Industry visit to Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Ind. OSU AAPS Student Chapter members, faculty, and participating students along with Eli Lilly staff scientists.
Students prepare for the future through volunteering, industry site visits, and fellowships.
By Muhammad Erfan Uddin (chair), Eric Eisenmann (vice chair), Kevin M. Huang (treasurer), Avin Persaud (chair-elect), and Shan Tang (secretary)
The Ohio State University (OSU) student chapter of AAPS seeks to advance AAPS’s mission to “advance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and therapies that improve global health” primarily through service activities and connecting graduate students, faculty, and industry professionals. Most of our chapter members are graduate students in the OSU College of Pharmacy’s (COP) Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology. We hope to extend our student chapter by including other interested students from our Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy programs. In addition to advancing AAPS’s vision, we strive to create awareness among students and foster the development of successful future pharmaceutical scientists in government, industry, and academia. Consistent with this vision, our members have been active in the OSU AAPS student chapter and successful in their graduate studies.
OSU AAPS student chapter members volunteering at Edheads Super STEM Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
In line with our commitment to service, our chapter volunteered at Edheads Super STEM Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. This community outreach activity promotes science education to students ages 6 to 14 years old. Additionally, we participated in the OSU COP’s 21st Annual Chili Cook-Off. This fundraising event benefits the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio, Inc. (CPCO). CPCO seeks to increase access to prescription medications for low-income and uninsured individuals who cannot afford their medication. Together, these events demonstrate our chapter’s commitment to AAPS’ core values, especially service, inclusiveness, and integrity.
OSU AAPS student chapter members participating in College of Pharmacy’s 21st Annual Chili Cook-Off in Columbus, Ohio. From left: Muhammad Erfan Uddin, Mingqing Chen, Dominique Garrison, Sophia Liva, Jae Yoon Jeon, and Donald Irby.
To connect graduate students with industry professionals, our chapter invites speakers from industry, government, and academia to speak at OSU. Last year, we hosted a roundtable discussion with Valerie Kramlinger, Ph.D., a scientist in the department of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, at Amgen, Inc., to share her experience including professional development and career advice.
To create awareness among students, the OSU AAPS student chapter additionally organizes visits to pharmaceutical companies. These visits allow students to obtain real-world experiences, learn about current innovations in the pharmaceutical field, and network with potential employers. Our most recent visit was to Eli Lilly and Company located in Indianapolis, Ind. The visit comprised a presentation by Eli Lilly staff scientists and tour of their manufacturing site and Department of Drug Disposition (ADME/DMPK) site. During this visit, Sophia Liva and Jae Yoon Jeon, recipients of the OSU Eli Lilly fellowship and active members of AAPS’ student chapter, presented their research to industry scientists.
Industry visit to Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Ind. OSU AAPS Student Chapter members, faculty, and participating students along with Eli Lilly staff scientists.
To create future pharmaceutical scientists, our student chapter encourages the success of its members. Notably, several members of our chapter received fellowships in 2019 to support their graduate studies, including the Pelotonia fellowship (Avinash Persaud, Eric Eisenmann, and Kevin M. Huang), Eli Lilly fellowship (Donald Irby), and the American Heart Association predoctoral fellowship (Muhammad Erfan Uddin). Student chapter member Donald Irby has also been selected as a recipient of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2020 Presidential Trainee Award.
The OSU AAPS student chapter plans to continue these similar activities in the future and continue promoting AAPS’ core values.