In the Spotlight: Oct. 22, 2009

Staff
Tracy Brooks, assistant research scientist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was selected as one of the top “40 Under 40” professionals in Tucson. Brooks was honored at the award recognition breakfast Oct. 14 and was featured in a special pullout issue of the Arizona Daily Star Oct. 18. BIO5 Institute nominated Brooks and praised “the energy and fervor (she) brings to her work.” Bulletin apologizes for not spotting Brooks among the nominees for 40 Under 40 honors earlier this fall.

“It was great to have two young leaders from the College of Pharmacy, Kevin Boesen and Tracy Brooks, receive honors this year,” Dean J. Lyle Bootman says.

Students
Alexandria Lau, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, received a rating of “outstanding” for the poster she presented at the Research Frontiers in Nutritional Sciences conference at the UA in early October. Lau won $250 for the poster titled “P62 Sequesters Keap1 into Autophagosomes, Preventing the Keap1-dependent Ubiquitination and Degradation of Nrf2.” Lau also gave an oral presentation at the Mountain West Society of Toxicology annual meeting in Albuquerque, where she won second place.

Faculty
Jeannie Lee, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, was selected as a member of the National Institute on Aging’s Health Disparities Resource Persons Network. The network is a group of professionals who help community organizations, early career scientists and institutions with research on aging. As a member, Lee will speak at conferences and to the media.

Hanna Phan, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, will be recognized at the American Society of Health System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting in early December. She, along with the authors of her group study, will accept the Pharmacy Practice Research Award. Phan is the second author listed on the study, which she worked on during her time at the University of Michigan. The name of her study is “Enhanced photoemission spectroscopy for verification of high-risk I.V. medications.”

Alumni
Alumni Jim Martin, John Pilgrim, Morgane Fisher, Jessica Patterson, Claire Strickland and Bill Jones hosted a Cat Café dinner for pharmacy and prepharmacy students Oct. 9. At the dinner, the students were able to ask questions about applying to pharmacy school and the practice of pharmacy in general. For more information about upcoming Cat Cafés, contact Jones at wnjones49@cox.net.

Posted Oct. 22, 2009