Darwin E. Zaske Memorial

Fellowship Information

Darwin Zaske Background
Dr. Zaske earned his undergraduate and doctor of pharmacy degrees from the University of Minnesota and published more than 100 scientific manuscripts and contributed to more than 20 textbooks. He served on the board of editors for Minnesota Medicine from 1977 to 1982. He was a reviewer for several scientific journals, including the American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, the Annals of Internal Medicine, Obstetric and Gynecology, The American Journal of Medicine, The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation and Infectious Disease Today. He received the Hallie Bruce Memorial Award from the Minnesota Society of Health System Pharmacists, the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists Award for Achievement for Sustained Contributions to the Literature of Hospital Pharmacy, the American College of Clinical Pharmacists, Russell Miller Award and a Governor's Commendation for 10 years of service on the Minnesota Medicaid Drug Formulary Committee.

Dr. Zaske pioneered the post-doctoral training program for clinical pharmacists. More than 50 residents and fellows, who practice and conduct research worldwide, studied under Dr. Zaske.

Dr. Zaske was known nationally and internationally for his work on individualized antibiotic therapy for burn patients. In 1976, Dr. Zaske was co-author on a groundbreaking study that determined that burn patients often required much higher doses of antibiotics than previously thought to successfully treat infections. The results from the study, which he authored with College of Pharmacy Professor Ronald Sawchuk, are protocol in treatment of burn patients. Two years later, Dr. Zaske was one of the lead authors in a landmark study that combined two antibiotics, Rifampin and Vancomycin, to treat patients who didn't respond to Vancomycin. That protocol is accepted worldwide.  Dr. Zaske was a founding member and elected fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacology. He was also a member of many professional societies, including the American Society of Hospital Pharmacy, the American Burn Association and the American Association of Poison Control Centers.