From oncology to cardiology to pain medicine, rapid innovations in precision medicine techniques are transforming the face of modern health care. With new strategies like pharmacogenetic testing, patients and health care providers alike are saving precious time and energy when targeted, effective treatments reach patients when they need it most.
By introducing a new undergraduate course offering — Introduction to Pharmacology and Precision Medicine — the University of Florida College of Pharmacy positions itself as a national leader in precision medicine education, preparing tomorrow’s health care providers for careers in a quickly growing field.
Introduction to Pharmacology and Precision Medicine provides undergraduate students with a unique combination of lessons encompassing science and patient care. In studying pharmacology, or how medications work, alongside pharmacogenomics, or how an individual’s genetic makeup affects their response to medications, students gain invaluable insights into a subject that is usually taught at the graduate level.
Katie Vogel Anderson, Pharm.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research in the UF College of Pharmacy, instructs this two-credit, elective course. She said students of all grade levels who have taken Biology I and Chemistry I are encouraged to enroll. Additionally, students interested in pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree can benefit from the course’s pairing of research and clinical topics.
“Pharmacogenomics education is lacking in the undergraduate curriculum, and most undergraduates do not know that working in precision medicine is a potential career path,” Vogel Anderson said. “By offering an undergraduate course in this topic, we’re able to increase awareness of pharmacogenomics and recruit UF students to our Pharm.D. and graduate programs. This class would certainly prepare students for a pharmacy career, but students interested in any health care specialty would benefit from taking it.”
Creating a supportive learning environment
On a Tuesday morning in early March, UF freshman Ryleigh Kilmer stood before her classmates to present her findings on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics behind the medication Zoloft. As part of the course curriculum, each student researches a drug and creates an infographic to present their discoveries to the class. Kilmer, a pre-professional pharmacy major, said this class, which accepts only about a dozen students each semester, provides a supportive atmosphere for students to gain critical information and personalized mentorship at a navigable pace.
“Our course instructors have created a learning environment where we feel comfortable asking questions about topics that we don’t know much about or that we’re curious about, which I think is important, because a lot of the material can be intimidating,” said Kilmer, who is enrolled in the UF Pharmacy Early Assurance Program, which provides undergraduate students a pathway toward a guaranteed interview for UF’s Pharm.D. program.
After Kilmer and another of her classmates completed their presentations, Maddie Norris, Pharm.D., co-director of UF’s Clinical Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine Online Graduate Program, took to the podium to deliver a lecture on clinical pharmacogenetic testing, covering both scientific concepts and best practices for the lab and patient care settings. After every slide, the clinical assistant professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research paused to solicit students’ questions and input. She said her aim as an instructor is to facilitate a collaborative environment that allows for robust discussion and expansive thinking.
“The students have been so curious and engaged, and they’re asking really great questions every class period,” Norris said. “Of course, I hope this course gets students excited to explore personalized medicine in the future, but even if they choose not to, I’d hope it encourages them to look deeper into opportunities in medicine. There are so many untraditional options that most don’t even know exist.”
Leveraging expertise and hands-on experience
Throughout the semester, students hear from a series of expert speakers who deliver lectures about how they integrate precision medicine into their respective specialties. This includes talks from some of the nation’s foremost leaders in pharmacogenomics like Lari Cavallari, Pharm.D., chair of the UF Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research and the Debbie DeSantis Excellence Professor, and Julio Duarte, Pharm.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research and the Debbie DeSantis Term Professor. Vogel Anderson said the College of Pharmacy’s unique expertise in this field lends UF students enrolled in this course a sizeable, competitive edge.
“Over the last 10 years, UF College of Pharmacy faculty have translated pharmacogenomic discovery into practice, establishing a robust infrastructure to support pharmacogenomic testing and securing over $20 million in grant funding to expand pharmacogenomics implementation and research,” Vogel Anderson said. “Given these accomplishments, the UF College of Pharmacy is an internationally and nationally recognized leader in the field of precision medicine, so there is no better place than here to offer this course.”
No matter the subject matter on the docket, each session of Introduction to Pharmacology and Precision Medicine contains a hands-on component. Norris said her favorite class activity is offering the students personal genotyping through the UF Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine lab.
“With this activity, students can get hands-on experience at applying some of the topics we learn about to their actual results. We’ve found in previous courses that this is a really effective method for getting students excited about the topics,” Norris said.
Kilmer shared that she’s eager to receive the results of her pharmacogenetic testing, and looking farther ahead, she can’t wait to apply the precision medicine skills she’s learning today to her future career in pharmacy.
“This class is a super fun environment for us to learn more about stuff that we’re really interested in,” Kilmer said. “It’s also a great opportunity to connect with the professionals involved at the UF College of Pharmacy and gain early exposure to research topics that can be integrated into all types of health care careers.”