Research
Advancing the science of human pharmacology and therapeutics through translational research
Faculty in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology conduct clinical and translational research. This cross-disciplinary paradigm translates basic scientific discoveries into safe and effective therapeutic uses by providers and patients, through laboratory experiments and clinical studies. Clinical data can also prompt new questions and investigations, leading back to the bench and beginning a new cycle of translational research.
Research conducted by department faculty can focus on a range of topics, diseases/conditions, and investigational methods. Some current and recent projects are highlighted here:
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease
HDL Mimetic Peptide-Mediated Enhancement of Neurovascular Function to Mitigate Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy and Alzheimer's Disease
Dysregulation of Protein Prenylation in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease
Testing a Unique HDL Mimetic Peptide to Reverse ApoE4 Lipidation Deficiency and Alzheimer's Neuropathology
Modeling and Reversing Alzheimer’s Pathology via Human Brain Organoids
Integrating Alzheimer's disease GWAS with proteomic and metabolomic QTL data
Cancer
Cancer
Drug Repurposing in Breast Cancer
PI: R. Stephanie Huang
Funding: NIH National Cancer Institute
Genetic Mechanisms Underlying Sexual Dimorphism in Cancer and Response to Therapy
PI: R. Stephanie Huang
Funding: NIH National Cancer Institute
Novel Targeted Chemo/Immunotherapy Approach to Localized and Metastatic CaP
Co-I: Mark Kirstein
Funding: NIH National Cancer Institute
Combating Cellular Senescence to Prevent Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity
PI: Beshay Zordoky
Funding: St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research
Psychosocial Stress Exacerbates Doxorubicin-induced Cardiovascular Aging
PI: Beshay Zordoky
Funding: NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Community Health and Clinical Care
Community Health and Clinical Care
Creating a 21st-Century Precision Medicine Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Co-PI: Debra Skaar
Co-Is: Pamala Jacobson, Shellina Scheiner
Funding: UMN College of Pharmacy
Advancing Health Through Tailored Solutions: A Community Based Approach Towards Advancing Personalized Medicine in Underserved Populations (VIP-H Study)
PI: Robert Straka
Co-I: Jeffrey Bishop
Funding: UMN Grand Challenge Exploratory Research Award, Provost's Office
Differences in Predicted Warfarin Dose for Hmong vs. East Asians Using Genotype-based Dosing Algorithm
PI: Robert Straka
Funding: UMN Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)
Drug Dependence
Drug Dependence
Vaccines for Prescription Opioid and Heroin Abuse
PI: Angela K. Birnbaum (Co-PI)
Funding: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
Phase 1a/1b Clinical Trials of Multivalent Opioid Vaccine Components
Co-I: Angela Birnbaum
Funding: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
A Randomized Trial of Medical Cannabis in Patients with Advanced Cancers to Assess Impact on Opioid Use and Cancer-Related Symptoms: A Pilot Study
Co-I: Angela K. Birnbaum
Funding: Randy Shaver Foundation
Feasibility of Using Wearable Technology for Just-in-Time Prediction of Smoking Lapses
Co-PI: Michael Kotlyar
Funding: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
Cigarette Smoking as a Risk Factor for Greater Psychiatric Symptom Severity across Serious Mental Illnesses: A Secondary Analysis of Three Nationally-Representative NIH Data Sets
Co-PI: Michael Kotlyar
Funding: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Outcomes of Immunocompromised Patients Treated with Ceftolozane/Tazobactam
PI: Elizabeth Hirsch
Funding: Merck Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence
A Retrospective, Multi-Center Study to Assess Patient Outcomes Following Treatment with Ceftolozane/Tazobactam (C/T)
PI: Elizabeth Hirsch
Funding: Merck & Co.
