Research News
Pediatric CBD Drug Trial at UMMC Gets Two-Year Extension
December 14, 2020
JACKSON, Miss. – The clinical trial of a new cannabis-derived drug to treat seizures in children has moved into a study of its long-term safety and effectiveness during a two-year extension.
Approved by Food and Drug Administration, the extension will allow further study of the clinically tested investigational drug product in new trial participants as well as in children already participating.
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Understanding COVID-19 Topic for Virtual Oxford Science Cafe
November 11, 2020
OXFORD, Miss. – The infection processes of the COVID-19 virus are the topic for a virtual Oxford Science Cafe scheduled for Nov. 17 by University of Mississippi faculty researchers.
The program will be hosted on Zoom beginning at 7 p.m. Joshua Sharp, associate professor of pharmacology and director of the UM Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence, will discuss “COVID-19 and Heparan Sulfate: The Carbohydrate Handle that SARS-CoV-2 Uses to Grab Your Cells.”
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Pharmacy Student Receives Gateway to Research Fellowship
October 22, 2020
OXFORD, Miss. – Karli Anders, a third-year professional student at the University of MississippiSchool of Pharmacy, has been named a recipient of the Gateway to Research Fellowship by the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education.
The award provides students an opportunity to work on faculty-mentored research projects while improving their knowledge of clinical skills.
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NSF Provides Funds for Major New Research Instrument at University
October 21, 2020
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi will be home to an instrument essential to innovative materials development research, thanks to a Major Research Instrumentation award from the National Science Foundation.
The award is being used to purchase a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation, a highly sensitive balance that can detect changes in mass at the molecular level using a quartz crystal, which registers minuscule deviations in frequencies and loss of energy.
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Natural Products Center Gets NIH Award to Advance Botanical Research
August 10, 2020
OXFORD, Miss. – The National Center for Natural Products Research, in partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has been awarded a nearly-$6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the use of a popular oral supplement in promoting resilience against viral infections.
Through the award, the NCNPR, which is part of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, established the Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center and became a component of the NIH Consortium for Advancing Research on Botanicals and Other Natural Products, or CARBON, Program. Ikhlas Khan, NCNPR director, serves as the botanical center’s director and Nirmal Pugh is associate director.
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Researchers Tackle Challenges of Safe Drinking Water in Mississippi
July 29, 2020
OXFORD, Miss. – Recognizing that clean drinking water is a necessity of life, a group of University of Mississippi professors is using community-based research, education and outreach to work with communities in addressing water quality challenges.
Most Mississippians receive their drinking water from a network of more than 1,100 public water systems. The smaller systems serve dozens of people, while larger ones supply tens of thousands of citizens with water. Other Mississippians obtain their water from private wells.
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Glycoscience Research Center Established at School of Pharmacy
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has received a $10.5 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence Phase I grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a new center dedicated to glycoscience, funded for the first year at $2,107,042.
The Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence, known as GlyCORE, will study how carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing molecules affect human health.
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Pharmacy School Honors Faculty with Teaching, Research Awards
June 25, 2020
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy recognized four of its faculty members for their excellence in and commitment to teaching, service and research during its virtual Faculty and Research Scientist Advancement.
“We are fortunate to have a team of faculty and research scientists that goes above and beyond,” said David D. Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “It’s always a privilege for me to celebrate the work they do for our students, school and the profession with these awards.”
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UM Researchers, Woodcliff Skincare Partner for Aloe Product Patent
OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi researchers, along with Woodcliff Skincare Solutions Inc., have been jointly issued a patent for Alasta, the main ingredient in a line of skin care products being sold under the brand name Sustainable Youth.
The primary ingredient in Alasta is derived from the aloe vera plant and is responsible for the clinically observed effects of enhanced skin firmness and wrinkle reduction. The composition contains aloeride, an immune-enhancing extract that was previously patented by the university and licensed to Woodcliff.
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Repka Presented University’s Top Research Award
OXFORD, Miss. – Growing up in a small Texas town south of San Antonio, Michael A. Repka worked in his father’s pharmacy.
Frank Repka opened Center Pharmacy in Pleasanton in 1961, and Michael started working there when he was 11 – dusting bottles and shelves, restocking those dust-free shelves and performing various tasks for his father.
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Pharmacy Professor Awarded Grant to Study Neuroregeneration
OXFORD, Miss. – Vitor H. Pomin, a professor in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, has received a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to investigate the molecular details and potential active compounds in the process of neuroregeneration.
Pomin, assistant professor of pharmacognosy, will seek to better understand the biochemical mechanisms that limit the ability of the nervous system to recover after damage.
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New Center to Engage Mississippi Communities as Research Partners
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi is home to a new center that aims to empower local communities to take charge of their community development, policy change and resilience building by using data and the arts.
The UM Community First Research Center for Wellbeing and Creative Achievement, or UM: CREW, will be a resource for Mississippi communities – from counties and cities to groups of citizens – to create, access, analyze and apply knowledge and data to improve community well-being and local and regional decision-making.
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UM Partners with Emerald Bioscience to License Cannabis-derived Drugs
OXFORD, Miss. – The cannabis research program at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy has partnered with pharmaceutical company Emerald Bioscience Inc. to license two new drug technologies that may provide nonaddictive pain management, prevent blindness and alleviate the threat of irreversible vision loss from glaucoma and other eye diseases.
The two drug candidate formulations include a synthetic prodrug of tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, the main psychoactive compound associated with marijuana, and a synthetic analog of cannabidiol another compound that is attracting widespread attention as a potential treatment for a variety of medical conditions. Both drug candidates are derivatives of the natural THC and CBD found in the cannabis plant.
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