Page 1 - Pharmacology Newsletter 2022

Pharmacology
MATTERS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Graduate Program 2 Postdoctoral Scholars 4 Pharmacology Minor 5 Faculty 6
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To teach fundamental principles of pharmacology and drug-based ther- apies for human medical afflictions to students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional school programs, and to provide impactful and indi- vidualized training opportunities for students and postdoctoral scholars in the research lab.
Research
To conduct innovative research that advances our understanding of drug action – from the structural basis of drug-receptor interactions and bio- logical signaling mechanisms to clin- ical translation – while engaging the next generation of scientists in our discovery efforts.
Service
To make meaningful service contri- butions to the department, medical school, university, and people of Min- nesota, while also serving as critical resources of scientific expertise at the national and international levels.
DECEMBER 2022 GREETINGS from the Head of Pharmacology
- Dr. Kevin Wickman
I always enjoy taking time in December to reflect on key events and accomplish- ments from the past year. While navigating the routines and challenges of daily life, it can be easy to lose sight of the collective progress and accomplishments of our community. It is clear that we have much to celebrate this year and much to look forward to in 2023.
We enjoyed another successful year on the faculty recruiting front in 2022. I am pleased this year to extend a warm welcome to Drs. Michael Lipscomb, Meghan Driscoll, Carly Baehr, and Fang Li. More than half of our faculty began their appointments in 2018 or later - a stunning statistic and departmental transformation. Our success at faculty recruitment over the past few years was made possible by team- work, beginning with strong support from Dean Jakub Tolar and his leadership team. I am grateful to the members of our search committees, our institutional recruiting partners, exceptional administrative and logistical support from Holly Streekstra and Jim Shoemaker, and all who helped us put our best foot forward during the all-important recruiting visits.
This September, the Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (MPaT) - led by Dr. Scott Dehm with administrative support from Marie Lindloff - welcomed its largest cohort of incoming PhD candidates in recent memory, if not ever. MPaT now has more than 70 students in the PhD and MS tracks! MPaT con- tinues to benefit from student leadership provided by the Pharmacology Graduate Student Organization (PGSO), led this year by Anna Carey (President), Apoorva Limaye (Vice President), Jennifer Tuokkala (Director of Finance), Aji Okapunle (Director of Logistics), and Aishwarya Bhowmik (Director of Commu- nications). I am also grateful to Apoorva Limaye and Sai Harshita Posani for serving on the MPaT Steer- ing Committee, and to Victor Corral for serving on our MPaT Admissions Committee. Thank you all for ensuring that student perspectives are front-and-center in programmatic activities and decision-making.
As we move forward, I would ask that we channel our efforts to “consolidate our gains,” with the goal of helping our new community members integrate into our mission. Expansion of the faculty and stu- dent ranks has been mirrored by increased numbers of postdoctoral scholars and research staff. Rapid growth presents challenges and opportunities. Related to the former, I appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work on efficient lab space usage. Related to the latter, opportunities for new trans- disciplinary collaborations among our primary faculty, and with partners throughout the University of Minnesota, are truly exciting. I encourage you all to look for and take advantage of these opportunities, as research teams that marshal complementary expertise and experiences are best positioned to make inroads into the most pressing challenges in science and medicine today.
Pharmacology Awards
Alumni Profiles 10 Give to Pharmacology 13
OUR MISSION
Education & Training
One of my favorite events of 2022 was the Pharmacology Retreat in October. This annual gathering of our depart- ment and graduate program affiliates did not happen in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic. Restarting this tradition is critical to rebuilding cohesion in the Pharma- cology community. Thank you to the retreat planning committee (Tanya Freedman, Justin Drake, Michael Lipscomb, Michael Sheedlo) and exceptional adminis- trative support team (Holly Streekstra, Marie Lindloff, Jim Shoemaker), as well as all participants and guests, for making this such an enjoyable and well-attended event!
Pharmacology Retreat - October 2022
A key lesson that I took away from the past few years is that we can pull together to preserve core missions in the face of substantial adversity. But this past year provided important reminders that surviving isn’t thriving. There is great value in simply being together and great fulfillment in working together toward a shared purpose. I hope you believe this as well, and that you are committed to bringing this outlook and positive energy into the new year. As always, I appreciate your feedback and counsel as we work to make our community better for everyone in our community.
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