Dr. Oksana Buzhdygan is a Senior Researcher in Theoretical Ecology at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy at Freie Universität Berlin. She holds a PhD in Ecology from Chernivtsi National University and has held postdoctoral positions at institutions including the University of Georgia (USA) and Freie Universität Berlin. Her research focuses on biodiversity-ecosystem functioning links, multitrophic interactions, and ecological network analysis. Education: BSc, MSc, and PhD in Ecology (2000–2008), Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine Postdoctoral Fellowships: University of Georgia (2010–2012), Freie Universität Berlin (2013–2021) Research Interests: Environmental change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functions Ecological network analysis of multitrophic systems Food web dynamics in grasslands and freshwater ecosystems Publications reflect her expertise in biodiversity effects on energy flow, human impact on ecosystems, and plant diversity drivers. Her work bridges theoretical ecology with applied conservation challenges, particularly in grasslands and agroecosystems. Labs/Teams: Member of the Tietjen Group (Theoretical Ecology at Freie Universität Berlin), collaborating widely in international projects on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Kevin Pan is an Associate Professor of Quantitative Analysis at Samford University’s Brock School of Business, where he teaches and researches at the intersection of business analytics, finance, accounting, management, healthcare, education, and Christian faith integration. Education Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics, Stanford University M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University B.S. in Electrical Engineering (minor Mathematics), National Taiwan University Research Interests Dr. Pan’s work centers on leveraging data analytics to solve real-world problems in business and society. He explores financial fraud detection, corporate social responsibility, healthcare quality, and the ethical implications of data-driven decision making. A distinctive thread in his scholarship is the integration of Christian worldview with business analytics education and practice. Publication Trends His recent articles (2017-2023) reveal a dual focus: methodological contributions in data visualization and analytics education, and applied studies addressing opioid prescribing, hospital fraud, congregational fraud, and pandemic ethics. The work spans accounting, finance, healthcare, pharmacy, and business ethics journals. Service & Outreach He actively volunteers with Hope Heals , a Christian disability ministry founded by Samford alumni, and participates in local church activities in Birmingham, Alabama.
Carlos Wong is an Assistant Professor at The University of Hong Kong, affiliated with the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy and the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care. His research focuses on epidemiology and health services research, particularly using retrospective administrative databases and cost-effectiveness analysis of healthcare interventions. PhD in Pharmacology/Health Services Research (University of Hong Kong) Bachelor & MPhil in Mathematics (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Research interests integrate big data , machine learning , and AI with epidemiological modeling and health policy evaluation , emphasizing real-world evidence generation for chronic and infectious diseases. Recent publications in The Lancet , Clinical Infectious Diseases , and Diabetes Care demonstrate cross-disciplinary expertise in pharmacoeconomics , diabetes complications management , and COVID-19 treatment optimization . Glasgow/HKU Early Career Mobility Fund (2016) HMRF Research Fellowship (2017)
Emma Dunlop is a Research Fellow at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, within the Faculty of Science. She has been part of the Pharmacoepidemiology & Healthcare Research Group (PEHCR) since 2010, specializing in qualitative research methods with a focus on patient-centered healthcare applications. Her educational background includes: Honours degree in Psychology, University of Strathclyde (2009) MPhil, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences (2024) Post Graduate Certificate in Knowledge Exchange, University of Strathclyde COSCA qualification in Counselling Skills, Napier University Dunlop's research centers on patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in cancer care, digital health innovation, and improving services for vulnerable populations including refugees, prison populations, and individuals with mental health conditions. Her work emphasizes patient and public involvement (PPI) in research design and implementation, particularly through qualitative methodologies. Her 2025 publications reveal a strong thematic focus on pharmacy practice transformation, with recurring exploration of stigma reduction in substance dependency treatment, preceptorship program development for advanced pharmacy practice, and systematic implementation of PROMs in Scottish cancer care pathways. Scientific recognition includes: SIPBS Athena Swan Researchers' Prize (2019) Scottish Pharmacist Award for Innovation & Change in Pharmacy Practice (2015) She has supervised MPharm, MSc, and PhD students while securing significant funding from Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, Public Health Scotland, and industry partners including Boots PLC. Major projects include the Cancer Medicines Outcomes Programme (CMOP-PHS) and the Macmillan Rural Palliative Care Pharmacist Practitioner Project. Dunlop co-chairs the Scottish Cancer PROMs Advisory Group and leads the STRATHLab organizational unit, driving collaborative initiatives between academia, NHS, government bodies, and community stakeholders.
