News

From performing reactions, evaporating solvents, looking at spectra, and taking melting points, undergraduate students in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) have the unique opportunity to help advance and discover new compounds with impacts on such diseases and disorders as Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.

With the direct oversight of such renowned teacher-scholars as the SOP’s Michael Crider, PhD, associate dean for research, and chair and professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, students gain hands-on experience and co-publish pharmaceutical research through the School’s Competitive Research Program.

Findings of Crider and four former SOP students were recently published in Current Bioactive Compounds. The article details a compound that could have potential use in complex partial seizures.

“Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system that affects approximately 50 million individuals worldwide,” noted Crider. “Although several new drugs have been marketed in the last 25 years, almost one-third of patients are not protected. In many cases, currently available drugs produce undesirable side effects. As a result, a need exists for novel anticonvulsants with unique mechanisms of action and minimal side effects.”

Presently, a trio of third-year pharmacy students are working in Crider’s lab, including Lejla Garic, Kristen Ingold and Matt Dunahoo. They have contributed to an ongoing National Institutes of Health-funded project on the development of somatostatin subtype 4 agonists for potential use in Alzheimer’s disease.

“There are several reasons I find it valuable to involve students in my research, including teaching critical thinking, developing problem-solving skills and demonstrating how knowledge gained in the classroom can be applied in the lab,” Crider explained. “As a teacher, I find it important to enable students to become proficient in an area in which they may have limited knowledge. Furthermore, involving students in my research helps me remain active and pursue new areas of research.”

Ingold, of Freeburg, aspires to work as an internal medicine pharmacist in an inpatient hospital. She finds it gratifying to work alongside Crider as their work helps improve patient health.

“In the classroom, we learn a lot about medicinal chemistry, the way drugs are made and their structure, but not everyone fully understands the importance of that,” Ingold said. “Working with Dr. Crider, we fully understand the purpose, reasoning and vision behind making these drug compounds for patients.”

Garic, of East Moline, is interested in pediatrics and wants to continue contributing to pharmacy research.

“As a pharmacist, I hope to make an impact within research,” Garic said. “Whether or not a research endeavor ends up a discovery, it is a stepping stone in the process of new drugs, experiments and studies. Working in Dr. Crider’s lab has helped me learn about myself and where I play a role in pharmacy.”

“As a student pursuing the education specialization, I want to train and educate people to be more health literate and health conscious,” added Dunahoo, of Peotone. “The opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the lab solidifies my understanding of concepts we learn in the classroom.”

For more information on the SIUE School of Pharmacy’s Competitive Research Program, visit siue.edu/pharmacy/degrees-programs-research/research. 

Photo: (L-R) SIUE School of Pharmacy third-year students Matt Dunahoo, Lejla Garic and Kristen Ingold work in Dr. Michael Crider’s research lab.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7XuDkQYSaY&feature=youtu.be