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Pharmaceutical Sciences

Pharmaceutical-Sciences.jpgAbout the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Pharmaceutical Science is an interdisciplinary field of applied sciences pertaining to the design, synthesis, action, delivery, manufacturing, disposition, and evaluation of drugs. The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences consists of about 25 PhD faculty members with expertise in pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, as well as the social and behavioral sciences. All faculty members are involved in classroom and/or laboratory instruction in the four-year professional pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum and graduate instruction with research. Pharmaceutical sciences faculty work together with clinical faculty in highly integrated courses as well as participate in other research/scholarship endeavors.

The department has active researchers with funding from the NIH, FDA, DoD, several State and National Foundations, and the pharmaceutical industry. The research spans the areas of cancer, diabetes, opioid/cannabinoids, drug delivery systems and formulations, manufacturing sciences, epigenetics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and emerging technologies among others. Research is performed in the Rangel School of Pharmacy laboratories in Kingsville and College Station.

Pharmaceutical Science Facilities 

At the Kingsville location, the third floor of Rangel School of Pharmacy is designated primarily for the research which houses 12 faculty offices and laboratories with sizes ranging from approximately 470 to 780 square feet, a common core equipment laboratory, a freezer room, cold room, a computer server room and storage room and administrative offices. Additional space is in adjacent buildings (Kleberg Hall 7,200 square feet, Rhode Hall 1,170 square feet). The department also maintains an AALAAC-accredited state-of-the-art 5000 sq ft vivarium for research with animals in Kingsville campus.

On the College Station campus, about 27,000 square feet of space in the Reynolds Medical Building has been designated for the RCOP. This space houses 12 offices, an active learning laboratory, a sterile products and a compounding laboratory, 12  faculty research laboratories, a new state-of-the-art good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility with almost all the modern equipment for development and evaluation of dosage forms. Separate facilities exist for manufacturing, quality control, stability, and bioequivalence studies. The list of equipment essentially includes state-of-the-art manufacturing, analytical, on-line PAT sensors, near-infrared, FTIR, XRD, chemical imaging, confocal microscopy, Gas and liquid chromatographies with mass spectrometers, thermogravimetric analyzer, differential scanning calorimeters, microscopes, several cell-culture facilities, viscometer/rheometer, microfluidizer, freezers and stability chambers, dissolution and permeability equipment in addition to several basic science equipment in individual faculty laboratories. Please browse through the individual faculty bios to see the research in the department.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is to provide exemplary teaching, research and service in the pharmaceutical sciences.

The department offers an excellent education and training program through an integrated curriculum designed to develop lifelong learners who are independent and competent pharmacists. The department is committed to strong, integrated and cross-disciplinary biomedical research programs in translational research aimed at facilitating drug discovery and development as well as creating novel drug delivery systems. Other faculties perform research that evaluates pharmaceutical treatment paradigms as well as health-related service outcomes. Through these efforts, the department is dedicated to advancing pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical research.

Vision

The faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences with its collaborative research in a comprehensive university will be a national and international leader in pharmaceutical sciences by achieving excellence in research, teaching and service to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Texas and beyond.

Goals

  • Develop a highly sought after pharmaceutical development center with State-of-the-Art facility to translate academic discoveries to therapeutically effective formulations.
  • Increase and improve the overall quality of biomedical research
    • Recruit and retain a distinguished and diverse faculty and staff
    • Develop and maintain a vital, supportive and collegial research environment.
  • Increase awareness of the contributions made by the department to health-related issues of regional and global importance.
    • Seek competitive research funding from federal and State Agencies, foundations, Industry,
  • Strengthen the scientific, economic and societal impact of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences' discoveries, innovations and achievements.
    • Establish collaborative research projects within the Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M and beyond (Global Institute of Hispanic Health, Healthy South Texas, TAMU ASCEND Grants)
    • File patent applications to secure intellectual property.  
  • Continue to improve the quality of teaching and develop innovative approaches to classroom instruction and student assessment

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty

Kingsville Campus

Dr. Fadi Khasawneh
Department Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Khasawneh's bio

Dr. Juan J. Bustamante
Instructional Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Interim Director of Admissions
Dr. Bustamante's bio

Dr. Simi Gunaseelan
Director of Assessment
Instructional Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Gunaseelan's bio

Dr. Sai Sudha Koka
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Koka's bio

Dr. Narendra Kumar
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences &
Interim Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Kumar's bio

Dr. Dai Lu
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Lu's bio

Dr. Jayshree Mishra
Research Associate Professor
Dr. Mishra's bio

Dr. Mohammad T. Nutan
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Nutan's bio

Dr. Srinath Palakurthi
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Palakurthi's bio

Dr. Lin Zhu
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Zhu's bio

College Station Campus

Dr. Hamed I. Ali
Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Ali's bio

Dr. Jongwha Chang
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Chang's bio

Dr. Mahua Choudhury
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Choudhury's bio

Dr. Chendil Damodaran
Associate Dean of Research and Innovation
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Damodaran's bio

Dr. Mansoor Khan
Acting Dean
Regents Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and
Presidential Impact Fellow
Dr. Khan's bio

Dr. Zhenyu Li
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dr. Li's bio

Dr. Ziyaur Rahman
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Rahman's bio

Dr. Indra Reddy
Professor of Pharamceutical Sciences
Interim Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President, Texas A&M Health

Dr. Reddy's bio

Dr. Samikkannu Thangavel
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dr. Thangavel's bio

Dr. Ashish Tytagi
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Tytagi's bio

Dr. Yinan Wei
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Wei's bio

Dr. Erxi Wu
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Wu's bio

Dr. Shiqing Xu
Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Joint Appointment: Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Shiqing Xu's bio

Dr. Lixian Zhong
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Zhong's bio

 

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Dr. Fadi Khasawneh
Department Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Phone: 361.221.0755 | Fax: 361.221.0793
fkhasawneh@tamu.edu | Dr. Fadi Khasawneh's bio 

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Dalia Cavazos
Administrative Associate V
Phone: 361.221.0731 | Fax: 361.221.0793
dgcavazos@tamu.edu

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Samantha Jo Ruiz
Administrative Associate IV
Phone: 361.221.0732 | Fax: 361.221.0793
sjruiz@email.tamu.edu