STRIPE Names Recipients of the Inaugural Double Helix Awards

During a special ceremony at the STRIPE Annual Meeting & Consensus Workshop on October 23, 2024, at the US Pharmacopeia (USP) Campus in Rockville, Maryland, American Society of Pharmacovigilance (ASP) announced the recipients of the inaugural STRIPE Double Helix Awards. The event at USP brought together the pharmacogenomics community to develop consensus standards and strategies for advancing precision medicine.

STRIPE Double Helix Award recipients and presenters gather to commemorate the event. Image Credit: American Society of Pharmacovigilance

The STRIPE Double Helix Awards recognize excellence in 2 categories:

• Excellence in Advancing Pharmacogenomics Through Collaboration: This award honors leaders who have driven significant advancements in pharmacogenomics (PGx) by fostering collaboration across disciplines, organizations, and sectors. Their work has helped bridge gaps in science, practice, and policy, accelerating the adoption of PGx.
• Outstanding Achievement in Pharmacogenomics: This award highlights individuals or organizations whose groundbreaking contributions in research, innovation, education, clinical implementation, or advocacy have profoundly impacted the field, advancing scientific understanding and the clinical application of pharmacogenetics to improve patient outcomes.

American Society of Pharmacovigilance president Sara Rogers, PharmD, BCPS, presented the awards during the STRIPE Annual Meeting and Workshop at US Pharmacopeia headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. Image Credit: American Society of Pharmacovigilance

The awards were presented by ASP president Sara Rogers, PharmD, BCPS, and ASP executive director Ben Brown. The recipients, selected through an open nomination process, represent the highest levels of innovation, leadership, and impact within the field.

Excellence in Advancing Pharmacogenomics Through Collaboration

This award honors leaders who have driven significant advancements in pharmacogenomics by fostering collaboration across disciplines, organizations, and sectors. Their work has helped bridge gaps in science, practice, and policy, accelerating the adoption of PGx.

Kristine Ashcraft

Kristine Ashcraft is the president and founder of YouScript. Ashcraft has worked in pharmacogenomics since 2000 and was named one of the 25 leading global voices in precision medicine. She is the Founder and President of YouScript, an award winning clinical decision support tool that has integrated PGx-guided personalized prescribing in the clinical workflow for over a decade. She has authored multiple publications on the clinical and economic benefits of PGx testing and serves on numerous PGx advisory groups including the STRIPE Steering Committee, CPIC, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) PGx task force.

Cynthia Bens

Cynthia A. Bens serves as the senior vice president for public policy at the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC). In this capacity, she leads the Coalition’s policy development and government relations efforts and serves as its primary liaison with the US Congress and federal regulators. In collaboration with PMC’s senior vice president for science policy, Bens is responsible for implementing research, regulatory and reimbursement policy strategies that promote the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine concepts, services, and products to benefit patients and health systems.

Before joining PMC, Bens was the vice president of public policy at the Alliance for Aging Research. Bens guided the Alliance’s federal policy work, represented the organization in multiple national coalitions, and directed all aspects of coalitions led by the Alliance. She spent more than a decade at the Alliance advancing policies to expedite the development of interventions for neurological diseases and physical frailty; to remove access barriers for cardiovascular disease treatments; and to enhance the quality of care for older adults living with multiple chronic conditions.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Bens was a senior manager of Government Affairs with the Loeffler Group. As part of its federal government affairs practice, she represented client interests before the US Congress and the administration. Her core areas of focus included appropriations, budget, health care, education, telecommunications, and international trade. Through various other positions on Capitol Hill and in the private sector, she has acquired extensive experience researching and analyzing federal legislation and regulations.

Bens holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University with concentrations in political science and women’s studies.

