It seems really hard to come to terms with the fact that we are almost at the end of another year! The School's imminent move to PACE, starting in December and being completed in early 2010 is the hot topic of discussion; everyone I meet, both inside and outside the School, shows a keen and committed interested in our exciting adventure and they are keen to be a part of it.

We are all enthusiastic to be part of the new facilities and environment at PACE but some of us will be sad to leave the Steele Building, our home for more than the last 35 years and to move away from the St Lucia campus.

To date, 2009 has been a year full of achievements, new and continued collaborations, and the beginning of new ventures such as the announcement, by the Prime Minister and Health Minister of the Southside GP Super Clinic with the Annerley hub to be constructed within the PACE hub.

I am always keen to recognize the distinguished achievements of our staff, students and alumni and we, as a School, celebrate their awards.

We would like to congratulate Associate Professor Bruce Charles on being awarded a Doctor of Science degree (DSc) from the University of Queensland, School of Pharmacy alumnus Mr Bruce Elliot on being named the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Young Pharmacist of the Year, and one of the School's youngest students, Mr Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden, for being named as Young Volunteer of the Year for 2009.

We should also note Mr Peter Brand, a School of Pharmacy alumnus and valued member of the pharmacy community, who was also recognised this year in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

I hope that you will agree that we as a School have a great deal to celebrate and if you read the following stories I feel confident that you will see why. It is particularly appropriate, at the time of writing, to note with pride the achievements of our fourth students who, on graduation on the 11th December, will form the Class of 2009

The School has a few exciting (please note the dates!) events coming up in 2010 that should not be missed. The first one is the official School of Pharmacy PACE opening on 16th April, then it's our Golden Jubilee Gala on the 17th April. On the first weekend in July we are holding the 50 Years of Pharmacy Alumni Reunion. Before I leave you once again, please take the time to read through our newsletter - it is the best source of information to keep you in the loop of what is happening with Pharmacy.

Professor Nick Shaw
Head of School

New GP Super Clinic for PACE Precinct

The PACE precinct will be home to a new $7.5million GP Super Clinic, which will service Brisbane's south side, and help fill health service gaps, particularly for high-need groups.

The facility will be operated by UQ, in collaboration with Mater Health Services, Medihealth Meadowbrook and APHS Pharmacy.

Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd and Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon announced the funding on 5 November at the Mater Hospital, as part of the Federal Government's GP Super Clinic Funding Program. It is the largest grant awarded to date for a super clinic in southeast Queensland.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield said the government's investment would ensure a more sustainable health workforce for these areas, as well as vital patient care.

"UQ and Mater Health Services have been partners for more than 60 years, and have shown that we deliver high-quality health care and excellent education, training and research," Professor Greenfield said

The super clinic will operate from two facilities - the PACE precinct in Woolloongabba, expected to open in 2010, and Logan, in the suburb of Meadowbrook, to begin operation in late 2011. It is intended that the majority of services will be bulk-billed.

UQ's GP Super Clinics Director, Associate Professor Jared Dart said both sites were planned with local health needs in mind and collaboration with the existing health care community would be important.

"These regions have areas that need more health services. They also have a high number of patients with complex or chronic health issues. These are the most frequent users of health services and the most in need of integrated care, he said.

Both hubs will provide chronic disease and pain management, mental health, musculoskeletal, palliative care and pharmacy services. Annerley will also offer aged, residential and domiciliary nursing support. Logan will provide:

• a refugee and disadvantaged person's service
• a maternal and women's health service
• a paediatric and early intervention clinic, and
• dental services.

A/Prof. Dart said patients of the new super clinic can expect an innovative team approach to their care.

"People with a chronic disease often need to see several different health professionals. This facility will offer a co-ordinated approach, with health professionals working closely together to provide the best patient care, and involving patients in self-management of their condition.

"This type of integrated health care model has been used successfully at Inala Primary Care, which is operated by UQ and Queensland Health. Importantly, this model works with local GPs, specialists, pharmacists and allied health professionals to care for their patients. The practice was recently recognised with the 2009 Queensland GP Practice of the Year award by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners," he said.

The University is also involved in super clinics, at Ipswich and at Redcliffe, in partnership with the Redcliffe Hospital Foundation.

Click here for more information on GP Super Clinics. To read about PACE, visit the School of Pharmacy website.

Pictured: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd & UQ Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Greenfield
Photo courtesy of Stewart Gould

Doctor of Science for Associate Professor Bruce Charles

Congratulations to Associate Professor Bruce Charles, who has been awarded a Doctor of Science (DSc) from UQ.

