School of Pharmacy scholar honored for doctoral research

LAWRENCE — Mengyue Li, a University of Kansas doctoral candidate in pharmaceutical chemistry in the School of Pharmacy, was named Highlighted Trainee Author for August 2025 by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and its journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition.

“This is a highly respected distinction for graduate students, recognizing their outstanding contributions to the field,” said Michael Wang, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry.

Li's article, “Comparative transcriptomic profiling of drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters in rabbit ocular subtissues, liver, and duodenum,” was a result of her doctoral research that focuses on how the eye processes drugs, how they are broken down and how they move across eye tissues. 

“Because the eye has unique barriers that can limit drug efficacy, understanding these processes is key to design better treatments,” Li said. "I would say my work aims to help bring safer, more effective and more patient-compatible medicines to people with eye conditions.”