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Team studying rare disorder discovers novel way to target melanoma

By Jan Jarvis While studying a rare genetic disorder called NGLY1 deficiency, UNT Health Science Center researchers discovered a new targeted treatment for combating melanoma, a skin cancer that kills about 9,000 people in the United States each year. Their research was recently published in the British Journal of Cancer. The discovery came when UNT…
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UNT System honors scientist who conducts drug studies

By Jan Jarvis   One drug treats hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Another treats complicated intra-abdominal infections. And a third treats skin infections. These are among the many drugs that Jerry Simecka, PhD, has evaluated as part of the discovery process since establishing the Pre-Clinical Services group at UNT Health Science Center a decade ago. The successful…
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Taking home a top pharmacy prize for empathy

By Jan Jarvis   When UNT System College of Pharmacy student of Ellias Hismeh sat down to counsel an older patient taking an opioid and an anti-depressant he faced a daunting task. The woman refused to talk to him. “She was just stone-faced the whole time,” he said. “I tried to ask open-ended questions but…
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The next generation of health care providers

By Alex Branch   A new generation of physicians, physical therapists, physician assistants and pharmacists formally began their journey into the health care profession Friday at the UNT Health Science Center White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony is a rite of passage that encourages new students to fulfill a psychological contract for professionalism and empathy as future…
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Move-in day approaching for new campus building

By Eric Parker   Move-in day is coming for the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Building (IREB). The target date is Oct. 22. The five-story, 173,000-square-foot building will house and support the UNT System College of Pharmacy, the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, and the North Texas Eye Research Institute. The project is ahead of…
Jennifer Fix, PharmD helps in Hepatitis C Clinic

Hepatitis C clinic shows future of pharmacy

By:Jan Jarvis   The medications cost close to $100,000, but they cure hepatitis C in 12 weeks or less. And yet, some patients leave this costly prescription unused in their medicine cabinet. A phone call from pharmacist Jennifer Fix, PharmD, can turn things around and get patients on a path towards a cure for this…
Patrick Clay wins Faculty Award

Faculty award goes to professor with unique approach to teaching

By Jan Jarvis   Patrick Clay, PharmD, is known for making his classes so engaging that even the most challenging concepts involving infectious diseases are easily understood. He has used his own version of improvisational theater to train UNT System College of Pharmacy students to think on their feet, something healthcare professionals must do every…
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Residencies offer specialized training for future pharmacists

By Jan Jarvis   The e-mail that Brittany Cox had been anticipating arrived exactly on time. “I woke up at 7 and it came right after that,” she said. “It was such a relief to finally know what I’ll be doing for the next year.” Cox and 13 fourth-year UNT System College of Pharmacy students…
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Panel at TCU discusses effective ways to combat opioid crisis

By Jan Jarvis A nasal spray of the drug Naloxone can instantly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and save someone’s life. At a time when 115 Americans die daily after overdosing on opioids, the drug could have a huge impact, a panel of experts said at the TCU Annual Health Care Forum “The…
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Innovating to solve pressing health problems

By Betsy Friauf   Innovation in health care delivery is crucial. For proof, look no further than CVS’ plan to buy Aetna or Amazon’s signal that it may begin distributing prescription drugs. For students in the UNT System College of Pharmacy who are looking to become the providers of the future, a crucial element is…