Dr. Erik Linstead is an Associate Professor and Senior Associate Dean at Chapman University, affiliated with the Fowler School of Engineering, School of Pharmacy, and George L. Argyros College of Business and Economics. His expertise spans Machine Learning, GPU Programming, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Assistive Technologies, Predictive Analytics, and Virtual Reality. Education: Bachelor of Science, Chapman University Master of Science, Stanford University Ph.D., University of California, Irvine Dr. Linstead's research integrates machine learning with diverse domains, including autism treatment, environmental monitoring, and software engineering. His recent publications focus on coral reef health, land surface temperature trends, and embedded machine learning systems. His scholarly work includes collaborations in remote sensing, medical informatics, and neurodiversity support. Articles highlight his interdisciplinary approach, applying AI to ecological challenges (e.g., Red Sea coral reefs, Nile Basin droughts) and human-centered technologies (e.g., VR therapy for autism, medication adherence analysis).
Professor Andrew McLachlan is the Head of School and Dean of Pharmacy at the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney. He holds a BPharm(Hons1 Medal) and PhD, and is a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). His research focuses on clinical pharmacology, particularly optimizing medication use in special populations such as older adults, children, and critically ill patients. He has led initiatives like the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Medicines and Ageing, and his work emphasizes translating clinical evidence into real-world practice. Education: Bachelor of Pharmacy (First Class Honours) PhD in Clinical Pharmacology Research Interests: Variability in drug response across populations Quality use of medicines in geriatrics Pharmacotherapy optimization in critical care Deprescribing strategies for older adults Grants & Projects: PROSPER Trial (2025): Evaluating opioid alternatives for postoperative pain DREAM Trial (2024): Duloxetine for chronic sciatica Awards: Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Key Contributions: Leading deprescribing initiatives Advancing personalized pharmacotherapy Improving medication safety in vulnerable populations
Eric Widera is a Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. He serves as Director of the Hospice & Palliative Care Service at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, where he leads clinical, educational, and programmatic initiatives. He is a nationally recognized clinician-educator with leadership roles in the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and the Association of Directors of Geriatrics Academic Programs (ADGAP), where he served as past president. Dr. Widera completed his education with a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Irvine, an M.D. from UCSF, followed by residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at UCSF. He further enhanced his academic skills through the Teaching Scholars program and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training at UCSF. His research and academic focus centers on improving care for older adults with serious illness through educational innovation, prognostication, communication, and policy. He is deeply engaged in medical education, having directed the Geriatrics Fellowship at UCSF for over a decade and currently mentoring residents, fellows, and pharmacy trainees. A key interest is the role of digital media in medical education, exemplified by his co-founding of GeriPal, a leading podcast and blog, and ePrognosis, an online prognostic calculator tool. His recent publications span palliative care, Alzheimer’s disease, medical ethics, and health policy, often addressing critical issues in aging and end-of-life care. His scholarly output is extensive and impactful, with recent articles in JAMA , JAMA Internal Medicine , and The New England Journal of Medicine . The body of his work demonstrates a consistent focus on practical clinical challenges, ethical dilemmas, and system-level improvements in care for vulnerable older populations. Themes include prognostic communication, advance care planning, dementia care, and the integration of palliative services across specialties. Dr. Widera has received numerous scientific awards recognizing his excellence, including: Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Award (2011) AAHPM Hospice and Palliative Medicine Leaders Under 40 (2015) PDIA Palliative Medicine National Leadership Award (2014) "Visionary in Hospice and Palliative Medicine" Award (2018) Excellence in Teaching Award, Academy of Medical Educators, UCSF (2022) Master Clinician, Council of Master Clinicians, UCSF (2024) He has been the recipient of multiple grants, including the Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA), and his work has influenced national policy and clinical guidelines. He is an active advisor and educator, shaping the next generation of geriatrics and palliative care leaders. Through his clinical leadership, educational programs, digital platforms like GeriPal, and national advocacy, Dr. Widera plays a pivotal role in advancing the fields of geriatrics and palliative medicine. His work is supported by a robust interdisciplinary team at the San Francisco VA, and he collaborates widely with researchers across UCSF and nationally. His leadership in developing educational resources and digital tools has significantly expanded the reach and impact of geriatrics and palliative care knowledge.
Moosa Tatar is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy , specializing in Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy . His research combines data science and applied econometrics to analyze public health policies, focusing on drug misuse , metabolic syndrome , liver diseases , and COVID-19 disparities. He holds dual PhDs in Health Services Research (University of Nebraska Medical Center) and Economics (University of Mazandaran), with expertise in machine learning , health equity , and vaccine policy modeling . PhD, Health Services Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center PhD, Economics, University of Mazandaran MA, Economics, Azad University BA, Economics, University of Sistan and Baluchistan His work addresses critical public health challenges through large-scale dataset analysis , including excess mortality during pandemics , vaccine inequality , and economic impacts of health policies . Key themes include social vulnerability , health disparities , and policy evaluation using machine learning and econometric modeling . Tatar's research has informed global and national health interventions related to prescription drug monitoring and hepatitis C screening . He is affiliated with the Society for Medical Decision Making , AcademyHealth , and American Public Health Association , serving as an ad hoc reviewer for journals like JAMA Pediatrics and Value in Health Regional Issues . His contact email is mtatar@Central.UH.EDU .