Burns C. Blaxall, PhD

Burns C. Blaxall, PhD, is senior vice president of precision medicine at Aranscia, where he is catalyzing the adoption of precision medicine across health systems, providers, payers and employers. Most recently he served as the founding executive director of precision health at The Christ Hospital Health Network, developing a nationally recognized program for proactive, individualized care. Previously, he founded and led translational and clinical research centers, serving as principal investigator on dozens of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and foundation grants as well as chairing peer review panels for the NIH, various foundations and several editorial boards. He received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado and has held academic faculty and leadership positions at Duke University, the University of Rochester, and the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he remains an adjunct professor. Blaxall holds several patents, has given over 200 invited lectures across five continents and has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He has received numerous honors and awards and holds several leadership roles in professional societies and boards for precision medicine and therapeutic discovery.

Philip Empey, PharmD, PhD, FCCP

Philip Empey, PharmD, PhD, FCCP, is the associate director of the Institute for Precision Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC and an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy. He directs the Pharmacogenomics Center of Excellence and leads the PreCISE-Rx and Test2Learn teams to implement pharmacogenomics clinical, research, and educational initiatives. As a clinician-scientist, Empey conducts NIH-funded clinical and translational research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of the variability in drug response to improve medication-related outcomes.

Jose Estabil

José Estabil is chief business officer of Cipherome and co-founder of Latinos in Bio. Estabil is a connector and technology innovator. His recent executive roles focus on AI-assisted precision medicine. He also advises early-stage technology companies. José translated cutting edge AI, genomics and optics using his science acumen and problem solving into profitable molecular diagnostics, chip diagnostics, and semiconductor devices that resulted in reducing the risk of leg amputations, cost effective semiconductor manufacturing, and faster circuits, respectively. He is the chief business officer of Cipherome, Inc, and co-founder of Latinos in Bio, the leading Latinx social-capital education non-profit in the life sciences.

Bernard Esquivel, MD, PhD

Bernard Esquivel, MD, PhD, is CEO of GenXys. Esquivel is a physician-scientist and senior executive with deep expertise in precision medicine, digital health, and regulatory affairs. With specialization in immunology, allergies, and medical genetics, and over 12 years of experience, he has led biotech and health science innovations, translating them into actionable solutions. A Harvard-certified expert in health care regulatory topics and AI in health care, Bernard has also contributed to the NIH as a senior editor for genetic summaries. He founded and presides over the Latin American Association of Personalized Medicine and has served as chief medical officer for various global organizations, advocating for precision medicine and digital health advancements.

Christine Formea, PharmD, MHI, BCPS, FCCP, FASHP

Christine Formea, PharmD, MHI, BCPS, FCCP, FASHP, is a pharmacogenomics clinical pharmacist at the Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora. Formea has been involved with implementing Pharmacogenomics through patient care, education, and research endeavors in health care organizations for more than 20 years. She leads health care teams to build systems and processes within organizations using innovative tools and electronic health records for scalable and sustainable models to deliver personalized care to all patients, in all communities.

Blaine Groat, PharmD, MS, BCSCP

Blaine Groat, PharmD, MS, BCSCP, is senior scientist for the 2025 to 2030 USP Personalized Medicines group at USP, within the Healthcare Safety and Quality Center of Excellence. In this role, he conducts research on future USP standards in personalized medicines, focusing on pharmacogenomics and digital therapeutics.

Daniel Hertz, PharmD, PhD

Daniel Hertz, PharmD, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. He received his PharmD from Rutgers University and PhD from University of North Carolina under Howard McLeod. Hertz’s research focuses on developing individualizing treatment strategies for patients with cancer and translating them into clinical practice. He has particular interests in biomarkers of taxane-induced neuropathy and DPYD testing to prevent severe fluoropyrimidine toxicity.

Carrie Hoefer, PhD, MBA

Carrie Hoefer, PhD, MBA, is associate dean for Online and Undergraduate Programs at the University at Buffalo in New York. Hoefer earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Buffalo in 2015, specializing in Pharmacogenomics and Epigenetics related to anthracyclines in the lung and the heart. Following her PhD, Hoefer pursued a post-doctoral fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute from 2015-2016 in Epidemiology.'

