Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty & Staff
Dr. Kimberly Beck is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Pharmacy Program Director at Butler University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Butler University in 1986. She received a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at the Ohio State University in 1991. In her current role as Associate Professor, she teaches Medicinal Chemistry in the four course Principles of Drug Action sequence. As Pharmacy Program Director, Dr. Beck works with the pharmacy faculty to advance the Butler PharmD program into the future of pharmacy education. Dr. Beck is the co-author of Chapter 35: Coronary artery disease in Foye’s Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, 8th edition. She is a registered pharmacist in Indiana and Ohio and she is certified in Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery (2010). She was awarded the Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Outstanding Pharmacy Science Professor Award in 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023. In 2018, Dr. Beck was awarded the Dr. Terry L. Hageboeck Award “for her devotion to the profession of pharmacy with a passion for students not only in the classroom but also in their personal lives”.
Office Hours:
By appointment
Education
- 2018: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biostatistics, MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX)
- 2015: PhD in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
- 2009: BS in Chemical Engineering, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Courses Taught
- RX 319 – Introduction to Healthcare Analytics
- DATA 612 – Visualization, Storytelling & Ethics
- RX 411/412 – Principles of Drug Action 1 & 2
- RX 314 – Genetics, Genomics & Biotechnology
- RX 499-23 – Introduction to Research Design
Research Interests
My research involves the development of bioinformatic tools to help pharmacists, health professionals and the public better understand complex genomics data, from data processing and analysis pipelines to dashboards for easy visualization. I am also mining and analyzing large metabolomics databases to better understand drug treatment and response mechanisms.
I am also a frequent collaborator with scientists at Butler University and around the country. My contributions have included the processing, analysis, and visualization of different types of ‘omics data. Research projects have included the profiling of ‘omics data in leukemia, to understand disease progression and treatment response; analysis of gene splicing and polyadenylation patterns to identify treatment mechanisms in pancreatic cancer; and epidemiological analysis to understand why some breast cancer patients do not receive chemotherapy after it is recommended by their doctor.
Selected Publications
Full publication list can be found at Google Scholar
- Class CA, Ha MJ, Baladandayuthapani V, Do K-A (2018). “iDINGO–Integrative Differential Network Analysis in Genomics with Shiny Application.” Bioinformatics 34(7): 1243-1245.
- Montalban-Bravo G, Class CA, Ganan-Gomez I, Kanagal-Shamana R, Sasaki K, Richard-Carpentier G, Naqvi K, Wei Y, Yang H, Soltysiak KA, Chien K, Bueso-Ramos C, Do K-A, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G (2020). “Transcriptomic analysis implicates necroptosis in disease progression and prognosis in myelodysplastic syndromes.” Leukemia 34(3): 872-881.
- Thomas PS, Class CA, Gandhi TR, Bambhroliya A, Do K-A, Brewster AM (2019). “Demographic, clinical, and geographical factors associated with lack of receipt of recommended chemotherapy in women with breast cancer in Texas.” Cancer Causes Control 30(4): 409-415.
Dr. Das has over thirty years of teaching and research experience in the professional pharmacy and graduate programs in the USA and Canada. He has supervised a number of postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate research students, and was the key faculty responsible for the revitalization of the graduate program and research infrastructure in pharmaceutical sciences at Butler University. His current research involves targeted delivery of siRNA and nanocomposites for the treatment of glioblastoma and triple negative breast cancers. Dr. Das has over 150 research publications, review articles, patents, proceedings, conference presentations, and book chapters, is a recipient of multiple awards/honors, and has secured extramural research funding from NIH, PDA, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Since 2004, he has served on over 50 study sections for the NIH – Center for Scientific Review, and continues to serve on the editorial boards of Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (APhA and Elsevier), Therapeutic Delivery (Future Science Group, UK), Bioengineering (MDPI, Switzerland),Cancers (MDPI, Switzerland), and Pharmaceutics (MDPI, Switzerland)
Dr. Das has been an active member of AACP since 1994, where he became an AACP Leadership Fellow (2005), and served as the chair-elect, chair and immediate past chair of the Teachers of Pharmaceutics Section(2006-09). From 2008-11, Dr. Das served as the founding chair and immediate past chair of the AACP Council of Sections, where he led the task of developing the mission and goals of the new council, and created various task forces supporting the missions of the AACP sections. He has also served on the AACP Board of Directors (2008-11), AACP Research & Graduate Affairs and the Bylaws and Policy Development Committees, along with various AACP Task Forces.
