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College of Pharmacy and Nutrition

From the Desk of the Dean

Winter 2024

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Welcome

Dr. Jane Alcorn, Professor and Dean

Happy New Year everyone! The Polar Vortex certainly smashed our dreams for a continued mild winter – however, we DO live in Saskatchewan and we should not expect anything less than just plain cold outside!

The beginning of the 2024 academic term saw us welcoming new employees into the college. Dr. Kelsey Cochrane, a former graduate of our BSc Nutrition program, has joined us as an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the Division of Nutrition. Her research will focus on human milk, maternal nutrition, and developmental origins of health and disease. Simone Downer will provide administrative support to the undergraduate and graduate programs. Curtis Anton now serves as the college’s HR SBA and Jordan Robertson as the Finance SBA.

Our PharmD students returned from Professional Development Week (PDW) where we learned they represented the college well in the various competitions and events held at PDW. Please Click Here to learn of our PharmD student accomplishments. As well, our Nutrition students showcased their First Year Research Experience (FYRE) research before Christmas – a highly successful undergraduate student research experience.

Some important upcoming events include our Academic Awards Ceremony, which will be held on March 10 in room 1150 of the Health Sciences Building. Also in March, the students will be contributing to Nutrition Awareness Month and Pharmacy Appreciation Month.

Below are some highlights of the college compiled by our Communications Specialist, Jason Belhumeur. Enjoy! 

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Professional Development Week

Hosted by the University of Toronto

Professional Development Week (PDW) is an annual conference hosted by a different Canadian pharmacy school each year. This four-day conference brings pharmacy students together from across the country to network, apply their practical skills and expand their knowledge on various healthcare topics.

Read More

College Holiday Party

Thank you for Attending!

Thank you to all who made it to the College Holiday party. Nice to see so many happy smiling faces playing fun games, and eating great food. Please feel free to check out some pictures from the party below.

A big thank you to Erin Wrubleski for organizing such a great event at the High Up Above room at the Holliday Inn.

party photos

College Information Handbook

The Handbook Resource is Now Available Online

The Handbook contains information on college governance and structure and summaries of College policies and procedures with specific emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion principles. A link to the College’s Strategic Plan is contained herein and information regarding the monitoring of the college strategic plan can be made available if requested.

We intend to update the handbook yearly and we encourage your suggestions and comments in regard to the material contained within this handbook, as well as recommendations on policy revisions.

 

Our Food is our Future

A Podcast by Eat Well Saskatchewan

Our Food is our Future, is an original podcast produced with Eat Well Saskatchewan and graciously funded by the Community Initiatives Fund. It's a 20-part series that explores food as medicine and the wellness of our communities with an Indigenous perspective.

Food explorer and host Moe Mathieu will bring you along on his quest to share stories, knowledge and excitement about traditional foods and the role food plays in our culture here in the province of Saskatchewan. Our Food is Our Future has collaborated with inspiring guests, community leaders, food experts, and knowledge keepers, all brought to the banquet table to share their experiences. This is Our Food is Our Future.

Listen to the Podcast Here 

medSask Nationwide

A Tool That Supports Pharmacists

medSask is gaining nationwide reach! The tool is supporting pharmacists with prescribing for various minor ailments and self-care conditions and is now used by thousands of students and professionals in every province across Canada.

See what director Charity Evans and associate director Danielle Larocque have to say about medSask.

Full Article 

PDW Indigenous Pharmacy Student Award

Sasha Merasty

The USask-PDW Indigenous Pharmacy Student Award supports one Indigenous USask pharmacy student to attend Professional Development Week 2024, a student conference aimed at providing the student recipient opportunities to gain valuable knowledge, network with peers and experts, and share their unique perspectives on Indigenous culture, heritage, and contemporary issues. The award conceptualization was inspired by the inaugural Bridging the Gaps Fund created by the CAPSI National Executive Council 2022-2023. Read More

Sasha

U Sports & BNI Athletes on Track bursary

Amou Madol

Amou Madol, a third-year PharmD student, won the U Sports & BNI Athletes on Track bursary.

U SPORTS, in conjunction with BlackNorth Initiative (BNI), announced today the recipients of the Athletes on Track bursary. Eight Black student-athletes from across Canada, within the U SPORTS ecosystem, were awarded the bursary in the program’s second year of operation.

The initiative offers a $5,000 bursary to eight Black student-athletes. BNI will additionally assign a mentor to each student, providing assistance and guidance in various general skills like resume construction and public speaking. 

Featured Research

Dr. Robert Laprairie

INNOVATOR: Research at USask enters uncharted territory every day.

Dr. Robert Laprairie (BSc’10) is the Saskatchewan-GlaxoSmithKline Chair in Drug Discovery and Development in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. His team’s research is focused on the development of new therapies from cannabis and other natural sources. The objective is to develop therapies for people who suffer from epilepsy, depression and anxiety that are not effectively treated by existing treatments. Dr. Laprairie’s innovative lab research has long-standing benefits for families in Saskatchewan and all over the world who are suffering from illnesses. This research can dramatically change lives, but it needs the support of donors to have maximum and immediate impact.

Alumna Feature

Amanda Geradts

Amanda graduated from the college of Pharmacy and Nutrition in 2018. Since then, sha has worked in a variety of settings including clinical, outpatient, and private practice.

As part of the Nutrition Program team, Amanda and her colleagues partner with community-based organizations to deliver free cooking classes to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. Through both in-person and online classes, they teach a combination of food skills and nutrition concepts tailored to the needs of the group.

Read More 

College Equity Library

Borrow, Browse or Donate Books

Available to all members of the College, Students, Staff, and Faculty. The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition is pleased to announce a new initiative from the Indigenous Initiatives Committee and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Committee: The College Equity Library can be found in the front office in HLTH 2A20. Learn More

Convocation

Congratulations to the Class of 2023

Congratulations to the Class of 2023

The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition recognizes the accomplishments of a new generation of health leaders and innovators that has prepared itself to #BeWhatTheWorldNeeds. 

Best wishes in your future endeavors as USask alumni!

Published by:

Jason Belhumeur 
Communications and Alumni Relations Specialist 
Pharmacy and Nutrition 
University of Saskatchewan 

Phone: 306-966-2502