Faculty of Pharmacy

Dear Prospective Graduate Student:

Apotex Centre 750 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 0T5 Telephone (204) 474-9306 Fax (204) 474-7617

Thank you for your interest in the graduate (M.Sc./Ph.D.) program at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba. On identifying a graduate advisor: Please find below a list of Pharmacy researchers who are currently willing to accept new graduate students. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) under the mentorship of any of these faculty researchers, please contact the faculty member directly to express your interest in a graduate position. Examples of pertinent information to provide include a curriculum vitae or resume, all academic transcripts from previous post-secondary institutions as well as the University of Manitoba (as applicable), and descriptions of any previous research- or teaching-related experience. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) under the mentorship of a faculty researcher not listed below, you are also welcome to a. contact that faculty member directly to enquire about potential graduate positions (advisable). b. submit an application to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Your application will be circulated to relevant faculty researchers. On applying to the Faculty of Graduate Studies: After you have negotiated a graduate position, applications to the Pharmacy graduate program are submitted through the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Pharmacy deadlines are as follows:
Session FALL WINTER SUMMER (May Start) SUMMER (July start) Start Date September January May July Canadian/US June 1 October 1 February 1 April 1 International March 1 July 1 November 1 January 1

Minimum requirements for applicants (i.e. eligibility) and the application procedure are described on the University of Manitoba Faculty of Graduate Studies website: http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/graduate_studies.

If you have questions: Please contact Dr. Hope Anderson (Chair of the Pharmacy Graduate Studies Committee) or Ms. Lisa Zhang (Administrative Assistant to the Chair of Graduate Studies).

Hope D.I. Anderson, PhD Associate Professor and Chair of Graduate Studies Email: handerson@sbrc.ca
Updated 03/2013

Lisa Zhang Graduate Program Administrator Email: zhangl@cc.umanitoba.ca

www.umanitoba.ca/pharmacy

Faculty of Pharmacy
Current Graduate Training Opportunities:

Apotex Centre 750 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 0T5 Telephone (204) 474-9306 Fax (204) 474-7617

Dr. Silvia Alessi-Severini is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy. Project: Effectiveness of second generation antipsychotic agents in the youth population of Manitoba: do the risks outweigh the benefits? Treatment of psychiatric disorders has been particularly challenging in pediatric patients. Older antipsychotics (FGAs) have been rarely used because of limited efficacy and significant adverse effects particularly devastating in children. The introduction in the 1990s of the second generation agents (SGAs; e.g. risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone) brought a new hope for treatment of various psychotic symptoms in young patients. However, recent studies have reported new concerns about the safety of the SGAs and their increased use in children as young as 2 years of age. Canadian data on the utilization of antipsychotic agents in children are limited. Our research will use the extensive Manitoba Health databases to determine the utilization of SGAs in the youth population of Manitoba and will measure the incidence of adverse events in this population through the detection of diagnoses and other medications associated with the prescription of antipsychotic agents. Hospitalization rates and use of health care services will also be determined. Linkage with education databases will also allow for follow-up of the schooling received by young patients. The outcomes of this research will help understand the impact of antipsychotic treatments on the wellbeing of children and adolescents in a Canadian province. (204.474.9229; alessise@cc.umanitoba.ca) Dr. Hope Anderson is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy with a cross-appointment in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the Faculty of Medicine. The goal of her research program is to understand how risk factors for cardiovascular disease, especially hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiac hypertrophy (abnormal growth of the heart), and diabetes promote the development of heart failure. Her ultimate aim is to identify new therapies, perhaps from a nutritional perspective, that prevent or slow the onset of heart failure. To achieve this aim, Dr. Andersons laboratory at the St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre uses several models of cardiovascular disease of escalating complexity ranging from cultured heart muscle cells, to isolated hearts and arteries, to hearts and arteries in vivo. Current research in Dr. Andersons laboratory focuses on the following: Protective effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the cardiovascular system. Signaling mechanisms and long-term effects of PUFAs on heart failure are being examined. Signaling mechanisms underlying the protective actions on the cardiovascular system of existing drugs used as therapy in diabetic patients. Elucidation of novel signaling mechanisms underlying cardiac hypertrophy. A specific example includes endocannabinoid-mediated regulation of heart muscle cell growth. Mechanisms of defective artery function in hypertension, and effects of candidate dietary interventions. (204.235.3587; handerson@sbrc.ca)

Updated 03/2013

www.umanitoba.ca/pharmacy

Dr. Emmanuel Ho is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and cross-appointed with the Department of Immunology. His research interests include the development and characterization of novel medical devices, vaccines, and drug delivery strategies for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Dr. Ho is currently looking for motivated and enthusiastic graduate students that can help develop and characterize novel siRNA-based nanomedicines. The candidate will learn techniques ranging from pharmaceutics, materials science, immunology, and molecular biology. Dr. Ho's research program is currently funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF), and the Dr. Paul Thorlakson Fund. (204.272.3180; emmanuel_ho@umanitoba.ca) Dr. Ted Lakowski is an Assistant Professor within the Faculty of Pharmacy. His research interests include metabolomic methods of quantifying epigenetic post-translation modifications within cultured cells and at the enzyme level. The goals of his research are to examine all epigenetic modifications associated with mixed lineage leukemia and the development of drug therapies targeting epigenetic mechanisms. Dr. Lakowskis laboratory is equipped with a Shimadzu 8040 triple quadruple mass spectrometer connected to a Nexera UHPLC. He also has an ABI 433A Peptide Synthesizer and a new AKTA FPLC. There are tissue culture facilities within the faculty and lab space on the third floor of the Apotex building. Dr. Lakowski is accepting applications from graduate students with undergraduate degrees in biochemistry, chemistry, and the pharmaceutical sciences. Applicants should be motivated to learn biochemistry, molecular biology, cell culture, and bioanalytical mass spectrometry. Ideal candidates will have a background in some or all of these disciplines. Exceptional post-doctoral candidates will also be considered. (204.272.3173; ted.lakowski@ad.umanitoba.ca) Dr. Sheryl Zelenitsky is a Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy. Project: Surgical site infection (SSI) is an important complication that leads to significant patient morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Antimicrobial prophylaxis administered within one hour of incision is generally recommended to reduce the risk of SSI. The goal of this project is to conduct pharmacodynamic research which will characterize the relationship between antimicrobial concentrations (exposures) achieved during the operation and the development of infection post-operatively. An important objective of this work is to identify optimal strategies for administering antimicrobial prophylaxis to patients undergoing cardiac and gastrointestinal surgeries. In particular the research will involve conducting experiments in an in vitro surgical mesh model, collecting clinical data and translating these findings using Monte Carlo simulations. (204.474.8414; zelenits@ms.umanitoba.ca)

Updated 03/2013