Claire DeWeese (Chair) is a third-year graduate student on the Medicinal, Bioorganic, and Computational Chemistry track. She is a member of the Tidgewell Lab and works on improving the activity of natural products through the chemical synthesis of molecular analogs. Before coming to UK, she graduated from Wittenberg University in 2022 with majors in Chemistry and Biology. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, working out, hanging out with her roommates and trying new restaurants in Lexington. 

Manekya Sumithrarachchi (Vice Chair) is a second-year graduate student in the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics track working in Dr. Bauer’s lab. She graduated from Michigan State University with dual B.S. degrees in Neuroscience and Human Biology, and minor in Pharmacology and Toxicology. In her free time, she likes to learn how to cook and bake and enjoys going swimming!

Alexia Alsum (Secretary) is a fourth-year graduate student in Dr. Turner's lab, where her research utilizes in vivo calcium imaging to examine neurocircuitry alterations present with opioid use disorder. Before attending the University of Kentucky, she graduated in 2021 with a B.S. In Chemical Engineering from Dordt University. She loves to spend time with her dog, Malibu!

Julian Mory (Treasurer) is a third-year graduate student in Vincent Venditto’s lab working on triazine-based lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for mRNA delivery. He graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.S. degrees in Chemistry and spent some years working in industry before starting grad school. He enjoys playing the saxophone and salsa dancing with his girlfriend!

Leah Schrass (Historian) is a third-year graduate student in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Engineering track. Her research is on polymer nanoparticle interactions with proteins in Dr. Pack’s lab. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2022. When she’s not in lab, she enjoys reading, playing tennis and watching her roommates cook.

Jaley Adkins (Graduate Program Committee Representative) is a second-year graduate student on the Medicinal, Bioorganic, and Computational Chemistry track working in Dr. Tidgewell’s lab. Before attending UK, she graduated from the University of Louisville with a B.S. in Public Health. When she's not in lab, she enjoys reading, perfecting her bread recipes, and trying to figure out Taylor Swift's next move.

Diaris Báez Maldonado (Events and Networking Chair) is a second-year graduate student in the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics track. Her research in Dr. Vincent Venditto's lab focuses in liposomal formulations for immunomodulation. Before attending UK, she graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus with a B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical in 2023. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as going to concerts.

Nick Guadagnoli (New Student Ambassador) is a first-year graduate student on the Medicinal, Bioorganic, and Computational Chemistry track in Dr. Van Lanen’s lab. Before coming to UK, he obtained a B.S. in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry from the University of Florida in 2023 . In his free time, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and playing bass guitar.

Kylee Meece (New Student Ambassador) is a first-year graduate student on the Medicinal, Bioorganic, and Computational Chemistry track in Dr. Maji’s Lab. They completed their undergraduate studies in Molecular Biotechnology at Western Kentucky University. When time allows, they like to cook, read, draw, and play with animals of all shapes and sizes.

Kaysi Lee (Graduate Student Congress Representative) is a fourth-year graduate student in Dr. Venditto’s lab working on lipid-based delivery systems. She graduated from the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a bachelors degree in chemistry. Kaysi loves spending her free time learning aerial silks or playing with her dog, Carbon!

Dr. Björn Bauer, Ph.D. is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy. He received a BS in Pharmacy in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences/Pharmacology in 2002 from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. From 2002-2007, Dr. Bauer was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NIH/NIEHS in Research Triangle Park, NC, and in 2007 was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. In 2014, Dr. Bauer joined the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, where his research is focused on the regulation of blood-brain barrier function in epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain cancer.

Dr. Patrick J. McNamara, Ph.D. received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1979. He joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1980 and has advanced through the academic ranks to Professor. Dr. McNamara has served as Senior Associate Dean for the College of Pharmacy, as Director (Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Analysis; Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; and Pharmaceutical Sciences), Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Associate Dean for Research and Director of Graduate Studies as well as Interim Dean of the College of Pharmacy. Dr. McNamara's scholarly interests are in the areas of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with a particular emphasis on drug transport into milk and the ontogeny of clearance pathways.   He is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).  In 2006, he was elected to Member-at-Large of the AAPS Executive Committee where he served on numerous committees including the Strategic Visioning Committee.   Dr. McNamara was also very active from 1989 to 1995 at the AAPS Section level serving numerous roles, including Section Chair.