Submitted by Blessy George, Pharm.D.
Several JGPT students and faculty attended the Experimental Biology Conference held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, MA from March 28 to April 1, 2015. Students received Travel Awards from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) to attend this year’s conference: Jamie Moscovitz, Kristin Bircsak, Blessy George, Mary Francis, and Le Zhan.
The JGPT presence was strongly felt at the conference as faculty and students supported each other’s achievements. Kristin Bircsak and Jamie Moscovitz presented podium talks during ASPET sessions. Jamie presented “Pharmacological Activation of Fxr Attenuates Pregnancy-Induced Repression of Hepatic and Ileal Bile Acid Transporters in Mice” during the Symposium on Membrane Transporters at the Interface of Drug Interactions, Biomarker Monitoring, and Toxicity that was co-chaired by Dr. Lauren Aleksunes. Kristin’s presentation on “Genistein Reduces Glyburide Efflux by the Human Placental BCRP Transporter: Transcriptional Regulation and Direct Inhibition” was held during the Division for Drug Metabolism James Gillette Award and Platform Session on Biotransformation and Drug Transport and was equally well-received.
JGPT members received several top honors and awards from both ASPET and the American Physiology Society (APS). There was a significant participation of JGPT students at the ASPET Best Abstract Competition. Blessy George and Alessandro Venosa received 1st and 3rd places in the ASPET Division of Toxicology Best Abstract Award, respectively. Finalists included Mary Francis and Le Zhan. Thea Golden received the Respiration Section Usha Prakash Award from APS.
The JGPT Program Director, Dr. Jason Richardson, received the 1st Early Career Achievement Award given by the ASPET Division of Toxicology.