He coordinated and advised foreign pharmacists for many years in a special program to allow them to obtain the PharmD degree. He served on the task force to implement the Working Professional Pharm.D. Program for post-baccalaureate pharmacists.

He was one of the first pharmacists in the country to develop a pediatric clinical clerkship site, a pediatric pharmacy course, publish data about the incidence and severity of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized pediatric patients, the prevalence of child abuse and neglect to draw pharmacists’ attention to this problem, and develop innovative, self-instructional, competency-based, multi-media modules on medication interviewing, patient counseling, and medication therapy monitoring. He was selected twice to be a co-recipient of the AACP Lyman Award for the best article in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. He has published over 80 articles and chapters in the professional literature and made numerous presentations at continuing education and professional meetings.

During his tenure in the College, he maintained membership in the American Pharmacists Association, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Florida Pharmaceutical Association, and the Florida Society of Health System Pharmacists. He is also a member of Rho Chi Honorary Pharmaceutical Society and Phi Lambda Sigma National Leadership Society. He served as national President of Phi Lambda Sigma from 1990-1991 and served as the faculty advisor for the Iota Chapter of Phi Lambda Sigma for 28 years. He was selected as the national faculty advisor of the year for Phi Lambda Sigma in 2012. He has served as a member of the Florida Pharmacy Association House of Delegates for many years. In AACP he has served as chairman of the Student Personnel Special Interest Group, chairman of the PCAT Advisory Group, and as a member of the Nominations Committee, Lyman Award Committee, PharmCAS Advisory Panel, and the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. He served on the APhA/ASP-AACP Council of Deans Task Force on Professionalism and the AACP Advisory Group on background checks for pharmacy students.

J. Daniel D Robinson

J. Daniel D Robinson

Professor Emeritus
Ronald B Stewart

Ronald B Stewart

Professor Emeritus