March 30, 2020 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
1100 North University
Room 2548
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Susannah Koontz, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA is the Principal at Koontz Oncology Consulting LLC, where she serves as a consultant for pharmacy practice, clinical research and medical education in the fields of pediatric hematology/oncology and stem cell transplantation/cellular therapy.  She works with healthcare professionals and members of the pharmaceutical industry to identify research priorities and to rationally apply cancer therapies in pediatric patients.  Additionally, she actively advocates on both the national and state levels for healthcare policy issues affecting oncology research, the care of patients with cancer and the profession of pharmacy. 

Dr. Koontz has been an invited speaker at numerous international, national and local meetings for a variety of healthcare professionals.  Her research has been presented at several healthcare organizational conferences as well as published in peer-reviewed journals.  She has held adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy and The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, and has trained over two-dozen PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy residents. 

Dr. Koontz is a recognized leader within the field of hematology/oncology and among professional healthcare associations.  She was the inaugural Chair of the Advocacy Committee within the Pharmacy Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT).  Dr. Koontz has been elected twice to the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Board of Directors.  As HOPA’s 2017-2018 President and Board Chair, she led the organization during a change of Executive Directors, introduction of innovative programming, implementation of non-profit best practices and organization of the most successful annual conference.

Prior to starting her firm in 2008, Dr. Koontz was the clinical pharmacy specialist for the Children's Cancer Hospital at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for over 10 years.  During her tenure, she was an active pharmacy member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and was appointed to the National Cancer Institute’s (NIH) Pediatric Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB) as a pharmacy representative from August 2007 to January 2012.  Dr. Koontz was the first pharmacist selected to join M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Clinical Ethics Committee, where she served on the Committee for eight years, including being elected as the 2006-2007 Committee Chair.

She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, George and currently serves on the Vestry of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church.  Dr. Koontz has previously served on Rice University’s Friends of Fondren Library Board of Directors and Owl Club Board of Directors and, along with George, is a founding Associate of Rice’s McMurtry College.