The DSc is a higher doctorate, awarded to only a select few, designed to give formal public recognition to eminent scholars who have made substantial, original and distinguished contributions to science knowledge

Candidates are required to demonstrate a sustained career devoted to a significant body of research over a substantial period of time – more than 25 years in Associate Professor Charles’ case.

His thesis of 840 pages (6 chapters plus appendices) is entitled, “Clinical Drug Assay development and Pharmacokinetic Studies in Humans and Animals”, and comprises a collection of 119 research and review papers.

The thesis was examined by a panel of 3 eminent international researchers who were unanimous in their recommendation that the degree be awarded, and were highly complimentary of the very high standard of the work.

The DSc Committee Chair (Professor John Drennan) in his official citation noted in particular the very significant impact this work has made in a number of areas of drug treatment of disease, especially in children and premature babies.

Professor Drennan said “Associate Professor Bruce Charles has made a significant contribution to the research field that encompasses how biological organisms cope with the administration of drugs – the field of pharmacokinetics

“Over a distinguished career that spans more than 25 years, Associate Professor Charles has published more than 130 papers in distinguished journals. He established The Australian Centre for Paediatric Pharmacokinetics at the Mater Children’s Hospital and is a regular invitee to speak at international meetings.

“Obtaining his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree with 1st class honours and PhD from UQ in 1971 and 1976, respectively, he went on to hold positions as a Senior Scientist in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, following 2 years as a Harkness Fellow at the University of Iowa in the USA, and currently is Reader in the School of Pharmacy at UQ.

“He has supervised more than 40 PhD, Masters and Honours students.

“The breadth of research that Associate Professor Charles has undertaken in his chosen field is remarkable, and this also marks the strength of his contribution. From studies in animal models, adults and children, Associate Professor Charles has developed techniques and protocols that have been fundamentally important in designing and controlling drug administration in disease – the field we call pharmacotherapeutics.

“In particular, his contribution to the studies of drug disposition in young children, including very premature babies, is singled out as a major contribution by his peers. This difficult area of research has been significantly classified by Associate Professor Charles’ work and has lead to changes in dosage practices, so important in dealing with these patients.”

Associate Professor Charles is currently the Postgraduate coordinator within the School of Pharmacy. He will officially graduate with the DSc during the Faculty of Science graduation ceremony on 16 December, 2009.

Pictured: Professor Shaw peruses Associate Professor Charles' thesis

The Countdown Begins - PACE Move Imminent

As 2009 draws to a close, School of Pharmacy staff are excitedly packing their offices and preparing for the imminent move to the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE).

It is hard to believe that some 10 years after its inception, PACE is now in its final stages of fit-out, and that the School will start teaching in the facility in just a few short months.

Practical completion of the project is scheduled for 30 November, with official hand-over to the School to occur on 14 December. School staff will begin to relocate soon after, with all labs, offices and staff on-site by the end of January.

Research Higher Degree candidates and research staff will start work in the facility after January 18, while undergraduate students will commence as of Semester 1, 2010 (March).

The opening of the PACE branch of the UQ Library, located on Level 6, West wing, will coincide with the beginning of Semester 1, inviting students to step into a gleaming, state-of-the-art study environment designed to enhance group learning activities, as well as provide many private study areas.

During recent tours of the precinct, staff and guests have been wowed by the sleek design and modern styling that is evident throughout the building. From brightly coloured carpets, sharp architectural lines and wall to floor glass, PACE is certainly a sight to behold, inside and out.

The cutting edge audio visual equipment that is installed in all teaching and learning spaces, along with Wi-Fi, ergonomically designed student zones, outdoor interaction spaces and on-site al fresco café facilities will make PACE a pleasure for students as they go about their day.

Joining the School at PACE will be the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Queensland Branch), who will re-locate from their current offices in Woolloongabba in late January, to inhabit the 3rd Floor of the West wing. The newly announced GP Super Clinic will open on the 4th floor in August 2010.

The East wing of the precinct will house the bulk of the School of Pharmacy, spread over 5 levels including student and general administration, academic and scientific staff, teaching laboratories, research laboratories and lecture theatre.

The School will have telephone lines connected in the building as of Monday 18 January, but all current phone numbers will be diverted for 12 months.

