Almut Winterstein

Almut Winterstein is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida in the College of Pharmacy and Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy. She founded the Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety (CoDES) and directs the Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research. Her research spans pharmacoepidemiology, drug safety, and population-based care, with significant work on teratogenic drug effects, opioid risk mitigation, and real-world data applications.

Her educational background includes a pharmacy degree from Friedrich Wilhelm University in Bonn, Germany, and a PhD in Pharmacoepidemiology from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. She has held leadership roles in the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology as past president and fellow.

Her research focus integrates real-world data with pharmacoepidemiologic methods to evaluate drug safety in pediatrics, perinatal care, and psychiatry. Key projects include FDA-funded studies on gadolinium MRI safety in pregnancy, medical marijuana outcomes, and CMS quality measures. She has developed predictive algorithms for adverse drug events and EHR-based tools for medication error detection.

Recent publication trends emphasize teratogenic risk assessment, opioid safety, CYP450 drug interactions, medical cannabis policy, and health disparities in hypertension and cardiovascular care.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (2013)
• Dr. Robert and Barbara Crisafi Chair for Medication Safety (2017)
• Inducted into the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (2022)

She has served as Principal Investigator on over 25 extramurally funded grants and mentors graduate students in pharmacoepidemiology and real-world evidence generation. Her labs include the Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety and Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research.