School of Pharmacy Research Day Returns — Showcasing Innovation, Collaboration, and Impact

Exciting exhibition reaffirms the School’s commitment to scholarly inquiry across disciplines.

By Pam Carder
May 21, 2025

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) welcomed the return of Research Day on April 30 – a celebration of scientific discovery, collaboration, and commitment to public health innovation. The event gathered faculty, staff, students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows for a full day of poster sessions, oral presentations, and networking—marking the School’s first Research Day since 2017.

“This is more than a showcase. It is a celebration,” said Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, dean of UMSOP and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, in opening remarks. “Research Day reflects the creativity, commitment, and communication skills of our researchers.”

In her welcome address, Michel emphasized that while creating new knowledge is fundamental, communicating that knowledge effectively is just as essential. She highlighted the School’s wide-ranging research enterprise—from fundamental chemistry and biology to artificial intelligence, health economics, and real-world health policy—and reaffirmed the School’s mission to improve the human condition.

Amid celebration, Michel urged attendees to remain vigilant in their advocacy. “Investments in funding and innovation are not luxuries. They are lifelines,” she stated.

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See the full photo album on Flickr.

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Throughout the day, more than 60 posters were presented by students from many of the School’s 11 academic programs and by pharmacy residents and postdoctoral fellows. They covered a wide spectrum of innovative topics—from hepatotoxicity modeling and pharmacist-led postpartum care, to the mental health effects of employment status, nanoparticle treatments for obesity and asthma, and even consumer understanding of adult-use cannabis. The breadth of inquiry demonstrated the strength of the School’s Pharmapreneurship® initiative at work—translating science into solutions.

Rutu Valapil, MS, a third-year PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences student, is studying how incorporating antioxidants into drug formulations can mitigate nitrosamine impurities—known contaminants in many pharmaceuticals—without affecting drug performance.

“This approach could offer a faster, cost-effective strategy to meet evolving FDA regulations and help bring impacted drugs back to market without extensive reformulation studies,” she said. “It’s also exciting to be part of an event like Research Day—it’s a great opportunity to see the breadth of work happening across the School and learn from so many different areas of research.”

“This event is a great way to see the full range of research happening across the School,” said Dominique Seo, MPH, a fourth-year PhD student in the Pharmaceutical Health Services Research Graduate Program. “We’re all part of the School of Pharmacy, but our work is so diverse—it’s fascinating to learn what other students are doing and how it all connects.” Seo presented research on the health care costs associated with delayed treatment for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with colon cancer.

In addition to posters, eight student researchers were selected to deliver oral presentations in two featured sessions:

• Morning Session:
  • Andrea Cottingham explored mechanisms of drug resistance and implications for novel therapeutic targets.
  • Yu-Hua Fu presented the impact of employment status on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Erik Nordquist discussed computational modeling in PROTAC development.
  • Anastasia Kurdziel highlighted translational research bridging chemistry and clinical outcomes.

“It’s incredible to see how our trainees are pushing boundaries across so many therapeutic and policy areas,” said Ryan Pearson, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences and director of UMSOP’s Bio- and Nano-Technology Center. “Their passion and precision are exactly what this field needs.”

• Afternoon Session:
  • Md Fitrat Hossain explored how social determinants of health influence diabetes and obesity prevalence using machine learning and regression analysis.
  • Michael Bekele delved into predictive modeling for health disparities.
  • Yesenia L. Rodriguez examined socioeconomic determinants in pharmacy access.
  • Brandon Lowe focused on neural receptor targets for pain management.

“The wide spectrum of research we saw today—from AI in clinical care to targeted drug delivery—shows the strength of our School’s scientific mission,” said Fengtian Xue, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences and associate dean for research.

As the event concluded with a reception and continued poster viewing, attendees and organizers reflected on the importance of visibility, communication, and interdisciplinary connection in research.

“Research Day really highlights the importance of making science visible—not just within our own labs or programs, but across disciplines,” said Xue. “When students and faculty share their work in this kind of setting, it sparks new ideas, fosters collaboration, and strengthens our collective impact.”

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