The School of Pharmacy Reception is situated on Level 4, inside the main entrance from Cornwall Street. Address and contact details as of 18 January are:

• The School of Pharmacy
  The University of Queensland
  PACE Precinct
  20 Cornwall Street
  Woolloongabba QLD 4103

  Phone | 07 3346 1900
  Fax | 07 3346 1999
  

For more information regarding PACE and the School of Pharmacy please contact:
Felicity Lindberg 07 3365 2344 | f.lindberg@uq.edu.au

For media enquiries, please contact:
Stephanie Dunn 07 3365 2034 | s.dunn@uq.edu.au

Guild Offers Scholarships to Rural & Remote Students

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is inviting applications for the 2010 round of Rural and Remote Pharmacy scholarships.

Application is open to rural and remote students in any year of their undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

30 fulltime scholarships are available, with recipients being eligible for $10,000 per year for up to 4 years, to help cover the costs associated with studying away from home. They also participate in a mentor program aimed at reinforcing the students’ ties to rural and regional Australia.

“The Rural Pharmacy Scholarships provide financial support to students from rural and remote communities, to encourage and enable them to undertake undergraduate or graduate studies in pharmacy at university,” Kos Sclavos, National President of the Pharmacy Guild said.

“Scholarship holders receive financial and mentoring support to ensure they get the most out of their university studies,” Mr Sclavos said.

“The mentoring program not only helps the students develop a learning plan, but it provides support to students outside of the university environment. It’s an important tool for supporting students who have come from rural and remote areas and are studying away from their family support base.”

Scholarship holders are encouraged to pursue a career in pharmacy in rural or remote Australia after graduation. During their studies they have a responsibility to promote rural pharmacy as a career choice to rural secondary school students and to actively participate in rural health club activities.

The Rural and Remote Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme is an initiative of the Rural Pharmacy Workforce Program, established in recognition of the key role pharmacists play in maintaining the health of all Australians. The Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Applications close Monday 14 December

For more information on the scheme, please visit the Guild's website.

Click here to download the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's media release.

School Offers Pharmacy Re-entry Program

The School of Pharmacy will once again be running its popular “Pharmacy Re-entry Program” in March 2010.

The program is aimed at those pharmacists who wish to re-enter the workforce, or simply want to refresh their current skills and revitalize their drug and therapy knowledge.

Being a flexible program, participants can choose to partake in either the full 5 day course, or attend specific days, based on the subjects covered each day.

This practical program will provide knowledge and update your skills in the following key areas:

• Professional Practice Update
• Therapeutic Updates – Prescription and Non - prescription medicines (including complementary medicines)

Pharmacy Student Named Top Volunteer

First year Pharmacy student Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden has been awarded a Queensland Young Volunteer Award for 2009, in the Community Volunteers, 12-17 years division.

The awards recognise outstanding contributions made by young people aged 12 to 25, who have been nominated by community leaders and organisations.

The awards were announced on 27 August, 2009, by the Minister for Community Services and Housing, the Honourable Karen Struthers, after a panel of judges selected the winners based on their achievements and the benefits their communities received as a result of their volunteering activities.

Ryan supports young people with a disability aged 7 to 18 years in an integrated community access program run through Family Support Group Australia (FSG), who nominated him for this year’s awards.

Through the ‘Just for Kids’ program, Ryan mentors young people as they take part in activities to assist their social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.

Every Saturday, Ryan takes his ‘buddies’ to have fun with swimming or hydrotherapy, bowling or movies, workshops, events and a range of other activities.

The FSG have said that Ryan has inspired the extension of their Volunteer Program into local schools, TAFEs and Universities, looking for other young adults who can make a difference in their community.

Since being awarded, Ryan has had the honour of being invited on a Young Volunteers Speaking Tour with Hon. Karen Struthers MP. The tour will travel Queensland and speak to school age children about volunteering. Ms Struthers said:

"Young award winners like Ryan are an inspiration. They strengthen our communities by supporting local organisations and initiating innovative projects that are improving the lives of vulnerable Queenslanders. These young people are held in high esteem and were nominated by community leaders, organisations and teachers. I commend them for their energy, their commitment and their willingness to get involved.”

Ryan’s family are all active members of the UQ community, with both his parents also currently undertaking studies within the University.

The School of Pharmacy congratulates Ryan on his fantastic achievement.

Pictured: Ryan receives a certificate of achievement from Professor Nick Shaw, Head of School.

Pharmacy Alumnus Honoured in Queen's Birthday Awards

School of Pharmacy Alumnus, Mr Peter Brand, was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday awards when he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for service to the pharmacy profession as a practitioner and through representative and educational roles.

