VCU Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow Program

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A Class of 2026 graduating student in regalia looks off into the distance with pride and hope ahead of the Hooding and Diploma Ceremony in a large theater-style space.

Hooding and Diploma Ceremony speaker to VCU Pharmacy Class of 2026: 'Readiness is not a feeling. It's a decision.'

May 22, 2026

At Hooding & Diploma Ceremony, graduating Class of 2026 reflects on persistence, resilience and how vital it is to keep swimming.

Headshot of Mikayla Harris

Harris named 2025 ACCP-ASHP-VCU Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow

March 9, 2024

"This fellowship offers an unparalleled opportunity to drive change at the intersection of health care and policy," Dr. Uhomba shared. "I believe that through this platform, I can create lasting reforms that impact health care access and equity across the nation."

Ally Thompson joins Dean K.C. Ogbonna to receive the Dean's Awards at the 2026 Graduate Awards Ceremony.

Students recognized for excellence at 2026 Graduate Student Awards Ceremony

May 8, 2026

"How do we sustain this journey to excellence through our careers?" asked keynote speaker Dr. Patricia Slattum. "Well, it requires keeping our attention on why we're doing it."

Dr. Holdford and Dr. Pontinha smile together for a photo while Dr. Pontinha holds a VCU Pharmacy pennant just before Dr. Pontinha graduates from VCU School of Pharmacy in 2022.

'Be that person that’s a joy to be with': Notable Pharmacy educator, researcher and dedicated mentor David Holdford retires after 31 years

May 6, 2026

Bringing 'wisdom' and 'the element of humor' to the job, the Pharmacoeconomics and Health Outcomes professor rarely gave students THE answer – and that, they say, is what made them better leaders.

The VCU School of Pharmacy team poses on stage at the AACP 2025 Mock Trial Competition in Chicago in July 2025.

VCU team finishes Top 2 in the nation in AACP Mock Trial Competition

Aug. 8, 2025

VCU School of Pharmacy students competed in the national championships in July, where they finished second.

Arzu Moosvi

Pharmacy on a global scale: An interview with Arzu Moosvi

Jan. 24, 2025

By establishing the Arzu F. Moosvi Global Medicine Travel Award, Dr. Moosvi is paying it forward, allowing pharmacy students the chance to follow the journey she has taken toward a career in global health.

two researchers wearing sterile lab covering making balm.

Why pursue a Pharm.D. concentration in pharmaceutical industry

March 21, 2026

How can our concentration in pharmaceutical industry set you up for success in your career? We’re glad you asked.

Ally Thompson smiles for a photo after her dissertation defense.

Dr. Thompson successfully defends dissertation

April 10, 2026

Ally Thompson, Ph.D., defended her dissertation this month and has earned her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in medicinal chemistry.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. students Ally Thompson and Albert Opare win 2026 J.D. Smith Award

March 31, 2026

The J.D. Smith Award is given annually to graduate students in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry with the most significant distinction in scholarship, research, teaching and service

bharath villuri

Bharath Villuri, Ph.D., accepted into NSF's I-Corps Customer Discovery Workshop

March 31, 2026

I-Corps and its workshops focus on translating academic research into commercialization opportunities.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. student Grace Rilee earns F31 grant from NIDCR

March 31, 2026

Rilee is the second student in the history of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry to earn this prestigious award.

youzhong guo

Youzhong Guo, Ph.D., receives grant renewal from Bayer R&D

March 31, 2026

This project is just one of several examples of the collaboration that exists between our faculty and pharmaceutical industry partners.

Students use digital health technologies, including virtual reality headsets, in a computer lab at VCU School of Pharmacy.

VCU School of Pharmacy launches digital health, geriatrics and pharmaceutical industry concentrations for Pharm.D. program

Dec. 17, 2024

Students can gain specialized training that will prepare them for careers in growing areas of the pharmacy profession.

Voices in Pharmacy Innovation logo with a microphone with an Rx on it

Introducing Voices in Pharmacy Innovation

Jan. 6, 2026

The new podcast, launching this week, will uncover how pharmacy practitioners and health care leaders can make change happen in pharmacy practice.

nick williams

Get to know Nick Williams, Ed.D.: Fun facts and more

Feb. 20, 2026

Introducing the School of Pharmacy’s director of alumni engagement

A VCU student with a gold sweater, a mask and her hair in a bun administers the COVID-19 vaccination to an older adult man at the VCU Health Hub at 25th in 2021

Why pursue a Pharm.D. concentration in geriatrics

March 7, 2026

Delve into how our new geriatrics concentration can set you up for success in your career.

