This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 14 for UNMC’s Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator Award recipients.
New Investigator
The New Investigator Award is given to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources. New investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity, such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
- Name: Sean Avedissian, PharmD
- Title: Assistant professor, pharmacy practice and science, UNMC College of Pharmacy
- Joined UNMC: August 2019
- Hometown: Durate, California
Describe your research focus in three words or less:
Central nervous system (CNS) translational pharmacology; pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
Why is research important in the world today?
My research focuses on describing the CNS pharmacology of antimicrobial agents. My lab achieves this by utilizing both clinical and preclinical models. For example, we use state-of-the-art population pharmacokinetic modeling and physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling to estimate drug exposure in patients. Additionally, we use both in vivo and in vitro models to explore drug penetration through the CNS. Recently, we have added the microfluidic chip model to explore drug penetration in a more dynamic manner.
My research will make a difference because:
It can help describe CNS pharmacology to better understand how drugs can be utilized to treat CNS infections. For HIV, this means identifying potential viral reservoirs in the CNS and understanding how different antiretroviral therapy regimens can be used to maximize pharmacodynamic goals. If we can understand the pharmacology of various drugs in the CNS, we can better treat conditions related to CNS disorders. Since my focus primarily is on antimicrobial agents, the knowledge gained from our experiments is not limited to infectious diseases, as it can be applied to various other CNS-related conditions.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
One of my mentors gave me great advice (a quote from Sam Levenson): “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” Academia can be brutal at times, with endless deadlines, constant expectations and a finish line that is constantly moving. The quote is great advice.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- In college at the University of California Davis, I was an Animal Science Major. I thought I was going to be a vet.
- I once was a martial arts champion in California. I now occasionally help teach classes at a local studio.
- I was a pole vaulter in high school and a walk-on at Division 1 UC Davis. I quit the team after I received a C in Calculus 1.
Congratulations! The best is still yet to come.
Congratulations!