When they attend scientific conferences, former fellows of Courtney Fletcher, Pharm.D., dean emeritus of the College of Pharmacy, find each other. They are proud members of an exclusive club and "a pretty tight group," said Anthony Podany, Pharm.D., assistant professor of pharmacy practice and science.
But now, the "band is getting back together" at UNMC. The College of Pharmacy's sixth annual Biopharmaceutical Research and Development Symposium will double as a tribute to Dr. Fletcher and his career of pioneering work in the field of infectious diseases. The symposium is set for Sept. 4-5 in the Sorrell Center's Truhlsen Events Center.
The slate will include speakers from both academia and industry — but several of the headliners will be mentees of Dr. Fletcher, who have since gone on to impressive careers in their own right.
Dr. Fletcher's longtime collaborators, Timothy Schacker, M.D., of the University of Minnesota, Charlie Flexner, M.D., of Johns Hopkins and Susan Swindells, M.B.B.S., one of UNMC's top scientists, also will present.
Click here for the full list of speakers.
Dr. Podany said the symposium also will be a great opportunity for students and graduate students interested in getting into clinical pharmaceutical sciences research.
Dr. Podany's own path in that field is a UNMC success story. He was working as an R&D chemist and looking to enroll in pharmacy school when Dr. Fletcher was named dean in 2007.
Dr. Fletcher was the rare sitting dean to also maintain a robust, NIH-funded research lab. Dr. Podany eagerly signed on to help. "Our paths aligned," Dr. Podany said.
Four years later, when Dr. Podany graduated with his Pharm.D. from UNMC, he became the last of the dozen-or-so people to earn a fellowship with Dr. Fletcher.
It was a tough decision to commit to additional training on a fellow's salary with two young children at home, but "it's been the best thing I've ever done."
After several more years of hard work, he's now in another hard-to-join club, with a faculty position at an academic health sciences center. He's assistant professor of pharmacy practice and science, an NIH-funded principal investigator, with lab space right by his old boss.
"He's still a mentor, but now he's also one of my closest friends," Dr. Podany said.
Now, the rare few who share that same bond will gather at UNMC to celebrate their mentor, and present their own expertise. Dr. Podany has been with Dr. Fletcher at conferences and symposiums when one of his former fellows is up there, speaking.
"I can tell those are the moments that make him most proud," he said.
For more on the symposium, contact Corey Hopkins, Ph.D., or click here.
Hearty Congratulations to Drs. Courtney and Anthony. Indeed, Dr. Courtney’s great mentorship brought forward several great scientists in the field. As Dr. Podany rightly noted that BIO Pharmaceutical conference is a great venue to see most of them together. Look forward to it!
Congratulations Dr. Courtney Fletcher!