The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy proudly celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of our Spring 2025 graduate degree recipients. Through rigorous research, academic excellence, and dedication to innovation, these graduates have made meaningful contributions to the advancement of pharmaceutical, biomedical, clinical, and policy-related fields.
We are honored to recognize the following students who have earned master’s and doctoral degrees:
Master of Science Degrees
Caroline Hartner
Master of Science in Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Mark Eiteman
Final Project: Production of Mevalonate from Glycerol by Escherichia coli Citrate Synthase Variants
Committee members: Dr. Jim Kastner, Dr. Cory Momany
Kelley Hamilton
Master of Science in Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Dexi Liu
Final Project: Artificial Intelligence in Pharmaceutical Science
Committee members: Dr. Gurvinder Singh Rekhi, Dr. Eugene Douglass, Dr. Russ Palmer
Siddhika Gamare
Master of Science in Clinical & Experimental Therapeutics
Mentor: Dr. Duo Zhang
Thesis: CYP1B1-Mediated Cigarette Smoke Exposure-Induced Lipid Accumulation in Alveolar Type 2 Cells
Committee members: Dr. Somanath Shenoy, Dr. S. Priya Narayanan
Doctor of Philosophy Degrees
Chenming Ye
Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Houjian Cai
Dissertation: Delivery of CRISPR Machinery Using Extracellular Vesicles to Target Androgen Receptor in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells
Committee members: Dr. Dexi Liu, Dr. Neil Grimsey, Dr. Jin Xie
Qianyun Fu
Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Y. George Zheng
Dissertation: Investigation of Novel Protein Acylations in Biology
Committee members: Dr. David Crich, Dr. Robert Haltiwanger, Dr. Diego Huet
Abdulaziz Alanazi
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical & Experimental Therapeutics
Mentor: Dr. Somanath Shenoy
Dissertation: Impact of Diabetes on Acute Lung Injury: Unraveling Mechanisms to Improve Outcomes
Committee members: Dr. Duo Zhang, Dr. S. Priya Narayanan, Dr. Andrea Newsome
Saugata Dutta
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical & Experimental Therapeutics
Mentor: Dr. Duo Zhang
Dissertation: Circulating Nucleosomes Promote Lung Inflammation via PDGFRα-Positive Cell-Derived TIMP-1
Committee members: Dr. Somanath Shenoy, Dr. S. Priya Narayanan, Dr. Xiaoyun Wang
Shaimaa Elshafie
Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Health Services, Outcomes & Policy
Co-Mentors: Dr. Lorenzo Villa Zapata and Dr. Henry Young
Dissertation: Optimizing Breast Cancer Care: A Multi-Database Evaluation of Endocrine Therapy Use, Outcomes, and Telehealth Impact
Committee members: Dr. Randall Tackett, Dr. Iman Zaghloul
Matthew Whittaker
Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Eileen Kennedy
Dissertation: Disruption of Intracellular Signaling Pathways by All-Hydrocarbon Stapled Peptides
Committee members: Dr. Neil Grimsey, Dr. Jason Zastre, Dr. Jeffrey Urbauer
The College proudly congratulates the Spring 2025 graduates and looks forward to the continued impact they will make as scholars, innovators, and leaders in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