Dr. Das is also an active member of AAPS (since 1991) and CRS (Controlled Release Society, since 1987). He has served on many committees of the PDD/PPB and BIOTEC sections of AAPS
Research areas: Nanomedicine, non-viral gene therapy, translational research in glioblastoma and triple negative breast cancer, targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, ocular drug delivery, formulation development of poorly soluble drugs, pharmacokinetics and stability studies of pharmaceuticals.
Selected Publications: Google scholar
Webpage: https://research.butler.edu/nanomedicine/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sudipkdas
Areas of Expertise
- Biopharmaceutics, drug targeting, anticancer drug delivery, multi-drug resistance, nanomedicine
Contributions: (published works or studies, conference presentations)
- Drug delivery research, preformulation and biopharmaceutical characterization of drugs
- Excellence in Scholarship Butler University COPHS (2006)
- Research grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Research grant from National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Research grant from Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers’ Association of America (PhRMA)
- US Patent # 7,331,251, "Dissolution testing of solid dosage forms intended to be administered in the oral cavity", February 19, 2008
Butler Assignment (classes or work duties)
- Professor of Pharmaceutics, 2018 –
- Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics, 2005 – 2018
- Research Associate Professor, 2004 – 05
Personal Hobbies
- Reading, gardening
Education/Experience
Education/Degrees
- B.S. Pharmacy – Banaras Hindu University, India
- M.S. Pharmaceutics – Banaras Hindu University, India
- Ph.D. Pharmaceutics – University of Pittsburgh, PA, 1995
Certifications
- Licensed pharmacist in New Jersey
Awards/Honors
- Excellence in Scholarship Butler University COPHS (2006)
- Research grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Research grants from National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Research grants from Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers’ Association of America (PhRMA)
- US Patent # 7,331,251, "Dissolution testing of solid dosage forms intended to be administered in the oral cavity", February 19, 2008
- Recognized in "Who’s Who in America", 63rd edition, 2009
Association Memberships (professional/educational)
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
- American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
Professional Experience
- Research scholar at SmithKline Beecham, PA (now Glaxo SmithKline) in Pharmaceutical Technology
- Adhoc member, Drug Delivery/Nanotechnology Study Sections, Center for Scientific Review, NIH
- Teaching experience in Pharm.D. program since 1997
- Staff pharmacist in community practice (1995-98)
Webpage: https://research.butler.edu/nanomedicine/
Education
- 1998 Post-doctoral Training: Biochemistry University of Texas at Austin
- 1993 Ph.D Structural Virology Purdue University
- 1986 M.S. AppliedPhysics University of Sao Paulo (USP)
- 1984 . B.S Physics University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
Professional Experiences- 2018 – Current Chair and MS Program Director Pharmaceutical Sciences
- 2013 – 2018 Coordinator for pharmacy Latin American Activities – UIW
- 2012 – 2018 Advisory board Member Ettling Center for Civic Leadership (ECCL)
- 2012 – 2015 . Elected for leadership – Biological Sciences Section – AACP
- 2012 – 2013 Leadership Retreat "Contemplation and dialogue": Provost Invitation UIW
- 2010 – 2011 Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) – AACP
- 2009 – 2014 Associate Professor FSOP-UIW
- 2007 – 2012 Consultant Scientist- INCELL
- 2006 – 2010 Member UTHSCSA-Center for Structural Biology
- 2006 – 2009 UIW – Representative Western Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense (WRCE) NIH
- 2006 – 2009 Assistant Professor FSOP-UIW
- 2004 – 2005 Division Head, Drug Discovery and Design, COP – University of Kentucky
- 2004 – 2006 UK-COP – Representative South Eastern Center of Excellence in Biodefense (SERCEB) NIH
- 1999 – 2006 UK-COP – Member – Markey Cancer Center
- 1999 – 2006 UK-COP – Member – Center for Structural Biology
- 1999 – 2006 UK-COP – alternate board member Southeast Regional Collaborative Access Team (SERCAT), Argonne,
- 1999 – 2006 Assistant Professor Pharmaceutical Sciences – UK-COP
- 1993 – 1998 Research Associate Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry Univ. of Texas at Austin
- 1988 – 1993 Research Assistant, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Purdue University
- 1984 – 1986 Research Assistant, Dept. Physics and Chemistry Univ. of Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 1980 – 1980 Teaching Assistant, Dept. Mathematics University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
Overview and research interests
Dr. Marcos A. Oliveira is originally from Brazil where he received his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Masters in Applied Physics. He moved to Purdue University and obtained his PhD in Structural Virology in 1993. His work at Purdue contributed to the development of the antiviral agent pleconaril. He did his post-doctoral training at the Protein Crystallography group at UT-Austin researching the structure and function of the polyamine metabolism.