Jurgen Venitz laughs alongside the audience at the VCU School of Pharmacy Research and Career Day in 2019 when the scholarship named for him was announced.

Beloved mentor and champion of Pharm.D./Ph.D. dual degree program Jürgen Venitz dies at 70

Feb. 3, 2026

Generous with his time and ‘an authentic leader,’ Venitz was a role model for the students, postdocs and colleagues he mentored in his more than 30 years in the Department of Pharmaceutics at VCU School of Pharmacy.

Rana Amayreh stands with V C U pharmacy faculty and advisors after defending dissertation

Ph.D. student’s work aims to expand pharmacist clinical services in Virginia

Dec. 17, 2025

Class of 2025 Rana Amayreh has developed a resource focused on increasing uptake of statewide protocols and Medicaid billing for community-based pharmacist services in Virginia.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Department of Medicinal Chemistry names 2024-25 awardees

Feb. 15, 2026

The department named five students and postdoctoral fellows as winners of six awards.

A group of Pharm.D. students work together on a microelectronics project, connecting wiring to a circuit board, in the VCU School of Pharmacy computer lab.

Why pursue a Pharm.D. concentration in digital health

Feb. 9, 2026

Take an inside look at our new digital health concentration and how it can set you up for success in your career.

dave dixon

VCU Pharmacy faculty help shape ADA’s 2026 Standards of Care in Diabetes

Dec. 19, 2025

Recommendations from Dr. Dave Dixon focus on addressing and preventing cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among people with diabetes.

Six people, including a student in formal business attire who has just completed her dissertation defense, smile together for a photo in front of a chalkboard with computational medicinal chemistry formulas written on it.

Dr. Fayyad successfully defends dissertation

Dec. 11, 2025

Rawan Fayyad, Ph.D., defended her dissertation this month and has earned her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in medicinal chemistry.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. candidate wins Online People's Choice Award for VCU Three-Minute Thesis Competition

Dec. 11, 2025

Albert Opare won the Online People's Choice Award after competing as a finalist in the 3MT Competition in October.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. candidate wins presentation award at Commonwealth of Virginia Cancer Research Conference

Dec. 11, 2025

Sarita Pandit won a best presentation award at the recent event, hosted by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

A professor in a dress shirt and blazer sits smiling in his lab in front of a projector with a 2-D representation of the interconnection of molecules while holding two vials of different liquids as additional vials of liquid sit on his desk in front of him

Dr. Youzhong Guo pioneers a new biopharma blueprint

May 23, 2025

A commitment to membrane proteins has rendered technology that has placed Youzhong Guo, Ph.D., an associate professor in our Department of Medicinal Chemistry, on the radar of some of the largest players in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Shijun Zhang

Shijun Zhang named 2024 NIRA Scholar

Nov. 25, 2024

Shijun Zhang, Ph.D. becomes the third VCU Pharmacy faculty member to be named a NIRA Scholar.

Four masked students stand side by side in front of a wall of pharmacy artifacts during a spring 2021 photo shoot.

Student group, co-founded by Amir Behdani, aims to bridge the digital divide in health care

May 11, 2021

The digital divide is cutting many people off from health care. A group of pharmacy students at Virginia Commonwealth University aims to bridge that gap.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Dr. Arjun Raghuraman earns ACS' Mid-Career Investigator Award

Aug. 27, 2025

The award was announced at the American Chemical Society Fall Meeting in August.

Portraits of Dr. Yana Cen and Dr. Hylton Gravatt on a gold background

Drs. Cen and Hylton Gravatt named VCU faculty awardees for research and teaching excellence

Sept. 11, 2025

These awardees, who raise the number of such honorees at VCU SoP to five in the last three years, will be recognized at the university's Faculty Recognition Gala in October.