After her post-doctoral fellowship, Hoefer moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and opened the first master's of pharmacogenomics program in the country both on-campus and online. During her tenure at Manchester she decided to round out her skill set and obtained an MBA from Indiana University at the Kelley School of Business in 2019. Her time as an MBA student provided her with a lot of insight into running online programs, networking, and how to build strong successful programs in academia.

Following her MBA, Hoefer worked as a genomics curator at OmniSeq (Labcorp) with cancer oncology. Hoefer realized her passion was in academia and joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati at the end of 2020 to launch another online master's in Pharmacogenomics, and Graduate Certificate in Pharmacogenomics.

In 2023, Hoefer re-joined her "family" at the University of Buffalo and continues to make strides in not only the online academic experience and growth, but also works with undergraduate students helping them obtain their goals- whether that be a graduate academic experience or the right job after school.

Geoff Hollett, PhD

Geoff Hollett, PhD, is lead science policy analyst with the American Medical Association. In his role, he develops and implements policy on behalf of American’s physicians on topics including precision medicine, direct-to-consumer testing, and medical device regulations. He is a member of the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health, and a steering committee member for the American Society of Pharmacovigilance’s Standardizing Laboratory Practices in Pharmacogenomics initiative. Geoff received his PhD in Materials Science from UC San Diego and has previously served as a scientific advisor to the California state legislature as a science policy fellow.

J. Shawn Jones, PhD, MS

J. Shawn Jones, PhD, MS, is an associate professor at the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), on the Dallas campus, where she has served for the past 5 years. She has led the effort to incorporate PGx education into the PharmD curriculum, mentored PharmD students in PGx research, and developed a PGx elective and a student PGx Club, demonstrating her expertise and commitment to advancing the field.

As a founding member of STRIPE and the leader of the STRIPE Education Team, Jones plays a pivotal role in shaping the educational landscape of pharmacogenomics. Her research focuses on PGx education and implementation, making significant contributions to the field.

Prior to her tenure at TTUHSC, Jones was a founding faculty member at 2 new pharmacy programs: The UT Tyler Fisch College of Pharmacy for 5 years and the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy in West Virginia for 8 years. At all 3 institutions, she has been instrumental in integrating PGx into pharmacy education.

Before joining STRIPE, she was a founding member of the Pharmacogenomics Access and Reimbursement Coalition, where she worked to understand the payment and policy landscape for pharmacogenetics testing and its role in disparities in patient access. She is also an active member of the Clinical Pharmacogenetic Implementation Consortium and the Pharmacogenomic Global Research Network. Jones earned her PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from The University of Texas Medical Branch and her Master of Science in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas. Her academic and professional journey underscores her dedication to advancing pharmacogenomics and improving patient outcomes through education and research.

Raymond Lorenz, PharmD, BCPP

Raymond A. Lorenz, PharmD, BCPP, is a pharmacogenomics expert and seasoned psychiatric pharmacist with over 20 years of clinical and research experience plus 11 years of industry experience. During his time in industry, he has held various medical affairs roles at Assurex Health, Sage Therapeutics, and Quest Diagnostics. Most recently, Lorenz was associate medical director for pharmacogenomics at Castle Biosciences. Currently, he is principal consultant at Gulf Coast Pharmacy Consultants. Prior to joining industry, Lorenz was involved in patient care at a community mental health center as a psychiatric pharmacist. He used a collaborative practice agreement to evaluate and treat patients with serious mental illnesses. Additionally, he was responsible for the psychopharmacology education of medical students and residents at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. His peer reviewed publications include articles on psychiatric pharmacogenomics and the economics of pharmacogenomics.

Ryan Nelson, PharmD

Ryan Nelson, PharmD, is the medical director of Precision Medicine at ARUP Laboratories where he focuses on empowering clinicians to better guide their treatment of patients. Nelson is one of the founders of MetaCensus- an initiative focused on expanding access to scientific evidence strengthened by more extensive collaborative peer reviews, meta-analyses, and resulting consensus development. Nelson’s endeavors aim to reduce barriers to access to scientific evidence, promote critical review, and highlight where the data suggest future investigation should focus. Nelson’s work on MetaCensus extends from his disposition to improve pharmacotherapy through leveraging pharmacogenetics and therapeutic drug monitoring. Nelson’s efforts are a byproduct of bright mentors and collaborators and mentors including Howard McLeod, Gwendolyn McMillin, Jaime Natoli, Erik Foresman, Jacob Barzee, and Sara Rogers.