He joined Butler University in the fall of 2018 as Dept Chair and Director of the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences. He was charged with re-imagining the graduate program and began with a listening tour of the Dept and Indianapolis community. The key outcome of the listening tour was the identification of an opportunity to develop programs centered on data analytics, healthcare, bioscience, and technology. Graduates need to be ready to manage and use data to serve in the workforce. He was involved in the establishment of an inter-college Data analytics program at Butler and the development of a concentration in bioinformatics. Along with colleagues at the Pharmacy program he working to develop a curriculum that prepares PharmD students to lead in digital health.
He began his career in Pharmacy education at the University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy. At Kentucky, he led a team that developed data with evidence linking polyamine metabolism to biofilm formation in Yersinia pestis. In 2006 he joined a team to establish a new School of Pharmacy at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), in San Antonio, Texas. He is an author of over forty scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He has received funding from the American Cancer Society, Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Program, William and Ella Owens Biomedical Research Foundation and NIH. In 2009 he was selected by Aetna along with a group of 12 health professionals as examples ofLatino contemporary role models. In 2010 he was selected to participate in the Academic Leadership Fellows Program (AFLP) of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). The leadership training provided by AACP and UIW led him to initiate, in 2013, an innovative international pharmacy program involving a three-way partnership between UIW, a pharmaceutical company (Prati-donaduzzi), and Pontifical Catholic University of Parana (PUC-Parana). The program has been in place for the last five years and offers Brazilian pharmacy students an observational experience in clinical pharmacy and PharmD students a unique international experience in industrial pharmacy, researching the integration of FDA and ANVISA regulations. In the last three years, he has led UIW to team up with PUC-Parana and Kent StateUniversity to develop an international competition called "Mission Life". In this competition teams of students from all three universities compete for the best innovative product or service that meet the needs of our world and our times. In 2018 the theme of ”Mission Life seventh edition" is "Immigration in the 21st Century".
Dr. Stephanie Enz is an Associate Professor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department at Butler University. She received a B.S. in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University, and then received her PharmD from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. In her current role, she coordinates and teaches in the pharmaceutics lab sequence, teaches in the pharmacy practice and health administration series, precepts an academic rotation, and advises pre-professional students. Dr. Enz serves as Director of Academic Advising for the college and coordinates the pre-professional Exploring Pharmacy courses.She is actively involved with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.Her research is focused on the Science of Teaching and Learning and has included topics such as multi-tasking, collaborative test taking, and teaching empathy by exploring a patient’s disease and medication experiences. Dr. Enz has received multiple teaching awards including the Terry Hageboeck Award (2005, 2013) and the Outstanding Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Award (2011, 2014, 2016, and 2018).
