2023 Skaggs Scholars Program Award Recipients Announced

It's been said that two heads are better than one. That adage is especially true when it comes to scientific research and harnessing some of the most brilliant minds in the field. That collaborative spirit of discovery is the inspiration behind the Skaggs Scholars Program established in 2011.

Centered at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center and funded by a generous grant from The ALSAM Foundation, the Scholars Program is designed to stimulate collaborative research between University of Colorado (CU) pharmacy faculty members and faculty members at one or more of the six other Skaggs-affiliated institutions: the University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy; the University of California at San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; the Idaho State University, College of Pharmacy; the University of Montana, Skaggs School of Pharmacy; the Scripps Research Institute/Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology; and the University of Utah, College of Pharmacy.

According to its director, Louis Diamond, PhD, Dean Emeritus, the Skaggs Scholars Program has awarded over 40 grants totaling more than six million dollars to pharmacy faculty members at the University of Colorado and their colleagues at the six other Skaggs-affiliated institutions. 

“By virtually any measure one might choose to adopt, the Skaggs Scholars Program has been a remarkable success,” Dr. Diamond said.

Nearly 100 percent of grant recipients have remained in academic positions since receiving their award, and many have earned promotions or experienced other types of significant career advancements. Several dozen peer-reviewed publications have emerged from Skaggs-supported research projects. And in Colorado alone, faculty members who received Skaggs Scholars Program grants have gone on to secure approximately 20 million dollars in additional funding for their research endeavors.

The 2023-2025 Skaggs Scholars Program award recipients from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy

Robert Page, PharmD Professor Effect of Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke on Health Outcomes and Costs in Vulnerable Populations with Cariovascular Diesease in the Western US: A Geospatial Analysis

Tina Brock, EdD Associate Dean for Education, Professor Effect of Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke on Health Outcomes and Costs in Vulnerable Populations with Cariovascular Diesease in the Western US: A Geospatial Analysis

Philip Reigan, PhD Associate Professor, Computational Chemistry and Biology Core Facility Director Dual targeting of DNA and energy metabolism by anthracenyl isoxazole amides in leukemia

Kelly Anderson, PhD Assistant Professor Predicting Operational Sustainability and Patient-and pharmacist-level Effects for Retail pharmacies (PROSPER)

Melanie Joy, PharmD, PhD Professor, Pharmaceutical Science Innovation and Commercialization Director Genetics of Drug-Induced Kidney Disease

Daniel LaBarbera, PhD Professor; Director CU AMC Center for Drug Discovery; Co-Director, Drug Discovery and Development Shared Resource (D3SR) Development of Small Molecule Agonists for Galanin Receptors with Antiseizure Efficacy

Dmitri Simberg, PhD Associate Professor, Colorado Center for Nanomedicine and Nanosafety Co-Director Opto-acoustic imaging (OAI) for understanding and predicting skin toxicities of anticancer drugs