Updates by Specialty Division
Clinical Pharmacology
Since 1986, the Division of Clinical Pharmacology in the Department of Medicine at IU School of Medicine remains at the forefront of advancing the science of clinical pharmacology, translational medicine and therapeutics for the benefit of patients. Faculty clinical pharmacologists within the Department of Medicine conduct basic, translational and clinical research designed to improve understanding and predicting therapeutic drug responses. The division is focused on genetic and non-genetic mechanisms of inter-individual variability in drug effects. Broad research efforts encompass cardiology, nephrology, obstetrics, reproductive endocrinology, hematology/oncology, GI/hepatology and infectious disease.
The Division of Clinical Pharmacology offers a fellowship program as well as graduate-level courses for learners seeking in-depth training in the drug discovery and development process.
News from 2023-24
Meena S. Madhur, MD, PhD, to lead Division of Clinical Pharmacology
Meena S. Madhur, MD, PhD, has been named the new director of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology in the Department of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. She will begin this role August 15, 2023.
Madhur comes from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. She is also the Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation (VI4) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics.
Madhur is an internationally recognized physician-scientist who studies the role of the immune system in the regulation of blood pressure. Her research is primarily focused on how lymphocytes (T cells) participate in causing hypertension (high blood pressure). Such work is aimed at identifying new targets for treating high blood pressure, potentially leading to safer and more effective options for treating one of the most common diseases affecting people in Indiana and beyond.
“Meena is a star in the fields of clinical pharmacology and cardiovascular health” said David Aronoff, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. “She has natural leadership instincts. We are fortunate to have recruited her to Indiana University School of Medicine.” Read More.
Quinney ranks 5th in NIH Funding
Sara Quinney, PhD, a professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and professor of Medicine in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, is the fifth highest-funded researcher in an OB-GYN department nationally, according to data compiled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Quinney’s research funding totaled $4,377,865 in 2022, making her the fifth highest-funded researcher in an OB-GYN department in the nation, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
Quinney’s work utilizes in vitro bench-based wet lab studies, in vivo clinical studies, and in silico pharmacokinetic models to better understand factors influencing drug pharmacokinetics and response. Her work focuses largely on the individualization of drug therapy in special populations, and especially in understanding of changes in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics in pregnancy. She is involved in several studies examining drugs such as methadone, betamethasone, and misoprostol in pregnant women. Read More.
Noteworthy Awards and Recognitions
Drs. Gerald So, Zeruesenay Desta, Michael Eadon
President’s Award for Research Abstract, American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Drs. Syed Zaidi, Lais da Silva, Sara Quinney
President’s Award for Research Abstract, American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Drs. Min Yue, Jim Tisdale, Brian Overholser, Richard Kovacs, Michael Heathman, Sara Quinney
President’s Award for Research Abstract (oral presentation), American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Drs. Omar Aboshady, Sara Quinney, Jim Tisdale, Brian Overholser
Oral presentation, Nomination to IUPHAR World Medication Day, American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Meena Madhur, MD, PhD
Bullard Lecture, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Research Days 2023
Tyler A. Shugg, PharmD, PhD
Featured Junior Investigator, Midwest Clinical & Translational Research Meeting