Feb. 26 - March 2

Four ACPHS students, along with Assistant Professor Kate Cabral, recently gave a presentation on cardiovascular medications for the Mended Hearts support group at St. Peter's Hospital. The group is made up of patients who have had heart procedures, such as coronary bypass surgeries or valve replacements. Each of the students presented on a class of heart medications and then took questions from the group. The session was so well received that the College has been invited back in the fall to do one-on-one medication counseling with the patients. 

Like the Albany Campus, students on the Vermont Campus are very active in the local community. On February 9 and then again on February 16, a total of eight APhA-ASP students from the Vermont Campus visited the Kinney Drugs store in Essex Junction. With the support of faculty advisor Clayton English, the students organized blood pressure clinics each weekend and successfully screened 67 patients over the two days.  

Associate Professor Susan Ludeman teaches organic chemistry on the Albany Campus. Her research is focused on developing drug candidates for treating cancer.

Why is organic chemistry so hard? 

Organic chemistry is very visual, but it's also very abstract. Things such as orbitals and the movement of electrons are abstract concepts to begin with, and then you have to learn to visualize them. It takes time. 

What is the state of cancer drug development today? 

Remarkably, at least half of the most commonly used cancer drugs have been around 40 or 50 years. Rather than looking to replace these drugs, much of the research today is being directed to how we can deliver them better. This is a key application for nanotechnology.

What's something most people don't know about you? 

A few years ago I wanted to do something that would put me outside of my comfort zone, so I took a classes in ballroom dancing and line dancing. If these had been graded, I would have ended up with failures. But I wound up socializing with a lot of people whom I would have never otherwise met.

Click here to read more about the Madame Curie position in Dr. Ludeman's lab and how modern chemotherapy was born out of chemical warfare in World War I.

Vice Provost of Research Shaker Mousa was invited to speak at UAlbany on February 19 as part of a seminar hosted by the school's Department of Chemistry. The event featured six speakers culminating with Dr. Mousa's presentation on "The Future of Nanotechnology in Medical Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Various Disorders with a Focus on Cancer." Pharmacy students interested in pursuing a nanotechnology internship this summer at the College's Pharmaceutical Research Institute are encouraged to request an application from Laura Stellato. The deadline for applications is March 4.

The seedings have been announced for this week's USCAA national basketball championships. The ACPHS men are seeded 8th (out of ten teams) and will play their first game on Wednesday at 6:00 pm vs. Warren Wilson College, which is based in Swannanoa, NC. The ACPHS women's team is seeded 3rd (out of eight teams). Their first game is Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 pm vs. Univ. of Cincinnati-Clermont. You can follow the Panthers' entire journey through the tournament at the ACPHS Athletics web site starting on Tuesday.