Micheal Pacanowski, PharmD, MPH

Micheal Pacanowski, PharmD, MPH, is the director of the Division of Translational and Precision Medicine in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology at the FDA. He oversees a multidisciplinary team of clinical scientists who lead the Office’s regulatory review, research, and policy activities related to pharmacogenomics, biomarkers, targeted therapies, and drug development for rare diseases.

Jai N. Patel, PharmD, BCOP, CPP

Jai N. Patel, PharmD, BCOP, CPP, is associate vice president of Translational Research and Director of Cancer Pharmacology & Pharmacogenomics at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute and Associate Director for Shared Resources Management at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also associate professor at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Patel received his PharmD from the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy and completed an oncology pharmacogenomics postdoctoral fellowship at the UNC Center for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy. Patel leads cancer pharmacology research with an emphasis on pharmacogenomics research and implementation and oversees pharmacogenomics integration across the health enterprise. His projects range from gene discovery and translational studies to prospective interventional trials using pharmacogenomics to optimize anticancer and supportive care therapies. Patel has published over 150 articles, editorials, book chapters and abstracts on the topics of pharmacogenomics, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical sciences.

Victoria Pratt, PhD

Victoria Pratt, PhD, is the director, scientific affairs at Agena Bioscience in Wolcottville, Indiana. Pratt is past president of Association for Molecular Pathology. Pratt continues to serve on the CDC GeT-RM program for reference materials for Molecular Genetics, the National Academy of Medicine’s Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health, and the American Medical Association’s Molecular Pathology Current Procedural Terminology Advisory committee. Pratt graduated with a PhD in Medical and Molecular Genetics from Indiana University School of Medicine. Her fellowship training was in PhD Medical and Clinical Molecular Genetics at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.

Bronwyn Ramey, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, HCLD(ABB)

Bronwyn Ramey, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, HCLD(ABB), is a director of precision medicine at LetsGetChecked in Louisville, Kentucky. Ramey has nearly 20 years of experience in pharmacogenomics, successfully launching numerous labs from concept to operation. She has managed all facets of testing, quality systems, product development, and regulatory compliance for both start-ups and large healthcare systems. With a commitment to service, she volunteers with STRIPE, Pharmacogene Variation Consortium (PharmVar), CPIC, Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network (PGRN), and European Molecular Genetics Quality Network. As a director, she has repeatedly achieved exceptional turnaround times, vanishing failure rates, and laboratory excellence by always seeking to "fix what hurts." Bronwyn has driven the development of in-house LIMS products, LDT validations on various platforms, and pharmacogenomic interpretation algorithms, including novel haplotypers. She is also well-versed in all things CAP, New York State Department of Health, and FDA. Bronwyn’s mission is to reduce healthcare disparities and foster collaboration and continuous improvement in the laboratory community.

Sharmeen Roy, PharmD

Sharmeen Roy, PharmD, is the CSO of DoseMe in Miami, Florida. 20-year career spans pediatric clinical pharmacy, clinical research, pharmacogenomics, and strategic leadership. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed a Pediatric Specialty Pharmacotherapy Residency at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is board certified in pharmacotherapy and holds a certification in pharmacogenomics from University of Florida. Her tenure includes esteemed institutions such as Texas Children's Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Center, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and Miami Cancer Institute. At PipelineRx, she held senior roles, managing large teams and driving client engagement for over 500 hospitals. She is actively engaged in CPIC, STRIPE, PIDS, American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), ASHP, and PPA. Being a practitioner who embraces technology, Sharmeen strategically blends her extensive clinical expertise with cutting-edge innovations, leading the way in enhancing patient care. Currently settled in sunny Miami, FL, she enjoys exploring the local culinary scene, calming beach runs, and cherishing precious family time.