This prestigious honour comes just months after he received the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Peter graduated from the UQ School of Pharmacy in 1967, after which he undertook postgraduate honours, completing in 1969.

Currently Peter is Director of Pharmacy Services for The Wesley Pharmacy and Associated Pharmacies.

He has also been a Director of The Wesley Research Institute since its establishment in 1994 and served as Chairman on the Institute's Board from 2001 to 2002.

Peter is currently Chair of the Pharmacists’ Board of Queensland, Vice President of the Australian Pharmacy Council and Immediate Past President of FAPA (the Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations).

He has served as President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Queensland Branch), Chairman of the Australian Council of Professions (Queensland Branch), Director and Deputy Chairman of QDL Ltd, Director of the Sigma Company Ltd, and National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

Mr Warwick Plunkett, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, says Peter “has made an enormous contribution to the development of the practice of pharmacy over many years, not just in his home state of Queensland, but also to Australia and the region.”

The UQ School of Pharmacy enjoys Peter’s company on various committees within the School, where he has been a vital contributor to the inception of the School’s flourishing Alumni Network.

We at the School of Pharmacy would like to sincerely congratulate Peter on his fantastic achievements.

PSA Names UQ Alumnus Young Pharmacist of the Year

The School of Pharmacy congratulates alumnus Bruce Elliot, who has been named the Young Pharmacist of the Year for 2009.

This prestigious title, awarded by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), was announced on 16 October at the Pharmacy Australia Congress in Sydney.

The award has been specifically designed for those under 35 years of age and with less than 10 years’ experience as a practicing pharmacist. The award of Young Pharmacist is based on a significant achievement in an area of excellence within the year or a recent period.

Bruce is currently Vice President of the PSA (Queensland Branch), as well as recently being elected to the PSA National Board. He lives and works in North Queensland, where he owns and runs two community pharmacies.

"Bruce is a rising star of Pharmacy and encapsulated the enthusiasm, innovation and commitment the pharmacy profession needs today and in the future" said Dr Lisa Nissen, President of the PSA (Queensland Branch) and Vice President of the PSA (National Branch).

The PSA says that “the winner of this award is a model of best practice, striving to advance the pharmacy profession. They are selected by the leaders of the profession as epitomising the highest standard of innovative practice.”

Bruce said he was very humbled to be the recipient of the award “particularly as I look back at previous winners who have been a personal inspiration to me and no doubt to many others in the profession. I can only hope that I will contribute as much to the profession as they have.”

“I have been blessed over my career to work alongside many talented pharmacists who have inspired me to continually seek practice improvement. As I reflect on my career to date, I can now see what a tremendous influence their mentoring has provided and I am so grateful for this,” he said.

“Pharmacy is a great profession to be a part of because of its increasing diversity. The scope of practice is constantly being extended and there is no doubting the integral role pharmacists play in primary health care in Australia. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the profession and working with pharmacists from across Australia to help shape our future role.”

Bruce said opportunities from living and working in regional areas had helped in creating a rewarding career for him “I am proud that my work in delivering quality continuing professional education has benefited other regional pharmacists whose tireless efforts in their communities should not be overlooked,” He said.

As recipient of this years award, Bruce will receive the prestigious PSA Excellence Awards silver medal, along with a Symbion Pharmacy Services Education Grant, valued at $8,000.

The Young Pharmacist of the Year award has previously been won by Bruce’s fellow alumni, Mr Aaron D’Souza, Ms Debbie Rigby, Mr Kos Sklavos, Dr Geraldine Moses and Dr Lisa Nissen.

Click here to watch video of Bruce discussing his experience of studying pharmacy at UQ.

Medicinal Mushrooms take PhD Candidate to China

PhD candidate Neeraj Bala attended the 5th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference, held in China's Jhiangsu province, in the city of Nantong, from 4 - 8 September, 2009.

She reports:

"The surprising fact about this city was that Nantong is known as the Home of Longevity and is one of the three places where Chinese people enjoy the longest lifespan.

"The International Medicinal Mushroom Conference is held every two years, and provides a platform for both the students and the experts to share information regarding their current research findings and helps for future directions.

"Nearly 1000 delegates participated in 2009's conference. The conference program covered topics such as taxonomy, nutritional and medicinal attributes of mushrooms and their cultivation techniques in the plenary sessions and symposia.

"A poster session was also included, having presentations related to the different symposia and I was fortunate enough to have my paper accepted for poster presentation. These sessions proved highly informative, presenting current research perspectives in the field of nutritional and medicinal aspects of mushrooms.

