UMSOP Launches New Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Program with AstraZeneca

At the intersection of pharmacy and health economics, new fellowship program provides real-world experience for PhD students seeking to improve patient outcomes.

By Pam Carder
February 20, 2025

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s (UMSOP) Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR) Graduate Program has partnered with AstraZeneca (AZ) to create a new pre-doctoral fellowship for the program’s PhD students.

This new fellowship creates an additional career pipeline for UMSOP students to AstraZeneca, following UMSOP’s longstanding Early Clinical Development Fellowship for Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) graduates.

The new pre-doctoral fellowship resides within AZ’s global oncology market access and pricing function, working alongside team members and cross-functional colleagues across prioritized tumors on several of AstraZeneca’s Global Health Economics and Payer Evidence (HEPE) projects from early development through planning, choice of vendor, analyses, data interpretation, and dissemination.

“The fellowship was established for several key reasons,” said Julia Slejko, PhD, associate professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research (P-SHOR) and director of the PHSR Graduate Program at the School of Pharmacy. “Through discussions with our alumni and their input in shaping our programs and identifying new training opportunities, we recognized the need for more training in payer evidence—specifically supporting global price and reimbursement submissions and negotiations for AZ products. This includes hands-on experience in evidence-generation activities and effectively communicating value propositions to both internal and external stakeholders. Our partners at AZ have an excellent ‘learning lab’ tailored for this type of training, making it a natural fit.”

“Fellowships such as this are a great way to enhance our recruitment efforts for the best and brightest PhD applicants,” said C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, professor of P-SHOR, executive director of The PATIENTS Program, and co-director of the new fellowship.

The project was initiated through a collaboration with Juan-David Rueda, PhD ‘19, MD, MS, a UMSOP alumnus who works at AstraZeneca’s Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) group.

“The fellowship program between AstraZeneca and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is an exceptional opportunity for PhD students aspiring to enter the pharmaceutical industry,” says Rueda. “This program emphasizes the cultivation of both technical and soft skills in a professional setting.”

Fellows gain experience by leading cross-functional projects used to support reimbursement submissions together with internal stakeholders in key countries.

Salome Ricci, a PhD in PHSR candidate (pictured), is the inaugural AstraZeneca fellow. Her professional interests focus on health economics and outcomes in cancer research.

“I applied for this opportunity to further develop my research and technical skills,” Ricci explains. “It is an ideal opportunity for me, as the objectives closely align with my professional goals, enabling me to apply the knowledge I have gained in an industry context.”

Ricci works at AstraZeneca approximately 20 hours per week while simultaneously focusing on her PhD dissertation at UMSOP. “This experience has taught me the importance of time management, a skill I am confident will benefit me as I progress in my research career,” she says. “The fellowship team is incredibly collaborative, with a strong culture of support. Colleagues are always eager to answer questions and engage in discussions.”

The fellowship provides industry exposure to the challenges of incorporating payer requirements into study design in parallel with clinical, medical, and regulatory needs. It is renewable for two years.

“We are working together at the intersection of pharmacy and health economics, and we are helping to ensure that patients get access to treatments, for all those who need it,” Ricci explains. “Learning about the relationship between patient care and regulatory responsibility in this setting is providing me with invaluable firsthand experience even at this early stage of my career.”

UMSOP’s AstraZeneca fellows are chosen based on demonstrated analytical skills in economic and survival modeling and teamwork abilities, as well as showing a passion for health care innovation and driving positive change.

“Thanks to the strong partnership between AstraZeneca and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and the successful experiences with previous alumni, we are committed to facilitating a seamless transition for School of Pharmacy students into pharmaceutical careers after graduation,” says Rueda.

Slejko continues, “This opportunity truly sets us apart from other PhD programs. It offers a unique training experience, with the added benefit of our fellows working directly with the AstraZeneca team onsite, given our proximity to their offices. This collaboration provides them with invaluable insights into the day-to-day activities of health economics and outcomes research. It is an essential complement to the theoretical knowledge we teach in the classroom, enhancing their overall learning experience.”

By gaining a comprehensive understanding of health technology assessment methods and processes, fellows are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate this evolving field of research.

“This fellowship has completely confirmed my interest in this field,” Ricci reflects. “I plan to continue along the health economics and cancer research path for the foreseeable future.”

---

AstraZeneca is also actively recruiting candidates for a 12-week PharmD internship, open to students who have completed two years of coursework, with a focus on early clinical development in oncology therapeutics. For more information, contact Gray Kirby, PharmD at gray.kirby@astrazeneca.com.

---

Related News Stories

More Stories About: AstraZeneca PhD PHSR