Robert Schuck, PharmD, PhD

Robert Schuck, PharmD, PhD, is the deputy director of the Division of Translational and Precision Medicine (DTPM) in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology at the FDA. DTPM is a multidisciplinary team consisting of translational scientists with clinical pharmacology, human genomics, epidemiology, and molecular biology expertise. The division focuses on regulatory review, research, and policy development in the areas of pharmacogenomics, biomarker qualification, drugs for rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism, and genetically targeted therapies.

April Schultz, PharmD

April Schultz, PharmD, is director, operations and pharmacogenomic services at Sanford Imagenetics. Schultz obtained her PharmD from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy and holds Clinical Application of Pharmacogenomics certification from the University of Florida. Prior to focusing on pharmacogenomics, Schultz developed an inpatient pharmacy department in a small rural hospital serving acute care, outpatients, skilled and long-term care patients.

Schultz served as a content expert for oncology and led all inpatient and outpatient sterile product organization at Sanford Health - Sioux Falls prior to transitioning to pharmacogenomics. She is an active member of PGRN, CPIC, ACCP, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), ASP, and STRIPE. Schultz serves as the co-principal investigator of the BETTER study, a multi-center observational study funded through Sanford Children’s Genomic Medicine Consortium, which aims to increase knowledge of pharmacogenomics in the pediatric population with anxiety and/or depression.

Jeffrey A. Shaman, PhD, MS

Jeffrey A. Shaman, PhD, MS, is the chief science officer at Coriell Life Sciences (CLS), an international leader in precision medicine. Leveraging extensive experience in genetics and pharmacology, he is a leading expert in the rapidly evolving field of pharmacogenomics, the study of how an individual’s DNA impacts his or her response to medication. Most importantly, Shaman plays a critical role in bridging the gap between genetic science and clinical application. This includes translating decades of cutting-edge genetic research into actionable insights on the safest and most effective medications for individuals based on their unique DNA and dozens of other factors. Driven to advance public health, Shaman is focused on enabling the delivery of personalized medicine at scale and empowering the most precise medical care worldwide.

Sharon Shriver, PhD

Sharon Shriver, PhD, is a senior analyst with the policy team of the ACS CAN, where she engages in research and analysis of emerging science with an eye to policy and legislative applications. She currently manages ACS CAN’s Blue-button clinical trial, and recently helped lead a coalition to draft recommendations for equitable discovery and implementation of pharmacogenomic testing in cancer care. Sharon’s research at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in human lung cancer risk. Prior to joining ACS CAN, Sharon was senior director of the nonprofit Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, where she led the organization’s efforts to create and implement programs, resources, and policy related to the ethics of research with human and animal subjects.

Patrick Silva, PhD, MBA

Patrick Silva, PhD, MBA, leads programs to enhance the clinical and economic impact of the research enterprise at Texas A&M Health. He has overseen the development of over 300 successful collaborations transactions with academic, nonprofit, and commercial organizations across the United States, Europe, and Asia, spanning start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Rick links faculty members and partners in the biopharma, diagnostic, and medical informatics industries. He directs a CPRIT-funded clinicogenomics core coupled to cancer screening populations and the Interprofessional PharmacoGenomics registry and biobank program, a pioneering clinical science initiative that collaborates with medical informatics and laboratory medicine experts to create a clinicogenomic registry and research network for the implementation of pharmacogenomics. He is a co-I on NIH-funded GCC REACH HUB and advises several startup companies dedicated to the development of innovative pharmaceuticals. Rick holds an academic appointment with the Institute Bioscience and Technology-Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine.

D. Max Smith, PharmD, BCPS

D. Max Smith, PharmD, BCPS, is a clinical pharmacogenomics specialist at MedStar Health and assistant professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. Smith earned a PharmD at the University of Toledo and is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. At the University of Florida, he completed a PGY-1 hospital residency and completed a PGY-2 residency and fellowship specializing in pharmacogenetics. His overarching research interest is studying implementation and clinical outcomes from the application of pharmacogenetic information in prescribing decisions. In his current role, he facilitates implementation and oversight of clinical pharmacogenetic testing throughout MedStar Health. He also provides an electronic PGx consult service throughout MedStar Health.

