UF pharmacy educator receives national recognition in biotechnology

August 23, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida pharmacy researcher and educator has received national recognition for her contributions to contemporary teaching and scholarship in biotechnology. Julie A. Johnson received the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s prestigious Paul R. Dawson Biotechnology Award at its recent annual meeting in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

“Advances in biotechnology research are driving important changes in health care that in turn stimulate changes in education and practice,” said Lucinda L. Maine, AACP executive vice president and CEO. “This award recognizes Dr. Johnson’s stellar leadership in every dimension of the academic mission.”

Johnson’s research focus, cardiovascular drug pharmacogenomics, involves searching for genes associated with high blood pressure and studying the influence of race/ethnicity on drug response to see if genetic makeup indicates which antihypertensive drugs are best for a particular patient.

“Julie has found an area of research that promises to change the future way patients are treated with drug therapy,” said William H. Riffee, UF College of Pharmacy dean.

Johnson is a professor of medicine at UF’s colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine and director of the UF Center for Pharmacogenomics. Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association since 1990.

Johnson, who received a double helix glass sculpture and cash award at the meeting, shared her views on what qualities mark excellence in pharmacy education and research during a panel discussion.

“It is important to ensure that the next generation of academicians and scientists includes pharmacists,” Johnson said. “We must engage our brightest Pharm.D. students in a meaningful research experience early in their pharmacy curriculum to help foster an interest in research.”

The AACP award is named in honor of Paul R. Dawson, a former vice president of marketing and sales at Amgen and a staunch supporter of education in biotechnology.