Pharmacy School Expands Research Profile with Hiring Push

In an effort to increase its research presence, the University of Cincinnati’s pharmacy school is welcoming 8 new assistant professors and 3 more faculty members.

This could be the largest 1-time hiring of new faculty for the college, according to The Cincinnati Business Courier.

The school’s efforts to increase its research contributions could be advantageous to local hospitals and companies like Procter & Gamble, the paper reported. Partnerships have already been formed with organizations such as Kroger, the Cincinnati Health Department, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare, which is the largest employer in Northern Kentucky, according to The Cincinnati Business Courier.

Once the new hires get onboard, the faculty will total 44 members, said Neil MacKinnon, PhD, dean of the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy.

Dr. MacKinnon said the goal is for the college to be ranked in the top 20 pharmacy schools, and he believes increasing the amount it receives in research grants could help it move up from the 32nd spot. He would like to double the amount of research grants by 2018.

“We also have to make sure clinical training is strong,” Dr. MacKinnon told The Cincinnati Business Courier. “There, I would argue we have one of the strongest programs in the country.”

Enrollment is not expected to increase in the PharmD program, but Dr. MacKinnon did show interest in encouraging more students to pursue the master’s and PhD tracks.

“If you bring in new faculty, or have ones successful in bringing in research, that attracts a higher quality graduate student, master’s, and PhD students who want to come here because they know they are working with top-notch researchers,” he told The Cincinnati Business Courier.