Annette Taylor, PhD, MS, FACMG

Annette Taylor, PhD, MS, FACMG, is associate vice president and strategic director, pharmacogenomics at Labcorp where her roles include providing scientific and strategic leadership for the pharmacogenomics and celiac disease programs, serving as medical science liaison, and directing the Esoterix Coagulation molecular laboratory in Englewood, Colorado. She has also initiated and collaborated on the development of several new diagnostic tests in the areas of pharmacogenomics, celiac disease, thrombophilia, and early onset alzheimer disease. She has more than 20 years of experience in pharmacogenomics, and serving as an expert panelist, she played a role in the 2020 MolDx expanded PGx coverage policy.

Taylor serves on the STRIPE Collaborative Community Steering Committee as the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) representative and is a member of the ACLA Regulation of Laboratory Services Committee, CPIC, PGRN, and Precision Medicine Coalition. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and co-authored the ACMG Technical Standard and Guideline for venous thromboembolism laboratory testing (Factor V Leiden and Factor II c.*97G>A). Taylor is a board-certified clinical molecular geneticist and genetic counselor, and she earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology at UCLA and an MS in genetic counseling at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She also holds a certificate from the Inner MBA program for leadership. Prior to her position at Labcorp, Taylor founded Kimball Genetics, Inc, a genetic testing company which she led for 15 years as president and CEO. Outside her professional work, she serves on the board of directors for Lighthouse Writers Workshop, a literary arts organization in Denver, Colorado.

Wrenda Teeple, PharmD

Wrenda Teeple, PharmD, is president of Arbit Consulting LLC. Teeple earned her degree from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy with a research emphasis in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology. Following the completion of the residency program at Regions Hospital, Wrenda joined Arbit Consulting as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist, where she is now owner and president. Wrenda provides regulatory strategy and support for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, as well as academia and investigator-initiated clinical research.

McKenna Tennant, MPH

McKenna Tennant, MPH, is a policy analyst on the Personalized Medicine team in the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics (OHT7) within FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. In her current position, McKenna contributes to the development and implementation of in vitro diagnostic regulatory policy and procedures to assure that patients have access to safe, effective, and high-quality in vitro diagnostic devices. McKenna also supports OHT7's efforts to foster innovation and advance regulatory science for in vitro diagnostic devices for personalized medicine, specializing in areas related to companion diagnostics, the oncology diagnostics pilot, pharmacogenomics, next-generation sequencing, and genetic database recognition for regulatory purposes. She received her bachelor's degree from Yale University and her master's degree from University of Washington's Institute for Public Health Genetics.

Outstanding Achievement in Pharmacogenomics

The STRIPE Double Helix Awards for each recipient of the award. Image Credit: American Society of Pharmacovigilance

This award highlights individuals or organizations whose groundbreaking contributions in research, innovation, education, clinical implementation, or advocacy have profoundly impacted the field, advancing scientific understanding and the clinical application of pharmacogenetics to improve patient outcomes.

Kelly E. Caudle, PharmD, PhD, FCCP

Kelly E. Caudle, PharmD, PhD, FCCP, is an associate member in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She received her PharmD and PhD from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and completed a pediatric residency at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Caudle serves as the Co-PI and Director of the NIH grant for the CPIC. CPIC provides guidelines that
enable the translation of genetic laboratory test results into actionable prescribing decisions for specific drugs. To date, CPIC has published 28 gene-based clinical guidelines covering 29 genes and over 150 drugs. Caudle oversees all CPIC-related projects and the CPIC guideline development process including the coordination of the guideline writing committees, the guideline evidence reviews, and the writing of the guideline manuscript and supplement. Furthermore, Caudle is involved in the clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Emily Cicali, PharmD, BCPS

Emily Cicali, PharmD, BCPS, is a clinical associate professor at University of Florida, College of Pharmacy. She is also an assistant director for clinical pharmacogenomics for the UF Health Precision Medicine Program and the Clinical Director of MyRx, UF Health’s pharmacogenetics consult service.