Personal Webpage
https://research.butler.edu/alex-erkine-lab
Education
BS/MS – Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
Ph.D. in Biochemistry– Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
D.Sc. in Molecular Biology – Russian Academy of Sciences
Courses
Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology
Biopharmaceutical Analysis
Precision Medicine
Research interests
Gene regulation
Chromatin remodeling and epigenetics
Intrinsically disordered protein regions
Molecular functions at the near-stochastic level
Bioinformatics, machine learning, artificial intelligence
Pharmacology
Lab Webpage
https://research.butler.edu/alex-erkine-lab
Grants
NSF, NIH, Butler Innovation grants, Butler HAC grants
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=erkine
EDUCATION
PhD, Pharmaceutics, University College London School of Pharmacy, UK
Master of Pharmacy (MPharm), University College London School of Pharmacy, UK
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES
Biopharmaceutics
Pharmaceutics
Biopharmaceutical Analysis
Journal club and research seminars
Exploring pharmacy
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research works towards bridging the physical and biological sciences in the field of pharmaceutics to gain a better understanding of drug bioavailability and some of the reasons behind the intra-and inter-individual variability in drug exposure. Through an in vitro simulated stomach and duodenum model set-up in my lab, we have been able to explore the effect of different physiological variables and formulations on drug supersaturation/precipitation kinetics and predict trends in drug plasma concentrations under the varied conditions simulating how patients consume their medicines. The ultimate goal is to develop in vitro in vivo correlations that will guide drug product design and reduce the need for in vivo studies. Thus expediting drug product development. In addition, I am undertaking to accelerate the availability of medicines to developing countries through work on biowaiver monographs
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7668-1426
Group Website
Research
Research Assistant Professor – Vanderbilt University, 08/2022 – 08/2023
Postdoctoral Researcher – Vanderbilt University, 08/2018 – 08/2022
Education
PhD in Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
BS in Chemistry, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
BS in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
Education
B.S. in Biochemistry – Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Ph.D. in Neuroscience – George Washington University, Washington DC
Postdoctoral training – University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Teaching
Intro to Principles of Drug Action (RX318)
Principles of Drug Action 1 (RX411)
Principles of Drug Action 2 (RX412)
Biopharmaceutical analysis (RX785)
Molecular Pharmacology (RX788)
Recent Advances in Neuropharmacology (RX610-12)
Research Interest
My research experience is centered on molecular and cellular regulation of neuronal membrane transporters,specifically on the dopamine transporter, a primary target of abused psychostimulants (cocaine and amphetamine) and ADHD medications (Ritalin and Adderall). My research incorporates multidisciplinary experimental approaches. Using biochemical methods to probe conformational changes of the dopamine transporter, and pharmacological techniques to study its binding with cocaine, I found that membrane cholesterol modulates conformation of the transporter and cocaine binding. I also studied membrane trafficking of the dopamine transporter using quantitative confocal imaging methods. More recently, I have collaborated with behavioral neuroscientists and medicinal chemists to further explore molecular mechanisms that underlie cocaine addiction in rodent models.
For students who are interested in getting hands-on biomedical research experience in these topics, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Recent publications
● Hong WC (2020) Distinct regulation of sigma-1 receptor multimerization by its agonists and antagonists in transfected cells and rat liver membranes. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. February 14, 2020, jpet.119.262790; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.119.262790
Featured cover illustration: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/jpet/373/2/local/front-matter.pdf
● Hong WC*, Wasko MJ*, Wilkinson DS*, Hiranita T*, Li L, Hayashi S, Snell DB, Madura JD, Surratt CK, Katz JL (2018) Dopamine Transporter Dynamics of N-Substituted Benztropine Analogs with Atypical Behavioral Effects. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. doi: 10.1124/jpet.118.250498. *Equal contribution. http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/366/3/527
Featured cover illustration: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/jpet/366/3/local/front-matter.pdf
● Yano H, Bonifazi A, Xu M, Guthrie DA, Schneck SN*, Abramyan AM, Fant AD, Hong WC, Newman AH, Shi L (2018) Pharmacological profiling of sigma 1 receptor ligands by novel receptor homomer assays. Neuropharmacology May;133:264-275. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.01.042. * Butler Pharm D, and MS Pharmaceutical Sciences candidate. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390818300480
