The Drug Metabolism, Transport and Pharmacogenomic Research (DMTPR) program, launched in January of this year, is the result of a unique partnership between University of Washington School of Pharmacy (UWSOP) and seven industry leaders, the most recent of which is Pfizer, Inc.
Merck, Eli Lilly, Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche, Amgen, Abbott and Pfizer have pledged unrestricted gifts totally $2.05 million to enhance training and research activities within the School of Pharmacy, with special emphasis on understanding the genetic, molecular, biochemical and physiological factors affecting drug elimination processes, mechanisms of inter-individual variability in adverse drug responses, and evaluation of economic and clinical outcomes of therapeutic treatments of disease.
DMTPR funds are currently being used to support recruitment of promising new research faculty, post-doctoral fellows, pre-doctoral students, undergraduate research, new instrumentation, and educational and research symposia. In just the past eight months, the following additions have been made:
- One new junior faculty in department of medicinal chemistry
- Three new post doc fellow positions in genomics and DM/PK
- Mass spectrometry and NMR instrumentation upgrades to enhance research abilities in small molecule quantitation and elucidation of protein-active site structure
- New genomic–proteomic research projects related to drug toxicities
- New training for pre- and post-doctoral scientists in regulatory affairs related to the drug industry.
- Summer research experience for new Ph.D students considering dual Pharm.D/Ph.D degrees.
- Scholarship funds for exceptional students admitted to the Ph.D program
- Sponsorship of the Trager Symposium on Drug Metabolism
These and the future investments of the DPTMR program will enable UWSOP to maintain its status as a center of excellence in drug disposition and outcomes research and ensure the training of exceptional scientists and future leaders for the pharmaceutical industry, federal and state regulatory agencies and top academic institutions.
The DMPTR program is headed by Ken Thummel, Associate Dean for Research and New Initiatives and DMTPR Program Director, University of Washington School of Pharmacy