Henry Hung-Kai Chen, MClinPharm, a graduate student in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, placed third in the student abstract competition at the 2024 International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, or ISPE, Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany. Chen was the Third Place Winner of the Stanley A. Edlavitch Award, named after the society’s first executive director.
Chen’s research, titled “Risk of Pregnancy Loss after Prenatal Exposure to Doxycycline: A Retrospective Cohort Study,” stood out among hundreds of student submissions. Collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, his study explored the safety of using doxycycline during early pregnancy and found a higher risk of pregnancy loss with early exposure to the medication. The research fills an important gap, as previous studies struggled with confounding factors, but this new analysis provides a clearer understanding of doxycycline’s effects during pregnancy.
“Earning the award is a significant honor that validates the hard work and dedication invested in our research,” Chen said. “This recognition also highlights the importance of our work in pharmacoepidemiology and motivates me to continue pursuing impactful research. It’s rewarding to see our efforts acknowledged, especially given the project’s complexity and the valuable skills I learned in database analysis and advanced statistics. I’m deeply grateful to my advisor, collaborators, and team members, whose guidance and support have been instrumental in this accomplishment.”
Almut Winterstein, R.Ph., Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the UF College of Pharmacy and director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety, serves as Chen’s faculty advisor.