Pharmacology of Antiretrovirals in Anatomical Brain Tissue among Persons with Chronic HIV Infection
Co-PI: Melanie Nicol
Funding: NIH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Evaluating Antiretroviral Pharmacology in the Female Genital Tract to Optimize HIV Prevention
PI: Melanie Nicol
Funding: NIH, National Institute of for Allergies and Infectious Diseases
Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
Co-I: Melanie Nicol
Funding: NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Pharmacogenomics
Pharmacogenomics
An Informatics Framework for Discovery and Ascertainment of Drug-Supplement Interactions
Co-I: Jeffrey Bishop
Funding: NIH National Center for Completmentary and Integrative Health
Pediactric CPIC Rx Study
PI: Jeffrey Bishop
Funding: Vanderbilt University
Gut Microbiata and Effect on Immune Suppressants in Transplantation
PI: Pamala Jacobson
Funding: NIH National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Disease
A Pilot Trial to Examine the Effect of Aspirin on the Gut Microbiome
Co-I: Robert Straka
Funding: UMN CTSI Exploratory Grants
Pharmacometrics/ Pharmacokinetic modeling
Pharmacometrics/ Pharmacokinetic modeling
Intranasal Delivery of Cortisol Stress Dosing in Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency
PI: Mahmoud Al-Kofahi
Co-I: Lisa Coles
Funding: The Pediactric Device Innovation Consortium (PDIC), University of Minnesota
Ph2a SQ HC Infusion Pump in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia IND125,640
PI: Richard Brundage
Funding: DHHS Food and Drug Administration
Population Pharmacokinetics: Methadone Antiretroviral Interactions
PI: Richard Brundage
Funding: Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute
Comparison of the Cognitive and Motor Effects of Treatment Between an Immediate and Extended-Release Tacrolimus (Envarsus XR)-Based Immunosuppression Regimen in Kidney Transplant Recipients
PI: Susan Marino
Co-I: Angela Birnbaum
Funding: Veloxis Pharmaceutics
Neuropharmacology
Neuropharmacology
Epigenetics of PTSD Treatment Response
PI: Jeffrey Bishop
Funding: NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Development and Application of MRI Methods to Quantify Brain Energy Impairment and Drug Responses in Neurodegenerative Disorders
PIs: Lisa Coles, James C. Cloyd
Funding: UMN AHC Faculty Development Grant
Rare Diseases
Rare Diseases
Role of Beta-Catenin in the Pathophysiology of Infantile Spasms
PI: James C. Cloyd
Co-I: Reena Kartha
Funding: Tufts University
Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Type 1 Gaucher Disease: Potential Use of Antioxidant/Anti-Inflammatory Medications
PIs: James C. Cloyd, Reena Kartha
Funding: Pfizer, Inc.
Synergistic Chaperone Activity of N-acetylcysteine and Its Metabolite L-cysteine in Gaucher Disease
PI: Reena Kartha
Funding: Center for Orphan Drug Research (CODR), University of Minnesota
Seizure Disorders
Seizure Disorders
Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs – Pharmacokinetics Laboratory Core
PI: Angela K. Birnbaum
Funding: NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Anti-Epileptic Drugs (Pharmacokinetics Core)
About the project:
Part of a 19-site national study exploring drug exposure in women with epilepsy and their children. The goal is to study several populations of women with and without epilepsy in order to compare the effect of antiepileptic drug exposure on the woman and child during pregnancy. Dr. Angela Birnbaum’s research team is performing the pharmacokinetic analyses for this project.
PIs: Kimford J. Meador, M.D.; Page B. Pennell, M.D.; Nancy Browning, PhD (EMMES)
PI of Pharmacokinetics Core: Angela Birnbaum, PhD
Co-investigators of Pharmacokinetics Core: Rory Remmel, PhD; Richard C. Brundage, PhD, PharmD
Funding: NIH / National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Identifying New Therapies for Infantile Spasms
About the project:
Infantile spasms are epileptic seizures in infants which often lead to emergence of other types of seizures, cognitive deficits, and neurodevelopmental disabilities. This project will evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of drug therapies in mouse models of infantile spasms, in order to identify treatments that achieve rapid and sustained suppression of spasms and determine whether these are effective and safe in infantile spasms of various pathologies. The goal of this project is to identify new treatments for infantile spasms that have rapid onset and stop spasms early with anti-epileptic and disease-modifying effects that persist through adulthood.
PIs: Aristea Galanopoulou, M.D., PhD; Rodney Scott, M.D.; Gregory Holmes, M.D.; James Cloyd, PharmD
Co-investigators: Lisa Coles, PhD; Krista Johnson, ECP graduate student
Funding: Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy; Department of Defense
Facilities
The Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology (ECP) is located within one of the largest academic health centers in the United States, with nationally recognized programs in public health, medicine, nursing, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. Major campus research facilities include a Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Biomedical Genomics Center, and the Masonic Cancer Center. In addition, numerous affiliated health care systems with exceptional research and educational programs partner with the COP. The Twin Cities also has a large number of cutting-edge biomedical companies eager to collaborate with the academic community.
Our regular faculty and staff are located in four buildings within the University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center on the Twin Cities campus:
- Weaver-Densford Hall
- McGuire Translational Research Facility
- 717 Delaware
- Phillips-Wangensteen Building
Several ECP faculty also work at clinical sites around the Twin Cities, directing experiential clinical residencies of fourth-year students in the College's PharmD program. These include North Memorial Medical Center and University of Minnesota Medical Center.