October 11, 2019

Improving human health through scientific discovery is a core value of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. Notably this year, our faculty published an impressive 239 independent publications, with graduate students and post doctorial fellows often taking the first author role. While the number of publications on its own is remarkable, it is important to note that 30 of these publications were in journals with high impact factors – such as Nature, Science, JAMA Internal Medicine, and Neuro-Oncology.

“While the output of our faculty is tremendous, the fact that so many research publications are being featured in high impact journals demonstrates that the larger scientific community views the College’s outputs as impactful and important to share with their readership,” explains Vicki Ellingrod, PharmD, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education.

Dr. Ellingrod also notes that these high impact publications came from faculty in each of our three departments, saying, “this demonstrates that our faculty truly are the leaders and best by working to disseminate ground-breaking  research with a larger slice of the public and scientific community.”

The research produced by the College’s faculty covered a broad range of critically important areas, including diabetes and pediatric cancer. Within the three departments in the College of Pharmacy, the scientific investigations being done by our faculty range from basic bench top research, to best practices related to medication use and the care of patients. “We truly encompass research being done across the entire translational spectrum related to Pharmacy,” continues Dr. Ellingrod.  

Additionally, many of our faculty participate in research as part of a broader interdisciplinary team, which highlights the role Pharmacy plays within a team science approach.

The publications authored by our faculty not only benefit the larger scientific community, but also work to addresses several critical health needs. Furthermore, these publications showcase the outstanding work being done by the graduate students and post doctorial fellows from our three graduate programs in clinical pharmacy translational science, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutical sciences.

“Part of our mission as faculty is to train the next generation of researchers; our trainees are working alongside top clinicians and researchers on meaningful projects, which are in turn published in top journals,” notes Dr. Ellingrod. “Publishing within the scientific literature is an important step in their training and is key to furthering their scientific careers.” 

Below are some specific examples of the impactful work being done by Michigan Pharmacy faculty, graduate students, and post doctorial fellows.