The International Pharmaceutical Federation, or FIP, has awarded the 2022 FIP Foundation and Early Career Pharmaceutical Group Innovation Research Grant to Brian Cicali, Ph.D., M.S., a research assistant professor of pharmaceutics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.
The one-year grant will provide research funding for Cicali and cover a portion of his travel expenses to attend the Brisbane 2023 FIP World Congress in Australia. At the Congress, he will give an invited talk on his research study and be formally recognized as the grant winner.
Cicali’s innovative research project focuses on identifying the optimal dosing of tramadol in infant and pediatric populations who require severe pain management. He is using mechanistic modeling and information on age-based changes in drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters and developmental physiology to identify potential changes in tramadol pharmacokinetics in younger populations compared to adult models.
“It is a sincere honor to win this award,” Cicali said. “The work that will come from this funding can have a significant impact on vulnerable populations who are in serious need of safe and effective pain management. There are many talented pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists from all over the world competing for this grant, so I’m especially proud to be the 2022 recipient.”
The 2022 FIP Foundation and Early Career Pharmaceutical Group Innovation Research Grant is funded by the FIP Foundation for Education and Research. The Foundation’s objective is to promote the educational and research ventures of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists and expand the role of the pharmacist in charitable projects toward better global health.