Cicali received her PharmD degree from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, completed a pharmacy practice residency at Tabula Rasa HealthCare in Geriatric Personalized Medicine and a fellowship in pharmacogenomics at the University of Florida. Her research interests include clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics as well as further understanding the role of phenoconversion for optimal medication safety.

Andrea Gaedigk, PhD, MS

Andrea Gaedigk, PhD, MS, is a professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Mercy Research Institute in Kansas City where she directs the Pharmacogenetics Core Laboratory in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation. Her work focuses on variation in pharmacogenes in diverse adult and pediatric populations in clinical and basic research which has led to over 245 peer-reviewed publications. She is also directing the PharmVar which serves as a vital resource for researchers and clinicians worldwide. She is also closely working with the Pharmacogenomics KnowledgeBase (PharmGKB), the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) and other organizations and groups including STRIPE to promote the implementation of pharmacogenetics into clinical practice. Gaedigk is a collaborator on many internal, national, and international research projects.

Houda Hachad, PharmD, MRes

Houda Hachad, PharmD, MRes, (she/her/hers) currently serving as vice president clinical operations at AccessDx Lab, has an extensive background in pharmacogenetics and drug metabolism. With experience as co-founder and chief science officer at Translational Software, Hachad co-developed the pharmacogenetic database e-PKgene. Additionally, Hachad has held roles as a program manager and Senior Research Scientist at the University of Washington, focusing on drug interaction databases. With a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a Master of Research in Drug Metabolism and Clinical Pharmacology, Hachad's expertise spans various areas of pharmaceutical research and consulting.

Pamala Jacobson, PharmD, FCCP

Pamala Jacobson, PharmD, FCCP, is a Distinguished Professor and Associate Department Head in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, and the Director the Institute of Personalized Medicine in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota. She received her PharmD from the University of Nebraska and completed her residency training at the University of Michigan and then became a member of the faculty. She joined the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy faculty in 1998. Jacobson is a clinical pharmacologist where her research focuses on the clinical pharmacology of immune suppressants and how genetic variation in DNA and the gut microbiome influences drug pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy and toxicity.

Teri E. Klein, PhD

Teri E. Klein, PhD, is Professor of Biomedical Data Science and Medicine (and of Genetics, by courtesy) at Stanford University with a PhD from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is known for her work on pharmacogenomics and computational biology. She is a principal investigator for PharmGKB, CPIC, The Pharmacogenomic Clinical Annotation Tool, and the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen). Her area of professional expertise extends over clinical and research pharmacogenomics, the study of how variation in human genetics impacts drug response phenotypes, and clinical from the computational lab bench to clinical implementation. Klein’s PGx and ClinGen teams are focused on the development of software infrastructure to support the gene-disease curation and variant curation processes that provide the curated information to build ClinGen’s publicly available knowledgebase, and to build novel tools for curating gene(s)-drug(s) assertations and curations in the community and the translation of that knowledge for patient care.

Akinyemi Oni-Orisan, PharmD, PhD

Akinyemi Oni-Orisan, PharmD, PhD, (he/him/his) is an associate professor at UCSF with appointments in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and the Institute for Human Genetics. Currently, Oni-Orisan's lab is funded by the NIH to investigate genetic and social determinants of pharmacological health outcomes in understudied groups. Oni-Orisan earned both his BS in biology and PharmD degrees at the University of Michigan. He obtained his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of North Carolina. Following this, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Clinical Pharmacology Training Program at UCSF. Oni-Orisan then joined the faculty at UCSF in 2017.

