The American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education, or AFPE, has announced its fellowship award winners for 2024-25, including two recipients connected to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.
Nam Nguyen, Pharm.D., M.S., a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, has been awarded the AFPE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Sciences for the second year in a row. This fellowship honors exceptional students with the potential to become leading scientists and professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, government, or nonprofit sectors. Nguyen will receive a $10,000 stipend to support his research on childhood acute myeloid leukemia, aiming to uncover the molecular biology behind chemoresistance and to develop new drugs to combat it. He is mentored by Jatinder Lamba, Ph.D., M.Sc., associate dean for research and graduate education and a professor in the UF College of Pharmacy.
“Receiving an AFPE fellowship for a second consecutive year acknowledges the importance of our research in revealing the molecular biology that underpins chemoresistance and potential novel targets for pediatric AML patients,” Nguyen said. “This fellowship intensifies my passion for academia and research, and it will motivate me to pursue a profession in oncology translational research as a principal investigator.”
Kimberly Germinal, Pharm.D., a 2024 graduate of the UF College of Pharmacy, received the AFPE Kappa Epsilon Nellie Wakeman Fellowship. The $10,000 award was established in 1957 to encourage outstanding Kappa Epsilon members to pursue an advanced degree in a pharmaceutical sciences graduate program. Germinal currently serves as a PGY-1 health-system pharmacy administration and leadership resident at the University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Through this residency program, she will simultaneously complete a two-year M.S. degree in pharmaceutical sciences. Starting this fall, she will begin a two-year research project focused on improving pharmacy operations within the health system.
“To be selected as a recipient of the Nellie Wakeman Fellowship is an incredible honor,” Germinal said. “This award reinforces my commitment to uphold the values of Kappa Epsilon as I strive to contribute meaningfully to the pharmacy profession. I am eager to use this fellowship to further my education and training, ultimately aiming to make a positive impact on patient care.” Nguyen and Germinal are two of the 19 national recipients of the AFPE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. AFPE’s Board of Grants chooses the awardees with the expectation that their research will positively impact public health and patient outcomes.