● Hong WC#, Yano H, Hiranita T, Chin FT, McCurdy CR, Su TP, Amara SG, Katz JL (2017) The sigma-1 receptor modulates dopamine transporter conformation and cocaine binding and may thereby potentiate cocaine self-administration in rats. J. Biol.Chem. 292(27):11250-11261. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.774075. #Corresponding author. http://www.jbc.org/content/292/27/11250
● Hiranita T, Hong WC, Kopajtic T, Katz JL. σ Receptor Effects of N-Substituted Benztropine Analogs: Implications for Antagonism of Cocaine Self-Administration. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2017Jul;362(1):2-13. doi: 10.1124/jpet.117.241109. http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/362/1/2
● Hong WC, Kopajtic TA, Xu L, Lomenzo SL, Jean B, Madura JD, Surratt CK, Trudell ML and Katz JL. 2-Substituted 3ß-Aryltropane Cocaine Analogs Produce Atypical DAT Inhibitor Effects Without Inducing Inward-Facing DAT Conformations. (2016) J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 356:624-34. http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/356/3/624
Featured cover illustration: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/jpet/356/3/local/front-matter.pdf
● Hiranita T, Wilkinson DS, Hong WC, Zou MF, Kopajtic TA, Soto PL, Lupica CR, Newman AH, Katz JL. 2-isoxazol-3-phenyltropane derivatives of cocaine: molecular and atypical system effects at the dopamine transporter. (2014) J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 349(2):297-309. doi: 10.1124/jpet.113.212738. http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/349/2/297.long
Featured cover illustration: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/jpet/349/2/local/front-matter.pdf
● Hong WC and Amara SG (2013) Distinct post-endocytic fates of the dopamine transporter after internalization by amphetamine or PKC activation. FASEB J. 27(8) 2995-3007 https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.12-218727
● Hong WC and Amara SG (2010) Membrane cholesterol modulates the outward facing conformation of the dopamine transporter andalters cocaine binding. J. Biol. Chem. 285(42): 32616-26 http://www.jbc.org/content/285/42/32616.long
Faculty of 1000 Prime Recommended Article: https://f1000.com/prime/4831964
Education
-BS honors in Biological Sciences-University of Zimbabwe
-MS in Biology-Indiana University of Pennsylvania
-PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-University of Oklahoma Health Science Center
-Postdoc -University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Courses
– Principles of Drug Action 1, 2 & 3
-Precision Medicine Elective
Research interests
Biomarker discovery, pharmacogenomics, cancer biology, precision/personalized medicine, molecular signaling, mechanisms of drug action, RNA biology (alternative mRNA processing) , next-generation sequencing (Illumina RNA Seq. and PACBIO Iso. Seq.).
Select Service and Awards
-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Molecular Oncology Study Section standing member/reviewer 2021-2027
-2020 New Investigator Award American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
-2017-2018 Butler University Outstanding Professor of the Year
Publications
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=masamha+cp
Invited/Selected Talks at National Conferences
* Presenter
1. Title:The role of alternative polyadenylation in cancer. C. Patience Masamha*. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) post-transcriptional control of gene expression: Mechanisms of RNA decay conference. Scottsdale, Arizona. June, 2018.
2. Title:Multiple mechanisms driving alternative polyadenylation of cyclin D1 (CCND1) pre-mRNA processing. C. P. Masamha* and E.J. Wagner. RNA recognition and regulation symposium. Experimental Biology/ American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting. San Diego, California. April 2018.
3. Title: Evading miRNA regulation through alternative polyadenylation in glioblastoma. Chioniso Patience Masamha*, Zheng Xia, Jingxuan Yang, Todd Albrecht, Scott Collum, Min Li, Wei Li, Ann-Bin Shyu and Eric J.Wagner. Symposia on Cancer Research 2014. Illuminating Genomic Dark Matter “ncRNA in Disease and Cancer”, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, Texas. October 2014.
4. Title: CFlm25 links global change in APA to cell growth control and glioblastoma survival. Masamha C.P*., Xia Z., Albrecht T.R., Li W., Shyu A-B., and Wagner, E.J. RNA 18th Annual Conference. Davos, Switzerland. June 2013.
Masamha Lab Website
Education
- Bachelors of Science – Indiana State University, Major: Marketing
- Masters of Public Administration – Indiana State University, Thesis: Ranked Choice Voting
Experience
I’ve worked in education since 2014. I spent three years as a native English teacher is South Korea, five years as an international credentialer at Indiana State University, three years as an international credentialing specialist at Into University Partnerships, and have been with Butler since July 2025.
Personal Interests
I’m an advocate for growth and community through gaming, using play as a means to bring people together. I run Dungeons and Dragons tutorial classes and mini-campaigns through Broad Ripple Park, helping people to make new friends and develop their improv/role-play abilities.