Pharm.D. Research Certificate Program bridges research and patient care

LAWRENCE - A collaboration between Zijun Wang's addiction research laboratory and Pharm.D. student Soyeon Jeung is helping bridge the gap between neuroscience research and clinical pharmacy practice.

Through the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy's research certificate program, Jeung joined Wang's lab, where she has explored how glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, medications commonly used to treat diabetes and obesity, may also have potential applications in addiction treatment, particularly alcohol use disorder. Rather than conducting laboratory experiments, Jeung's work focuses on reviewing and analyzing scientific literature to evaluate how emerging research could influence patient care.

Wang's laboratory investigates how early-life stress, social isolation and molecular changes in the brain contribute to addiction vulnerability and relapse. Researchers are exploring biological targets that could lead to new treatments for opioid use disorder and other substance addictions.

For Jeung, participating in the lab has provided insight into the science behind addiction and strengthened her ability to apply evidence-based research to pharmacy practice. She said the experience has helped her better understand why some patients may be more vulnerable to addiction and how future therapies could improve treatment outcomes.

The program also introduced Jeung to skills not typically emphasized in the professional pharmacy curriculum, including literature evaluation, research design and scientific communication. She learned how to conduct comprehensive PubMed searches, assess the quality of published studies and present research findings to diverse audiences.

Jeung recently presented her work at a University of Kansas research symposium, where she gained experience translating complex scientific concepts into language accessible to both researchers and the public. She said those communication skills will be valuable throughout her career as a pharmacist. 

The collaboration demonstrates the value of integrating research training into professional pharmacy education, Wang said. By working alongside scientists studying addiction at the molecular and behavioral levels, pharmacy students gain a deeper understanding of the conditions they may eventually treat in clinical settings.

Jeung said the experience has also changed her perspective on research itself. While she was not drawn to research at first, she said that she realized it opened a lot of opportunities and helps connect what she had learned as in the classroom into real patient care.

As researchers continue studying the role of GLP-1 medications and other potential therapies in addiction treatment, both Wang and Jeung see their partnership as an example of how collaboration between Ph.D. researchers and PharmD students can help translate scientific discoveries into better outcomes for patients.