Four University of Florida College of Pharmacy trainees were recognized by the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, or ASCPT, as 2025 Presidential Trainee Award winners.
Among this year’s award recipients are UF graduate students Shyam Ramesh, Pharm.D.; Samia Shabnaz, B. Pharm., M.S.; and Cameron Thomas, Pharm.D.; and UF postdoctoral fellow Sanghoon Kang, Ph.D.
ASCPT’s Presidential Trainee Awards honor scholars with top-scoring abstracts, as identified by the ASCPT Scientific Programming Committee. This year’s winners will be recognized during the 2025 ASCPT Annual Meeting, held May 28-31, in Washington, D.C. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to view the top posters and interact with the trainees during the Presidential Trainee Showcase on May 28.
Learn more about the scientific inquiries and faculty mentors that inspire greatness from the UF College of Pharmacy’s 2025 Presidential Trainee Award winners below:
Sanghoon Kang
UF College of Pharmacy postdoctoral fellow Sanghoon Kang created the winning abstract, “Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning-derived Magnetic Resonance Biomarkers for Bone Fragility in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy,” under the mentorship of faculty members Sarah Kim, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutics in the UF College of Pharmacy, and Rebecca Willcocks, Ph.D., M.Sc., a research assistant professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions. Kang’s research targets bone fragility, one of the major complications associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, leading to pain and increased mortality.
“Quantitative measures of bone quality are critical to monitor bone fragility, so that clinicians can intervene pharmacologically at optimal moments. In this pilot study, we leveraged ImagingNMD natural history data and UF’s high-performance computing resources to quantify longitudinal changes in cortical and trabecular bone over DMD progression by utilizing magnetic resonance imaging data, advanced deep-learning driven segmentation and feature extraction techniques,” Kang explained.
“One of the key lessons I learned from my mentors was how to effectively interpret and present image analysis data in a way that highlights its clinical relevance. This insight will continue to shape the way I approach academic research in the future. I’m deeply grateful to Krista Vandenborne, Ph.D., and Glenn Walter, Ph.D., for their invaluable contributions to the data collection and guidance throughout the study,” Kang added.
Kang’s winning abstract was created with the collaboration of the following co-authors: Hyunjae Jeong, Remya K. Ravindranunni, Huiwen Ju, Glenn A. Walter, Krista Vandenborne, Rebecca J. Willcocks and Sarah Kim. The authors thank the NVIDIA AI Technology Center at UF for their help and support.
Shyam Ramesh
Third-year UF graduate student Shyam Ramesh created his winning abstract, titled “Utilizing a Disease Progression Model to Develop a Clinical Trial Simulation Tool That Optimizes Trial Design for Autosomal Dominant Tubulointerstitial Kidney Disease,” under the tutelage of his mentor, Sarah Kim. This project aims to support future clinical trials for patients with autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease — a genetic disorder leading to kidney damage and failure — by determining optimal patient numbers and duration of treatment necessary to observe a meaningful reduction in the disease.
“Some of the lessons I learned from Dr. Kim are to break down complex scenarios into manageable parts, identify the underlying issues and approach the problem using a structured, evidence-based framework. This approach has been invaluable in my research and problem-solving process,” Ramesh said. “I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Mark Rogge for his unwavering support at every step. Additionally, I extend my thanks to Dr. Anthony Bleyer and his team for their contributions to data collection and clinical insights.”
Ramesh’s winning abstract was created with the collaboration of the following co-authors: Mark Rogge, Jongjin Kim, Sanghoon Kang, Kendrah Kidd, Adrienne Williams, Julie Roignot, Katherine Blakeslee, Anthony J. Bleyer and Sarah Kim.
Samia Shabnaz
In her current research, Samia Shabnaz, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, tackles the U.S.’s second most common hematological cancer: multiple myeloma.
Her winning abstract, “Evaluation of Causal Inference of Hydrophilic Bile Acids on Carfilzomib-related Cardiovascular Adverse Events in Patients with Multiple Myeloma by Mendelian Randomization,” was created with the guidance of her mentor, Yan Gong, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research in the UF College of Pharmacy.
“My faculty mentor taught me how to critically interpret complex datasets rather than just analyzing them. She helped me understand the importance of biological relevance, pleiotropy, and the assumptions and limitations behind this project, as well as establish causal links between metabolites and cardiovascular side effects in multiple myeloma patients,” said Shabnaz, who also won the 2024 ASCPT Best Poster Award. “This helped me turn statistical findings into meaningful scientific insights. That shift in thinking has helped me grow significantly as a researcher.”
Shabnaz’s winning abstract was created with the collaboration of the following co-authors: Marwa Tantawy, Raed Alshammari, Timothy J. Garrett, Samuel M. Rubinstein, R. Frank Cornell, Daniel Lenihan, Qing Lu and Yan Gong.
Cameron Thomas
Cameron Thomas, Pharm.D., a trainee in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, received his fourth ASCPT Presidential Trainee Award for the abstract, “Real-World Clinical Outcomes by P2Y12 Inhibitor Therapy and Genotype in Black Versus Non-Black Patients Following PCI.” The research aims to reduce health disparities experienced among racial groups in heart treatment outcomes by studying medication type and genetic factors. Thomas said this work couldn’t be done without the encouragement of Larisa Cavallari, Pharm.D., the Debbie DeSantis Term Professor in the UF College of Pharmacy.
“Under Dr. Cavallari’s mentorship, I have seen the vertical advancements that can occur in scientific research through fostering strong, interdisciplinary collaborations,” Thomas said.
“She also taught me the importance of drafting proposals that clearly articulate the importance of your findings, and how these results may impact patients, stakeholders or policymakers.”
Thomas’ winning abstract was created with the collaboration of the following co-authors: Jean G. Malave, Joseph S. Rossi, Francesco Franchi, Ellen C. Keeley, Caitrin W McDonough, Luis Ortega-Paz, Amber L. Beitelshees, Julio D. Duarte, George A. Stouffer, Dominick J. Angiolillo, Craig R. Lee and Larisa H. Cavallari.
Faculty recognitions
Two UF College of Pharmacy faculty members were also recognized with awards during the ASCPT 2025 Annual Meeting:
Julie Johnson, Pharm.D., dean emeritus of the UF College of Pharmacy, received the Oscar B. Hunter Career Award in Therapeutics, which honors a scientist for their outstanding contributions to clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. Richard Lalonde, Pharm.D., a courtesy professor of pharmaceutics in the UF College of Pharmacy, received the Henry W. Elliott Distinguished Service Award for his commitment to serving the ASCPT.