In honor of Graduate Student Appreciation week, we are highlighting a few students from the Pitt Pharmacy graduate program. See below to learn more about each of them!
An Le
An received his PharmD from the University of Minnesota and completed a PGY1 practice residency before joining our PhD program. An’s research explores the impact of gender affirming hormone therapy in local genial tissues in transgender women. He recently was awarded a fellowship from Magee-Womens Research Institute to pursue this work. Within the program, An has also been involved in different teaching activities. He received the Teaching Assistance Excellence Award. After graduation, An is hoping to continue to be involved with HIV research and transgender population.
Fengyang Han, BS, MS Candidate
Fengyang received his BS from Fudan University before joining our MS Program. Among his many accomplishments, Fengyang published 4 research papers, two of which are first-author papers in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling. After completing his MS here at Pitt, Fengyang plans to pursue his PhD degree and is currently deciding between offers from NYU and others.
He (Helena) Zhang
Helena earned her master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and subsequently embarked on her PhD journey. She is actively involved in the MATRIX Collaborative (Microbicide R&D to Advance HIV Prevention Technologies through Responsive Innovation and eXcellence) which is funded by USAID. The mission of MATRIX is to develop a range of acceptable, affordable, scalable, and deliverable products to meet the unmet needs of women at risk of HIV and other infectious diseases. To this end, Helena’s research project contributes toward the development of a first in class vaginal film which provides one month of protection against HIV infection. Upon completing her PhD, Helena aspires to leverage her expertise by pursuing a career within the pharmaceutical industry.
Huiting Jia, BS, PhD Candidate
Huiting received a B.S. degree in Bioengineering at Northeastern University in China and an MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy. She received "Highlighted Trainee of the Month" for her first author publication " Deciphering the role of fatty acid metabolizing CYP4F11 in lung cancer and its potential as a drug target" published in "Drug Metabolism and Disposition". Her article was also selected as Editor's Choice.
Madeline Lipp, PharmD, PhD Candidate
Madeline received her PharmD from the University of Michigan and completed a PGY1 practice residency before joining our PhD Program. Among her many accomplishments, Madeline received the prestigious AFPE Fellowship, an NIH T32 training award in Autoimmunity and Immunopathology, a TL1 postdoc award, an AACP Scholars Award, and has authored 12 research papers to date. After graduation, Madeline plans to seek a position in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Wei-Jen Chan
Wei-Jen received his BS in Chemistry from National Tsing Hua University and was awarded five scholarships before joining our program. Among his achievements, Wei-Jen earned a silver medal in the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, authored eight research papers, and was awarded two patents. Wei-jen has developed new dissolution testing methods for evaluation of controlled release films. His current research is focusing on design and evaluation of a novel drug delivery system for administration of a promising new non-hormonal contraceptive agent. After graduation, Wei-Jen plans to seek a position in the pharmaceutical industry.
Yiyang Zhang, M.S.
Yiyang received two bachelor's degrees in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Mathematics from the University of California, Irvine. In his first two years at PittPharmacy, he published a review paper a primary research paper in the area of artificial intelligence. Yiyang also participated in a site-directed mutagenesis project, prepared two-point mutants of the cannabinoid receptor 2, and is currently characterizing their allosteric modulator binding properties.
Yurisha Duwal
Yurisha Duwal, holds a Bachelors in Pharmacy from Tribhuwan University, Nepal. With a year of experience as a Quality Control Officer in the pharmaceutical industry in Nepal she transitioned to the University of Pittsburgh, where she is currently a first-year PhD student. Yurisha’s research focuses on product development especially for women’s heath, showcasing her keen interest in drug delivery and dosage form development. With aspirations to transition into academia post-graduation, Yurisha is poised to contribute significantly to the advancement of pharmaceutical knowledge.
Zhongfang (Zoe) Zhang, MS, PhD Candidate
Zhongfang (Zoe) Zhang completed her master's degree at the University of Pittsburgh in 2019 and is continuing her Ph.D. studies in Dr. Lisa Rohan's lab. Since joining the doctoral program: She has completed a clinical pharmacology internship at Bristol Myers Squibb. Her work, "FDM-3D printing as a versatile technology to manufacture mucoadhesive vaginal films" has been presented in a poster session at the Controlled Release Society 2023 Annual meeting. Zoe is currently the chair of the AAPS PITT student chapter and the social media director for Nucleate Pittsburgh.