PharmD student Marc McCann, (Class of 2018), received a prestigious American Foundation of Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Gateway to Research Award to advance his ongoing vaccine research in the lab of PittPharmacy Assistant Professor Kerry M. Empey, PharmD, PhD.
McCann’s research involves the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), one of the leading causes of neonatal hospitalizations. An effective vaccine has yet to reach market. His project was to run a preliminary vaccine study for respiratory syncytial virus in order to determine differences in immunogenicity between purified and standard forms of RSV stocks. The project yielded promising results that contributed to the development of the next study involving a maternal RSV vaccine.
The primary goal of the Gateway to Research Scholarship program is to help students gain an understanding of the importance of research by enabling them to apply that knowledge to improve their clinical skills. This scholarship provides a unique opportunity for talented PharmD and baccalaureate degree students to participate in a faculty-mentored research project. The Gateway to Research Scholarship also encourages students who have the aptitude and desire to pursue a career in research to continue their education in a PhD program.
A past recipient of the AFPE, PharmD student Morgan Casal (Class of 2019) was selected as one of 15 students in the country for the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Gateway to Research Scholarship for 2017-18. Read More