"Apart from these poster and oral presentations, a scientific excursion was also a part of the conference program. We visited Ganoderma lucidum (a medicinal mushroom) Culture Museum. It was established in the Alphay international Bio-Tech garden in August 2004.

"In this museum, one can find some interesting tales about Ganoderma's importance in Chinese culture, information pertaining to its different species, some posters on its life cycle and more interestingly, some Ganoderma products as well such as soap, cream, talc etc. Apart from this we also visited a mushroom garden maintained by Alphay international Bio-Tech. in which they are cultivating different mushrooms.

"Overall it was a great experience for me to attend this conference that has helped me to have a deep insight into different aspects of mushroom research and will prove highly valuable to my future work.

"My sincere thanks to the School of Pharmacy for providing financial support that helped make it possible for me to attend this conference and thanks are due to my supervisors Dr. Kathryn Steadman and Dr. Elizabeth Aitken for their expert guidance."

From Shanghai to Coffs Harbour

Defang Ouyang, a PhD candidate with the School of Pharmacy, traveled to Shanghai, China for the BIT’s 7th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology, held from 22 to 25 October 2009.

Ouyang reported:

“IDDST is an international and multi disciplinary congress for drug discovery. It is comprised of plenary sessions, ten different topic sections, poster sessions, industry sections and exhibitions.

"With close to 800 participants from over 30 countries, it was a great opportunity to network with leading scientists from both academia and industry in drug discovery and delivery.

“Presenting a poster at this conference and attending the numerous lectures provided me with valuable experiences of knowledge exchange with the lead scientists in this area.

“I am very appreciative of the guidance and support from my supervisors Dr Harendra Parekh and Prof. Sean Smith and would also like to thank the School of Pharmacy for a travel grant.”

Defang Ouyang also gave an oral presentation at 6th Annual Conference of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials (ARCCFN), held at Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, from 9 to 11 November 2009, and reported:

“I received significant interest and discussion on my oral presentation, which was very encouraging and beneficial to the progress of my research. I also attended other useful lectures about nanomaterials. It was great to hear many different comments and views from key leaders in the nanoscience field during the numerous discussion times."

Europe Trip for Pharmacy Lecturer

Dr Greg Kyle, lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, recently traveled to Europe to present at the 12th European Congress of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) in Paris and also attend the 2009 Annual Conference for Non-Medical Prescribers in London.

"Both these conferences were fantastic," said Dr Kyle.

"The ISPOR conference further stimulated my interest in pharmacoepidemiology and I will be developing many projects based on the material covered in the research sessions, workshops and plenary sessions."

"The London conference was encouraging. It was interesting to see how prescribing is being used by non-medical health professionals in a variety of practice environments. Building on experience in the UK will be important for Australia since the two health systems have a degree of commonality."

"While in the UK, I also visited the University of Derby, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to discuss non-medical prescribing. I saw non-medical prescribing in practice in both the primary care and hospital environment."

TetraQ Expands into Japanese Market

TetraQ and Q-Pharm Pty Ltd are set to collaborate with Japanese clinical trial organisation, MORE Medical, in a step to promote Queensland's high quality drug development capabilities, particularly in preclinical drug development and early phase clinical trials.

TetraQ, the commercial arm of the Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development, believes establishing itself in Japan will help promote the benefits of outsourcing clinical and preclinical research and development to Queensland.

CEO Professor Maree Smith said the collaboration was years in the making and might not have been possible without the strong support of UQ spin-out partner Q-Pharm, the Queensland Clinical Trials Network (QCTN) and the Queensland State Government.

"Over the last three to four years we have been working together in promoting Queensland's high quality preclinical and clinical trial capabilities in Japan," she said.

"It is a great opportunity for TetraQ and Q-Pharm to establish a significant presence within Japan, which is encouraging the 'outsourcing model'. This model is used very effectively by both U.S. pharmaceutical companies as well as biotechnology companies in Australia, the U.S. and elsewhere to control costs of new drug development.

Pictured: Signing ceremony with MORE Medical in Tokyo.
Front row(L-R): Mr Takemoto (Managing Director, MORE Medical), Mr Takahashi (CEO, MORE Medical), Professor Maree Smith (Executive Director, TetraQ), Mr Terry Hurst (CEO, Q-Pharm Pty Ltd).
Back row (L-R): Mr Mario Pennisi (CEO, QCTN) and Mr Tak Adachi (Queensland Trade Commissioner, Tokyo)

Grant to Support Study in Health Care 'Role Extension'

Congratulations to Dr Lynne Emmerton, School of Pharmacy Senior Lecturer, who, together with Dr Laetitia Hattingh(Griffith University)has been successful in obtaining a grant from The Pharmacists Board of Queensland.