Standing next to Dean K.C. Ogbonna, Balaji Nagarajan accepts the Exceptional Customer Service Award

Medicinal Chemistry faculty earn VCU School of Pharmacy awards for excellence

Aug. 28, 2025

Dr. Cen earned the Award for Excellence in Research and Dr. Nagarajan earned the Customer Service Award at the 3rd Annual VCU School of Pharmacy Convocation.

Keynote speaker Anna Prilutsky addresses the audience in the Library of Virginia auditorium at the 3rd Annual School of Pharmacy Convocation.

Haleon R&D leader at Convocation: Innovation is ‘figuring out how to open doors for those who will make a difference’

Aug. 22, 2025

Keynote speaker Anna Prilutsky addressed faculty, staff and new students to share how she got her start in her career as an innovator before the community celebrated seven faculty and staff honorees and five faculty promotions.

Jannatun Namme stands next to a research poster she shared during VCU Research Day

Small molecule could alleviate acetaminophen-induced liver injury, Medicinal Chemistry student's research reveals

Aug. 21, 2025

Jannatun Nayem Namme, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at VCU School of Pharmacy, is presenting her team's results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) this week.

Jean-Venable

Dr. Jean-Venable "Kelly" Goode receives 2025 Kappa Epsilon/Merck Vanguard Leadership Award

June 26, 2025

A person who nominated Dr. Goode for the award stated that she embodied "the ideals of Kappa Epsilon by lifting others up to achieve personal and professional goals, developing leaders and serving her community through professional and philanthropic services."

Headshot of Laurel Uhomba

Uhomba named 2025 ACCP-ASHP-VCU Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow

May 16, 2025

"This fellowship offers an unparalleled opportunity to drive change at the intersection of health care and policy," Dr. Uhomba shared. "I believe that through this platform, I can create lasting reforms that impact health care access and equity across the nation."

Keith Ellis

Ellis appointed Director of B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program

March 18, 2025

After serving as interim director since August, Keith C. Ellis, Ph.D., began his role as the Director of the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program, effective March 17.

yan zhang

Yan Zhang appointed as director of VCU's Center for Drug Discovery

Oct. 5, 2024

This week, Yan Zhang, Ph.D., was named Director of VCU's Center for Drug Discovery, formerly known as the Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development.

VCU School of Pharmacy Dean K.C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., David Volles, Pharm.D., and Director of OEE Wanda Coffey.

UVA Health System’s David Volles awarded 2024 preceptor of the year

Sept. 5, 2024

The Office of Experiential Education celebrates the winners of the 2024 Preceptor of the Year Award and the Outstanding Preceptor Awards.

Pharm.D. student Alice Adkins presents her research to a classmate capturing her on camera during Research Day.

Students delve into discoveries at VCU School of Pharmacy Research Day 2025

Oct. 27, 2025

Seven students earned awards for excelling academically and for presenting their findings at this year's Research Day.

Dean K.C. Ogbonna and Associate Dean Mary Peace McRae stand on either side of graduate student poster award winners Grace Rilee and Yasir Alshehry, at the front of a lecture hall on Research Day.

Ph.D. student wins poster award at VCU School of Pharmacy Research Day

Oct. 27, 2025

Grace Rilee won one of two graduate poster awards at the recent schoolwide event.

Rasajna Madhusudhana accepts an award from Dean K.C. Ogbonna during the school's Graduate Awards Ceremony

Ph.D. candidate Rasajna Madhusudhana wins VCU Three-Minute Thesis competition

Oct. 15, 2025

The Medicinal Chemistry student, advised by Yana Cen, Ph.D., will represent VCU in the regional round at the Council of Southern Graduate Schools Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February.

Piyusha Pagare

VCU researcher’s opioid use disorder project earns NIH Director’s Pioneer Award

Sept. 5, 2025

Medicinal chemist Piyusha Pagare’s new project will focus on counteracting the lethal effect of synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. candidate wins poster presentation award at Walter Lawrence Cancer Retreat

Sept. 12, 2025

Ally Thompson won one of three poster presentation awards at the recent event, hosted by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

A woman speaks into a microphone at a lectern and gestures with her hand.

