News

From eager student to esteemed academic dean, B. Ellen Byrne, D.D.S., Ph.D., has left an indelible mark during her 50-year journey at VCU. (Vernon Freeman Jr.)

‘VCU has been my life’: B. Ellen Byrne retiring after a half-century of commitment

July 10, 2024

Academic dean in the School of Dentistry began her campus connection as a School of Pharmacy student in 1974.

Nick Garcia, Ph.D., a three-time VCU alum, started as the associate dean for student success in the School of Pharmacy this year. (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Drawing from his own VCU journey, Nick Garcia helps School of Pharmacy students navigate their paths

July 3, 2024

The new associate dean for student success earned three degrees on campus and now relishes helping future generations.

Now in its third year, the VCU Breakthroughs Fund has supported more than 30 projects through investments totaling nearly $6 million. (Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

VCU Breakthroughs Fund provides grants to 10 more faculty-led projects that pursue transformative innovation

July 2, 2024

Health, equity, sustainability and the human experience are the driving forces for transdisciplinary teams that target society’s grand challenges.

Postdoctoral fellow Maggie Freeberg, Ph.D. and Patricia Sime, M.D., chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the School of Medicine, in their lab this spring. The pair are part of a multidisciplinary team studying treatment and a possible cure for fibrosis. (Photo by Jeff Kelley)

VCU researchers explore a promising pathway to treating fibrosis

June 18, 2024

Collaboration between schools of Medicine and Pharmacy focuses on what may be a cellular trigger for the organ-scarring diseases.

VCU School of Pharmacy has a number of faculty who serve as leaders and support innovation in community-based pharmacy practice education and research. First row, from left: Evan Sisson, Pharm.D.; Dave Dixon, Pharm.D.; Sharon Gatewood, Pharm.D.; Kelly Goode, Pharm.D.; and Lauren Pamulapati, Pharm.D. Second row, from left: Teresa M. Salgado, M.Pharm., Ph.D.; Lauren M. Caldas, Pharm.D.; Emily Peron, Pharm.D.; Elvin Price, Pharm.D., Ph.D.; and Barbara Exum, Pharm.D. (Mary Kate Brogan, School of Pharmacy)

VCU named a trailblazer in community pharmacy advancement

June 13, 2024

The recognition of the School of Pharmacy as an ACT Community Pharmacy Center of Excellence identifies the school as an ambassador for pharmacy academia.

VCU ranked in nation’s Top 100 for university utility patents for second year

June 11, 2024

The National Academy of Inventors list recognizes campus commitment to research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Ivelina Metcheva, Ph.D., assistant vice president for innovation at VCU TechTransfer and Ventures; Lauren Siff, M.D., representing the winning team SurgicalED VR; and Brent Fagg, assistant director for innovation at VCU TechTransfer and Ventures, at the VCU Startup Accelerator’s first Pitch Day competition. (VCU TechTransfer and Ventures)

Virtual-reality surgical trainer earns top spot in first Pitch Day event for VCU faculty entrepreneurs

May 29, 2024

Urogynecology team led by Lauren Siff is among the inaugural cohort of the Startup Accelerator, which propels campus innovation toward commercial markets.

Sandro da Rocha, Ph.D., (right) who will serve as the inaugural director of the new B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences program, and his students inspect a medication as part of quality assurance testing in a lab at VCU School of Pharmacy. (Mary Kate Brogan/VCU School of Pharmacy)

VCU will offer a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences that can help address medication shortages

May 9, 2024

Amid the nationwide need for skilled workers and Virginia’s growing life sciences industry, the VCU School of Pharmacy program will enroll its first undergraduate class this fall.

Mohammed AlAwadh said his scientific journey at VCU “has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m profoundly grateful for it.” (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Class of 2024: Mohammed AlAwadh delves into the intricacies of drug development

April 24, 2024

After graduation, he will return to Saudi Arabia as a professor, teaching others the techniques he has learned at VCU.

VCU now has a total of 22 top-50 graduate program rankings from U.S. News & World Report. (Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

VCU receives 10 updated top-50 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, including two in the top 10

April 9, 2024

The latest graduate program rankings from the publication place the School of Pharmacy and the School of Education among the top 25 schools in their categories in the country.