The Pharmacy College Trust Grant, worth in excess of $100k, will support a project titled "An Exploratory Study of Extended Health-Care Practitioner Roles in Medication Management in a Rural Community".

This project will examine 'role extension' or 'role overlap' for existing health-care practitioners in a rural community in the Darling Downs region.

A PhD student, Amy Tan (BPharm(Hons), UQ, 2008) and a project officer (to be appointed in 2010) will be involved in the data collection. A health services mapping expert, Dr Rob Eley (Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health) will be involved in defining the study community.

Pictured: Dr Lynne Emmerton

Commencing RHD Candidates

Welcome to the following Research Higher Degree candidates who have commenced during Semester 2:

• Ms Selena Boyd
  Advisors: Dr Lynne Emmerton & A/Professor Deborah Parker
  Project Title: Roles for pharmacists in the management of pain in residential aged care facilities
• Ms Aisyah Jahidin
  Advisors: A/Professor Greg Monteith & A/Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson
  Project Title: Characterization of calcium transporters identified on potential pharmacological targets in breast cancer
• Mr Arjun Muralidharan
  Advisors: Professor Maree Smith & Dr Bruce Wyse
  Project Title: Pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain
• Ms Geetpal Sandhu
  Advisors: A/Professor Carl Kirkpatrick, Ms Christine Carrington & Mr Neil Cottrell
  Project Title: Standardisation of the documentation to support the prescribing, dispensing and administration of anticancer therapy
• Mr Mohammed Soltani
  Advisors: Dr Harry Parekh, Dr Joanne Blanchfield & Dr Andrew Bulmer
  Project Title: Elucidating the mechanisms of bil pigment anti-mutagenic activity

Graduating RHD Candidates

Congratulations to the following RHD candidates who have completed during Semester 2:

• Dr Cho Aung
  Date awarded: 8 April, 2009
  Project Title: Plasma membrane calcium ATPase during colon cancer cell differentiation and in colon cancer
  Advisors: A/Professor Gregory Monteith & A/Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson
• Dr Nagaraj Gopisetty
  Date awarded: 20 April, 2009
  Project Title: PPAR isoforms and breast cancer and their regulation by ethanol and plasticizers
  Advisors: A/Professor Gregory Monteith & A/Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson
• Dr Greg Kyle
  Date awarded: 29 June, 2009
  Project Title: Prescription medicine samples and therapy initiation. Developing a best practice system with community pharmacists in Australia
  Advisors: Dr Lisa Nissen & Professor Susan tett
• Dr Gail Neilson
  Date awarded: 19 November, 2009
  Project Title: Comprehensive Outcome Analysis of a Self-Administered Home Parenteral Therapy Programme
  Advisors: Dr Wendy Munckhof & Professor Nick Shaw (replacing the late Professor Edward Triggs)
• Dr Aartie Patel
  Date awarded: 28 May, 2009
  Project Title: Assessment of Fucoidin efficacy in A -peptide induced Alzheimer's disease rodent model
  Advisors: Dr Peter Cabot, Dr Samantha South & Professor Maree Smith
• Dr Madusha Peiris
  Date awarded: 12 March, 2009
  Project Title: Functional Roles of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor B/O in a Model of Relapsing-Remitting Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
  Advisors: Dr Peter Cabot, A/Professor Gregory Monteith & A/Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson
• Dr Alesha Smith
  Date awarded: 21 April, 2009
  Project Title: Geographical differences, national and international, in the utilization of the benzodiazepine and antidepressant groups of medicines
  Advisors: Professor Susan Tett & Professor Wayne Hall
• Dr Jane Margaret Turner
  Date awarded: 20 April, 2009
  Project Title: Development and evaluation of an educational intervention to enhance the ability of oncology nurses to provide supportive care for parents with advanced cancer
  Advisors: Dr Alexandra Clavarino & A/Professor Phyllis Butow

Alumni Spotlight

Professor Bevyn Jarrott BPharm (Hons) (UQ) PhD (Cantab)
Professorial Fellow
Florey Neuroscience Institutes
and
Honorary Professor of Pharmacology
The University of Melbourne

Area of work: Developing novel drugs to treat ischemic damage and neurodegenerative diseases.