Dr. Krista Donohoe earns Distinguished Teaching Award at VCU’s 43rd Annual Faculty Convocation

Sept. 5, 2025

Dr. Donohoe, who began her career as an eighth-grade teacher, encourages Convocation audience to consider – and thank – a teacher who made a difference for them.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Dr. Farhana Sakloth earns VCU 10 Under 10 Award

Aug. 27, 2025

She and the other 2025 honorees — the 11th group of alumni to receive this special honor — will be recognized Oct. 25 at a private ceremony.

logan neel

Postdoc Logan Neel hired as assistant professor for undergraduate program

Aug. 18, 2025

Dr. Logan Neel, a graduate of VCU, is the first faculty member hired for the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at VCU School of Pharmacy.

Jannatun Namme stands next to a research poster she shared at Research Day 2024

Ph.D. student Jannatun Namme earns ACS National Meeting Travel Award

July 23, 2025

A student in Dr. Shijun Zhang's lab, Jannatun Namme will present her work at the Washington, D.C., meeting next month.

Recent pharmaceutical engineering graduate Asma Al-Terawi, Ph.D., in her doctoral tam, hood and gown poses for a family photo with her husband and their three sons after the VCU School of Pharmacy Hooding and Diploma Ceremony on May 9, 2025.

At graduation, Class of 2025 reflects on perseverance and the support that got them through

May 16, 2025

Keynote speaker Tiffani Bailey Lash, Ph.D., encourages Ph.D. and Pharm.D. graduates to "embrace the tools of tomorrow without forgetting the humanity that brought you here."

Six VCU School of Pharmacy faculty and staff members join the dean and Rodney the Ram (VCU's mascot) to celebrate their years of service to the university

For their service to VCU, these big numbers reflect their even bigger impact

May 23, 2025

Nearly 3,000 faculty and staff are cited for milestone years at the annual service celebration – and two School of Pharmacy faculty have dedicated at least 35 years of service to the university.

A student presents findings during a research poster presentation at Research Day at Haleon.

Students excel in exceptional Research Day at Haleon

Oct. 31, 2024

Eight students earned awards for excelling academically and for presenting their findings at this year's Research Day at Haleon.

A group photo of six students and one faculty member holding small paper bags full of dental hygiene supplies with handles.

SoP student-led project supports patients in recovery from opioid use disorder

March 6, 2025

Pharm.D. students leading the Resilient Smile Project recruited students across VCU Health Sciences to help patients address the oral health side effects of buprenorphine.

laura frankart

Frankart leads School of Pharmacy's academic and faculty affairs

Nov. 26, 2024

Laura Morgan Frankart, Pharm.D., M.Ed., began her role as the school’s associate dean for academic and faculty affairs, effective Nov 25.

Christian Moon, wearing a VCU School of Pharmacy white coat with his name and

Christian Moon earns 2024 Walmart Health Equity Scholarship for Pharmacy Students

Nov. 25, 2024

Christian Moon is one of seven students in the nation this year – and the first ever in Virginia – to earn this national scholarship.

richard glennon

New listing of the world’s most-cited scientists includes Glennon, 10 other VCU faculty who rank in the top 50 of their fields

Oct. 31, 2024

The 2024 Stanford Elsevier report highlights the top 2% globally, and VCU’s broad presence reflects its expanding research portfolio.

Three students smile while wearing v c u pharmacy white coats.

‘Remember that word: community,’ Beckner tells community of Pharm.D. students at White Coat Ceremony

Oct. 4, 2024

On Sept. 23, faculty, staff, friends and family gathered at St. Paul’s Baptist Church North to celebrate VCU School of Pharmacy’s newest Doctor of Pharmacy students, formally welcoming them into the pharmacy profession at the Pharm.D. Class of 2028 White Coat Ceremony.

Erika Nixon-Lambert

Erika Nixon-Lambert serves as graduate speaker at VCU's Second Annual Sankofa Pinning Ceremony

Oct. 5, 2024

P3 student Erika Nixon-Lambert was selected as VCU's graduate student speaker for the university's Second Annual Sankofa Pinning Ceremony last Saturday.

three representatives from the v.c.u. school of pharmacy hold up a signed agreement while representatives from taipei medical university hold up a signed agreement on a video feed displayed on a large screen

VCU School of Pharmacy announces partnership with Taipei Medical University

Dec. 1, 2023

VCU School of Pharmacy and Taipei Medical University in Taiwan have signed a memorandum of understanding that confirms the intention of the institutions to develop collaborative activities in academics and research.