Dr. Vera Tilson is an Associate Professor at the Simon Business School, University of Rochester, specializing in Healthcare Operations Management and Operations Management. Her research focuses on healthcare operations optimization, stochastic scheduling, and supply chain management. Prior to academia, she held roles as a software engineer and project manager in telecommunications, medical instrumentation, and finance. Her teaching interests include quantitative decision-making and healthcare operations, for which she received the MBA Superior Teaching Award in 2009. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications, addressing challenges such as patient no-show management, medication waste reduction, and healthcare GPO strategies. She has published extensively in journals like Management Science, MSOM, and Operations Research. Recent research explores emergency department workflow optimization, humanitarian supply chains, and real-time capacity management in healthcare settings. Her contributions highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining operations research, data science, and healthcare analytics.
Peter M. Fleischut is a prominent physician and academic leader serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He holds an Associate Professor position in the Department of Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, where he has held multiple leadership roles including Vice Chairman and Chief Medical Information Officer. His work focuses on healthcare innovation, digital health integration, and perioperative quality improvement. Education: MD from Jefferson Medical College (2006), BA from University of Delaware (2000) Appointments: Associate Professor of Anesthesiology (Weill Cornell), Senior Vice President (NewYork-Presbyterian) Dr. Fleischut's research spans anesthesiology , digital health , and patient safety . His publications examine topics like telemedicine implementation, sleep apnea impacts on surgical outcomes, and perioperative quality metrics. He has pioneered initiatives in EMR integration, telepsychiatry, and remote patient monitoring. Scientific awards include InformationWeek Elite 100 , Becker’s 40 under 40 , and the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award . He has also received recognition for his work in healthcare leadership and innovation. Dr. Fleischut actively collaborates with organizations like IOwn2 LLC , PA Consulting , and Temporal Health . His career bridges clinical expertise with transformative healthcare technology and operational strategy.
Cheryl Seals is the Charles W. Barkley Endowed Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University's College of Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech, with additional degrees from Virginia Tech, North Carolina A&T State University, and Grambling State University. Her research focuses on AI ethics, natural language processing (NLP), virtual reality (VR) applications in healthcare and education, and promoting diversity in STEM. She leads initiatives like the NSF-funded AI ethics education project and the Institute for African Americans in Computing Sciences (IAAMCS). Notable awards include the Charles W. Barkley Professorship (2020) and participation in Drexel’s ELATES fellowship program. Her work bridges technology and social impact, including VR-based empathy training for medical students and interventions to mitigate pandemic-induced learning loss. She collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, such as automated grading tools for speech therapy and pavement crack recognition systems. Education: Ph.D. Computer Science, Virginia Tech M.S. Computer Science, Virginia Tech M.S. Software Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University B.S. Computer Science, Grambling State University Research Interests: AI Ethics and STEM Education Reform NLP for Sentiment Analysis and Hate Speech Detection VR Applications in Healthcare Training and Empathy Development Computing Equity and Underrepresented Groups Interdisciplinary Tools for Education and Accessibility Awards and Recognition: Charles W. Barkley Endowed Professor (2020–2025) ELATES Fellowship Participant (2024) Grants and Collaborations: NSF Grant: Integrating AI Ethics into STEM Curricula Collaborative Research: Evolution of IAAMCS National Science Foundation (NSF) AI Ethics Initiative Labs and Affiliations: Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Engineering McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security
Angela Liu, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Drug Access and Affordability Initiative and the Center for Health Systems and Policy Modeling, where she conducts research on healthcare financing, managed care, and pharmaceutical policy with a focus on Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs. PhD in Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2024 MPH, University of Washington, 2019 BS in Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, 2016 Dr. Liu's research centers on health policy and its financial implications within the U.S. healthcare system. Her work explores Medicare and Medicare Advantage , insurance design , drug access and affordability , pricing and payment models , and healthcare expenditure . She uses a systems-level, supply-side approach to evaluate how policy changes affect patient outcomes, provider behavior, and cost efficiency. Her recent publications (2023–2025) reveal a strong focus on pharmaceutical policy (e.g., biosimilars, step therapy), geographic variation in spending , and avoidable hospitalizations . These works span journals like JAMA Health Forum and the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy , indicating a high-impact, policy-relevant research trajectory. June Culley Doctoral Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2023 Dr. Liu has been involved in multiple research projects, including state-level Medigap reform and evaluations of price transparency tools. She collaborates extensively with senior researchers such as G. Anderson, M. Buntin, D. Polsky, and K.E. Anderson. While no formal advising roles are listed, her active research output and center affiliations suggest involvement in training and mentorship. She has not received external grant mentions in the provided text but participates in institutional initiatives that likely involve funded research. She is engaged in the Johns Hopkins Drug Access and Affordability Initiative and the Center for Health Systems and Policy Modeling , both of which support interdisciplinary research on health system performance and policy innovation.
