Published on July 10, 2012 by Mary Wimberley  

Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy continues to enhance its presence in Asia, thanks to some faculty members who are spending part of July engaged in professional programs and dialogues there.

Led by pharmacy dean Dr. Charles Sands, the nine-member group attended and made presentations at the Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) in Hong Kong July 6-9. They joined a roster of distinguished presenters from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and 10 Asian nations.

While in Hong Kong, Samford professor Gregory S. Gorman also presented at Hong Kong Baptist University School of Chinese Medicine. He later made the talk at Beijing University School of Chinese Medicine.

According to Dr. Gorman, his presentation focused on the mission, scope and vision of McWhorter's Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Institute, which he serves as director.

The talk also addressed specific research projects such as the preclinical evaluation of a new series of Alzheimer's drug analogs, biodistribution of studies of ocular drug using a novel delivery drug paradigm, complementary and alternative drug interactions with oral dosed chemotherapeutic prodrugs, and intracrine metabolism of selective estrogen receptor modulators.

While visiting with officials at the Beijing school, Gorman and Sands planned to discuss possible collaborative research undertakings.

Some Samford team members traveled from Hong Kong to Macau, site of Hope Medical Clinic, where 4th-year Samford pharmacy students can participate in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE). Samford also has long-standing APPE relationships at Asian practice sites in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Singapore.

By attending the ACCP meeting and visiting the other academic and medical sites, said Sands, the group hopes to promote McWhorter School of Pharmacy and Samford in Asia, and create more opportunities for APPE sites, collaborative research, and a proposed online course in clinical pharmacy.

In addition to Sands and Gorman, pharmacy professors on the trip include Kimberly Benner, Bob Henderson, P.J. Hughes, Michael Hogue, Roger Lander, Bob Schrimsher and Steve Stricker. Most will return home by July 13.

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.