Program Directors
Pamala Jacobson, PharmD, FCCP
Pamala Jacobson, PharmD, FCCP is a Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy and holds a joint appointment in the Medical School’s Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation. She received her PharmD from the University of Nebraska and completed residencies, including a specialty residency in infectious disease, at the University of Michigan. Dr. Jacobson joined the University of Minnesota in 1998. Her research has focused on the clinical pharmacology of immunosuppressants and anticancer agents, specifically studying pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics of these agents to increase drug efficacy and decrease toxicity. Her primary work is with patients undergoing stem cell transplantation for cancer. She directs the Institute of Personalized Medicine, is co-PI of the Minnesota Precision Medicine Collaborative, and is a member of the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.
Jacob T. Brown, PharmD, MS
Jacob T. Brown, PharmD, MS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy. Dr. Brown’s expertise lies primarily within pediatric pharmacotherapy, pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics, and pharmacokinetics. He completed his undergraduate coursework and doctor of pharmacy degree at Creighton University. Upon graduation, he completed a post-graduate Year 1 Pharmacy Residency at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, followed by a T32-funded fellowship in Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology. During his fellowship, he also completed a Master of Science in Clinical Research through the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Brown joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy on its Duluth campus in 2014. He is one of the investigators on the University’s Grand Challenge Research Initiative working towards statewide PGx implementation.
Program Faculty
Jeffrey R. Bishop, PharmD, MS, BCPP
Jeffrey R. Bishop, PharmD, MS, BCPP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy, and holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. He conducts psychopharmacology and pharmacogenomics research with a focus on examining genetic relationships with symptom improvement, side effects, and cognitive effects of medications. He is a Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist, providing clinical and didactic education to pharmacy and medical trainees. Dr. Bishop earned a degree in biology at Luther College and went on to complete his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Iowa. Subsequently he completed a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology and pharmacogenetics at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy as well as a master’s degree in Clinical Investigation through the University of Iowa College of Medicine. His research work has been supported through local, foundation, and NIH funding mechanisms.
R. Stephanie Huang, PhD
R. Stephanie Huang, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy. Dr. Huang’s research focuses on translational pharmacogenomics with particular interest in anticancer agents. By systematically evaluating the human genomes and their relationships to drug response and toxicity, her goal is to develop clinically useful models that predict risks for adverse drug reactions and non-response prior to administration of chemotherapy. Her lab conducts research through cutting-edge computational and experimental methods. Utilizing cell lines (derived from healthy and disease individuals as well as commercially available cancer cell lines), and clinical samples, the Huang lab discovers and functionally characterizes genetic variations, gene and non-coding RNA (i.e., microRNA, lncRNA) expression for their role in chemotherapeutic sensitivity.
David Stenehjem, PharmD, BCOP
David Stenehjem, PharmD, BCOP is an Associate Professor and Associate Department Head in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy. He is a member of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Stenehjem's outcomes-based research agenda is centered around assessing the role and value of oncology therapeutics and precision oncology in improving outcomes for cancer patients. His research strategy uses real world data collected from major cancer centers across the nation to assess clinical and economic outcomes of cancer patients treated with specific therapeutic agents. This approach allows for the molecular stratification of patients while assessing meaningful outcomes to demonstrate the value of precision oncology and specific cancer treatments. Additionally, translational research is supported by assessing the implications of novel biomarkers with treatment response.
Robert Straka, PharmD, FCCP
Robert Straka, PharmD, FCCP is a Professor and Department Head in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and a member of the Institute of Personalized Medicine in the College of Pharmacy. His research is focused on optimizing the use of therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease by investigating pharmacogenetic, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic sources of variability in drug response, including those that are ethnicity-based. He has partnered in collaborative research with the Minnesota Hmong community for many years and was a 2018 recipient of the UMN President's Community-Engaged Scholar Award.
Brian Van Ness, PhD
Brian Van Ness, PhD is a professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, the director of the Precision Medicine Seminar Series for the Minnesota Precision Medicine Collaborative, and a member of the Institute of Personalized Medicine in the College of Pharmacy. The research in the Van Ness lab is directed at defining genetic deregulation that contributes to lymphoid malignancies, particularly multiple myeloma. Research techniques include gene profiling (expression arrays, SNPs), transfections, flow cytometry, transgenic mice, and PCR.