Xia Ning is a Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering , the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy (College of Pharmacy), and the Department of Biomedical Informatics at The Ohio State University . She also holds affiliation with the Translational Data Analytics Institute at OSU. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science & Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2012) M.S. in Computer Science, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities M.S. in Statistics, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities B.S. in Computer Science, Chu Kechen Honors College, Zhejiang University, China Research Focus : The Ning Lab pioneers data-driven Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Big-Data analytics with targeted applications in drug discovery, medical informatics, health informatics, and e-commerce . Recent thrusts include generative AI for molecule design, graph neural networks for retrosynthesis, large-language models specialized for chemistry (LlaSMol) and e-commerce (eCeLLM), and reinforcement-learning frameworks for precision-medicine drug selection. The lab’s methodologies are intentionally generalizable, enabling spill-over benefits to domains such as social networks and system monitoring. Publication Trends : Over the past four years Professor Ning has released a steady stream of high-impact articles spanning retrosynthesis planning, LLM instruction tuning for scientific domains, reinforcement learning for drug discovery, and COVID-19 health-analytics . These works repeatedly integrate cutting-edge AI techniques (deep RL, graph Transformers, large-scale instruction datasets) with rigorous experimental validation in chemistry and biomedicine. Scientific Awards & Honors : Sanofi iDEA-TECH Award (2024) 10-Year Highest-Impact Award, International Conference on Data Mining (ICDM, 2020) Grants & Collaborations : Funding includes the Sanofi iDEA-TECH Award and collaborative grants with Amazon Web Services for COVID-19 knowledge graphs. Her open-source datasets (ECInstruct, SMolInstruct, CTKG) and models (G2Retro, LlaSMol, eCeLLM) are publicly released on HuggingFace and GitHub, fostering broad academic and industrial adoption. Labs & Teams : Professor Ning heads the Ning Lab at OSU, a multidisciplinary team focusing on AI/ML methodology and translational applications in health and medicine. The lab actively releases code and interactive web portals to accompany each major publication.
Dr. Chenghui Li is an Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice. She specializes in applied health econometrics and economic evaluation of pharmaceutical products, leveraging her expertise in secondary database analysis for health policy research. Education: Bachelor of Science (BS), Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN Dr. Li’s research focuses on cancer prevention, treatment outcomes, and quality of care; healthcare database research; applied econometrics; economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals; tobacco cessation; and mental health/substance abuse. Her work utilizes large datasets like All-Payer Claims Database, SEER-Medicare, and cancer registries to address health disparities and policy impacts. Her publications span topics such as opioid misuse prevention, cancer survivorship disparities, healthcare utilization in Medicaid vs. commercial insurance, and cost-effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions. She has received recognition including the UAMS Medical Research Endowment Award (2008) and a Biomedical Informatics MBL/NLM Course Fellowship (2009). Scientific Awards: 2006 Post-doctoral Fellow, Rutgers University 2008 UAMS Medical Research Endowment Award Spring 2009 Biomedical Informatics MBL/NLM Course Fellow
Connie Van is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney's School of Pharmacy, with expertise in medication management, chronic kidney disease, adverse drug reactions, and interprofessional collaboration. Her research bridges clinical practice and healthcare systems, with a focus on optimizing care for vulnerable populations such as pediatric cancer patients, dialysis patients, and critically injured children. Education: BPharm(Hons), PhD, Grad Cert Ed Stud (Higher Ed), Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Key research interests include: Medication safety and adverse drug reaction reporting Pharmacist-physician collaboration in primary care Sick day management protocols for chronic kidney disease Pediatric trauma psychosocial support Emergency nursing frameworks (e.g., HIRAID) Recent work emphasizes translational research, including a cluster-randomized trial for CKD screening and a pharmacy-led intervention study. Over 40 publications since 2007 reflect her multidisciplinary approach across nephrology, oncology, and emergency medicine. Notable grants include funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care for kidney disease quality initiatives, and multiple University of Sydney grants for projects like adverse drug reaction reporting tools and pharmacology education innovation. Current research student: Mimi Truong (project on sick day medication management in kidney disease).