Professor Bevyn Jarrott graduated from the UQ School of Pharmacy in 1963, where he was awarded the Parke Davis Award and Eleanor Chalmers Prize. After graduation he went on to complete Honours I, majoring in Pharmacology, which he completed in 1965.

We asked Professor Jarrott to tell us about his experience of studying at UQ in the 60's, where his pharmacy degree has taken him, and what he is doing now.

"In those days, the first year course of the B Pharm, which was entirely first year science subjects (Chemistry, Physics, Zoology and Botany) on the St Lucia campus was very impersonal and regimented.

"Do you remember having to sit in a numbered seat in the Chemistry lecture theatre so that a technician could quickly record who hadn't come to that lecture and then doing prac classes at benches arranged alphabetically by your surname? At least it forced you to make friends in addition to the ones you had at high school who were doing the same course.

"The Student Union Refectory was an enormous crowded café at lunchtime serving very ordinary food. I found the second and third years more agreeable even though we needed to travel to the old George St site adjacent to the Botanical Gardens. As just the Pharmacy students there we were able develop a common bond and friendship which was helped by great staff in the Dept of Pharmacy such as Bill Harris, Cec Williams and the Poms, Jim Dare, Dave Buckley, Bob Parfitt and John Coulson who had our interests at heart.

"I suspect that many of initial class of B Pharm students who became retail pharmacists might have questioned the need and relevance for the science subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Zoology and even pharmacy subjects such as sterile dispensing, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacognosy etc. that we studied. However, as my career in pharmacological research progressed, I found that I often used the subjects/techniques taught in the B Pharm course for my research and I became very grateful to the pharmacists who had the foresight to press the University of Queensland to instigate the B Pharm degree.

"For example, the techniques learnt in aseptic dispensing such as autoclaving and using a sterile hood were the techniques needed for tissue culture to study drug action at a cellular level and for preparing sterile injections for administering drugs to laboratory animals. Techniques in Pharmaceutics such as making and adjusting the pH of buffers as well as serial dilutions were very important in studying dose response curves for new drugs. These techniques were not taught in BSc subjects and I soon found that the best students to take on for a PhD were BPharm graduates and not BSc graduates.

"Pharmacology was my favourite subject during the BPharm pass degree and when Dr Jim Dare invited me (and also Ken Ilett and John Parkin) to enrol in the inaugural Honours course in 1964, I specified that I would do this provided I could undertake a research project in Pharmacology. Dr Dare agreed and arranged for Ken and I to do this in the laboratory of Dr Stella O'Donnell, who was a pharmacologist with a Pharmacy degree in the Dept of Physiology. The three of us were also appointed half time Teaching Fellows in Pharmacy in order to earn a nominal salary while we did the Honours degree half time over two years.

"The teaching duties were primarily as demonstrators in the dispensing practicals for second year Pharmaceutics students under the watchful eye of Bill Harris. The Honours course included some advanced studies in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry as well as our elected research project. We all successfully completed the degree with First Class Honours and this was conferred at the UQ graduation ceremony in December 1965.

"With the urging of Dr O'Donnell, I applied to the Department of Pharmacology at Cambridge University (UK) to be accepted as a PhD student and when this was granted, I was awarded the Kodak Travelling Scholarship by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. This was from September 1966 to September 1969 when my thesis was submitted and the PhD was awarded in December 1969. The title of my thesis was Noradrenaline metabolising enzymes in normal and sympathetically denervated organs, and I published nine papers based on this research.

"My father owned a suburban pharmacy and there was an expectation that I would take over his business. But by the time I completed my degree, I found that retail pharmacy, while reasonably rewarding financially, at that time was not particularly challenging intellectually. I also knew the long hours of work that were needed for retail pharmacy and the difficulty in finding locums in January in order to holiday with family. The staff of the Dept of Pharmacy encouraged me to pursue an academic career and as I was motivated to understand the mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationships of chemical compounds, I decided that a career as a university lecturer was very attractive.

"When I was offered a tenured lectureship in Pharmacology at Monash University (Melbourne) immediately I completed my PhD, my academic career commenced. I particularly liked the idea of a sabbatical year overseas every six years and five weeks holiday a year without having to find a locum!

"Apart from the 3 years of my PhD at Cambridge, I now have had sabbatical leave with my family in New York, Oxford, Edinburgh, San Diego and Novato although I have never had the courage to try living in a non-English speaking country for sabbatical leave (it was hard enough understanding what the Scots were saying let alone communicating with French or Germans with my schoolboy languages).