Natasha Petry, PharmD, MPH

Natasha Petry, PharmD, MPH, is an associate professor of Practice at North Dakota State University (NDSU), and a pharmacogenomics clinical pharmacist at Sanford Health, both in Fargo, ND. She also serves as the residency program director for Sanford Health Imagenetics’ Post-graduate Year 2 Clinical PGx Residency program. Petry serves as a preceptor for 4th year pharmacy students, PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents, and for a remote National Institute of Health elective for Laboratory Genetics and Genomics fellows. She completed a BS in Microbiology, PharmD, and MPH all from NDSU in Fargo. Petry completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at Trinity Health in Minot, North Dakota. Petry was influential in the startup of Sanford Imagenetics' PGx program including design, policies, education initiatives, and clinical decision support. She continues to support innovation through her work developing a PGY2 Clinical PGx residency program and a PGx clinic that can see patients from across multiple states thanks to telehealth. She has authored many PGx publications including many journal articles and textbook chapters. She helped update the core pharmacist competencies in genomics and the ASHP statement on the pharmacist's role in clinical pharmacogenomics.

She served as a module author for ASHP's PGx certificate. Petry has given multiple presentations about PGx across North America. She has participated in NIH-funded Implementing Genomics in Practice Network (IGNITE) I and II grants. She has held leadership positions in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy's Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics/Pharmacogenomics Practice and Research Network and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Pharmacogenomics Special Interest Group. She is a member of the PGx Spoke Team for the PGx ECHO run through the University of Minnesota. Her practice and research interests include the implementation of PGx, the use of PGx in primary care, drug-gene-disease therapeutic overlap, and PGx educational and training initiatives. She is licensed to practice pharmacy in ND, MN, WI and IN and is a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist She has been working in the area of pharmacogenomics since 2014. In 2024, she was recognized as the North Dakota Health-System Pharmacist of the Year.

Bani Tamraz, PharmD, PhD

Bani Tamraz, PharmD, PhD, is an associate professor of Clinical Pharmacy and the inaugural director of Pharmacogenomics at the University of California San Francsico (UCSF) School of Pharmacy. He served as the clinical lead for the May 9, 2023, launch of the clinical pharmacogenomics (PGx) program at UCSF Health. As a PGx advocate, Tamraz provided expert testimony to the California Assembly Health Committee in support of the Pharmacogenomics Advancing Total Health (PATH) for All Act (Assembly Bill 425), which was signed into law (effective July 2024) making PGx a benefit for Medi-Cal members, California’s state-funded health program. He completed his PharmD at UCSF and clinical practice residency at UCSF Medical Center. Following his residency, he pursued a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics at the Institute of Human Genetics at UCSF. His current research and clinical practice focus on advancing and promoting the field of PGx.

Kristin Wiisanen, PharmD, FAPhA, FCCP

Kristin Wiisanen, PharmD, FAPhA, FCCP, is Dean and Professor at the Rosalind Franklin University College of Pharmacy, where she focuses on expanding interprofessional graduate precision medicine education. Previously, at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, she served as associate dean for Lifelong Learning, associate director of the UF Health Precision Medicine Program, director of the Graduate Program in Precision Medicine, and director of Pharmacogenomics Residency and Clinical Fellowship programs. Her publication record includes more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles on innovative clinical and educational approaches in pharmacogenomics and patient care. Wiisanen is a fellow of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, a UF Entrepreneurial Faculty Fellow, and Editor-in-Chief of APhA’s flagship publication, Pharmacy Today.

Michelle Whirl-Carrillo, PhD

Michelle Whirl-Carrillo, PhD, is a principal investigator and director of the PharmGKB. She has been active in the pharmacogenomics field for over 20 years and has led or contributed to a multitude of national and international collaborative PGx projects. Her research aims to leverage structured PGx knowledge for the advancement of personalized medicine through development of curation methods and frameworks, standardized terminologies, genome annotation tools and computational data analysis. She earned her PhD in Biophysics from Stanford University and her SB in Biology from MIT.

Organizations

• The Golden Helix Foundation – led by George Patrinos and Christina Mitropoulou
• Department of Veteran Affairs - National Pharmacogenomics Program (NPP) – led by Deepak Voora, Jill Bates, Shawn Dalton
• Advocates for Universal DPD/DPYD Testing (AUDT) – Karen Merritt and Joanne McIntyre represent AUDT in the STRIPE Collaborative Community