Student Researchers Showcase their Projects

Pharmacy Showcase, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s annual student research day, provides an opportunity for students and residents to highlight their work

By Becky Ceraul
April 23, 2010

More than 65 student pharmacists, pharmacy residents, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows participated in the School of Pharmacy’s annual student research day on April 13, which highlighted the depth of research prowess within the School’s students and trainees.

“Research day gives students, postdocs, residents, and faculty a chance to share their research studies and learn about research going on in other departments,” says Paul Shapiro, PhD, associate dean for research and graduate studies. “It is hoped that this venue will stimulate new collaborations across the school.”

Confidence Gbarayor, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, presented her work on childhood hypertension. “The primary focus of my research is on racial and ethnic disparities in the community-based treatment of hypertension in Medicaid-insured youth,” she says. “Presenting at student research day provided an opportunity to receive feedback on my work. I received input from faculty and students alike on variables I had not previously considered.”

Ashley Ringer, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, participated in research day for the first time. She joined the School in August 2009. “This event is the first chance I’ve had to interact with the School as whole and to see how what I do in the Computer-Aided Drug Design Center fits in with others’ work,” she says. Ringer presented her research on using computational methods to calculate how the vibration of molecules changes in different environments. “From these calculations, we can make sure our computer programs are properly describing the electric environment in the body’s chemical systems.”

School of Pharmacy faculty were eager to interact with the presenters. “It is really interesting to see the various types of research our students are doing,” says Wendy Klein-Schwartz, an associate professor of pharmacy practice and science and coordinator of research and education at the Maryland Poison Center. “There is good quality work here with some promising preliminary data.”

The School’s Student Research Day was graciously sponsored by Whiting-Turner.