"The other benefit of an academic career has been overseas conference trips (to keep abreast of the latest developments in research, of course). I have made approximately two trips per year which has allowed me to visit most overseas countries with the exception of Antarctica which does not seem to be a venue for scientific congresses so I may have to pay out of my pocket to visit there. I should add that academics flying to overseas conferences travel 'cattle class' and stay in 2- or 3-star hotels with the increasingly rare exceptions of drug company sponsored trips.

"After lecturing in pharmacology to medical and BSc students at Monash University from 1970-74, I found that my research was not progressing as fast as I would have liked and raising money for research projects was difficult. At that time, Merck Sharp & Dohme decided to fund a Clinical Pharmacology Unit in the Austin Hospital for the University of Melbourne in order to improve research in Clinical Pharmacology and training in clinical trial procedures.

"They appointed Bill Louis as Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and me as a Senior Lecturer. This allowed me to spend more time in pursuing my interest in the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of antihypertensive drugs such as methyldopa, clonidine, beta blockers and finally angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors for the next 18 years with few teaching commitments. While enjoyable, I was second fiddle to the Professor and could not pursue different research directions. So when the Professorship in Pharmacology at Monash University became available in 1992, I applied and was appointed to that position.

"For the next 12 years this gave me the opportunity to help Australia develop a research-based pharmaceutical industry as we do poorly in contrast to smaller countries such as Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. Finally in 2004, I moved to the Florey Neuroscience Institutes at the University of Melbourne in order to continue my drug development projects without the distractions of administering a large teaching department with a budget of $3M.

"One of my proudest achievements was to be asked by the Pharmaceutical Society to deliver the Jim Dare memorial lecture in Brisbane in July 1996. The Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists awarded me in 1997 their highest honour for contribution to pharmacology, the Michael Rand Gold Medal. With regard to developing novel drugs, I have patents for (i) a parenteral drug to minimise damage to the heart after myocardial ischemia (heart attacks); (ii) novel drugs for treating neuropathic pain; and (iii) an improved paracetamol with longer action at a lower dose.

"I am easing into retirement, having given up on chores such as staff administration, siting on ethics committees, and giving lectures.

The University of Melbourne has spun off a small company, NeuProtect Ltd to commercialise the patents for compounds that I have invented as potential drugs and I am one of the company directors. Drug development is an expensive business and as the company issues more shares to raise additional money to fund this research, my ownership as the inventor shrinks and is now a few percentage points.

"I have maintained my registration as a pharmacist and I may yet need to do locums to delay drawing down on my superannuation in this GFC era. So anyone with a pharmacy in Port Douglas or Noosa who wants a locum (preferably in winter!) can contact me on bevyn.jarrott@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Professor Jarrott

2010 is Party Time for UQ Pharmacy Graduates

2010 promises to be an exciting year for the UQ School of Pharmacy, and the Alumni Network is seeking to re-engage past graduates, as they will play in integral role in celebrations.

The School has a host of exciting events planned for the first half of 2010, to celebrate 50 years of Pharmacy education at UQ, as well as the UQ centenary and the relocation of the School to its new home at PACE.

All alumni are encouraged to update their contact details in the lead up to 2010, to ensure delivery of invitations to the correct address...we don't want anyone to be left out of the festivities! If you know of any alumni who may have lost contact with the School, please feel free to pass along this newsletter so that they too can get involved.

Please save the date for the following events:

• School of Pharmacy Golden Jubilee Gala Evening at PACE - Saturday 17 April, 2010
  One of the most exciting events for pharmacy in Queensland in the last 50 years, the Golden Jubilee Gala will showcase the PACE facility to alumni, staff and the pharmacy profession. Guests will be treated to an exciting Black Tie event that will include tours of the facility and the launch of the UQ School of Pharmacy History Book.
• School of Pharmacy 50 Years of Alumni Celebration - Saturday 3 July, 2010
  Graduates from 1962 to 2009 will be reunited in one exciting event...the reunion to rival all others! Be sure to mark your calendar and keep your contact details up to date so you don't miss this one.

The School has had a tremendous success during 2009, updating hundreds of lost contacts and hosting another 3 class reunions in recent months. With your support, we can make 2010 the most exciting year in pharmacy since your graduation. The most important ingredient is our graduates, and we hope you will join us in the celebrations to come.

For further information on the events planned for 2010, or the UQ Pharmacy Alumni Network, please email alumni@pharmacy.uq.edu.au