Ahmed Abu Fayyad, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University College
of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Pharmacy from Isra University
College of Pharmacy, Amman-Jordan. He worked as a Community Pharmacist and Formulation
Development Scientist at TQ Pharma and Petra University College of Pharmacy, Amman-Jordan.
Dr. Abu Fayyad received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University Of Louisiana
College Of Pharmacy. After, he joined Modavar Pharmaceuticals, A Cadila Pharmaceuticals
Group Company in Washington, DC area working as a Scientist, Product Development.
Dr. Abu Fayyad’s research interests include the design and development of novel drug
delivery systems for cancer therapy. In addition to that, he is interested in the
development of new pharmaceutical products (bench and pilot scale) for existing small
FDA-approved molecules via 505(b) (2) FDA regulatory approval pathway. He is also
interested in pilot pharmaceutical manufacturing process development, technical transfer,
and pilot cGMP settings establishment. Dr. Abu Fayyad has authored several peer-reviewed
journal articles in the area of pharmaceutics and drug delivery. He is a member of
the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).
Nadeem Fazal, M.D, Ph.D. is a Fulbright Scholar. He received his MD from King Edward Medical University, Lahore,
Pakistan, and Ph.D. in Immunology/Microbiology from The University of Birmingham,
England, United Kingdom. He is a member of the American Association of Immunologists
(AAI) and American Society for Microbiology (ASM). He completed his Post-doctoral
training, Fellowship and later served as faculty at Stritch School of Medicine Loyola
University Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Fazal began his teaching career at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
Rawalpindi Medical College, The University of Punjab, Lahore. He also served as faculty
at Chicago State University Department of Biological Sciences. Currently, Professor
of Biomedical Sciences at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP) he
has a vast experience in teaching health sciences in different universities worldwide.
His experience includes teaching at The University of Birmingham, United Kingdom,
King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi, King
Faisal University, Dammam, KSA, Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Robert Morris
University Illinois, and City Colleges of Chicago. He has received President’s and
Young Scientist Award from Societies of General Microbiology (SGM), American Society
for Microbiology (ASM) and British Society for Immunology (BSI). He was a recipient
of Rowtham Bequest Award from The University of Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.
He also received numerous Faculty Excellence Awards in Teaching from President of
Chicago State University.
Dr. Fazal’s research interests include investigating mechanisms of cellular immune
responses to acute injury/infection and pharmacological agents modulating such host
responses. He has more than 116 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
His areas of expertise include Immunology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Infectious
Diseases. Since joining the College of Pharmacy at Chicago State University, he has
mentored more than 50 research students in his laboratory. Students working under
his supervision have presented at local and national meetings and have won student
awards for best presentations. He is a recognized Mentor at National Research Mentoring
Network, USA and Careers Network University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Dr. Fazal
has been a member of numerous scientific and professional organizations, including,
The American Physiological Society (APS), The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG),
and The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). He also received the
Faculty Excellence Award in Research from President of Chicago State University.
Elmer J. Gentry, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University
College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Gentry received his B.S. from Missouri Western
State College (1993 in Chemistry) and M.S. (1996) and Ph.D. (1999) in Medicinal Chemistry
from the University of Kansas. He served on the faculty at Midwestern University,
College of Pharmacy-Glendale from 1999-2007.
He was named the 2007 Teacher of the Year for both the first and second-year pharmacy
classes at the College of Pharmacy-Glendale. Additionally, he has received the Edgar
C. Little Outstanding Chemistry Graduate Award from Missouri Western State College,
the Pharmacy Graduate Student Honors Symposium Award from the University of Kansas,
and an American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Pre-doctoral fellowship from
1997-1999. He was honored as the National Advisor of the Year runner-up by the Phi
Delta Chi pharmacy fraternity.
Dr. Gentry is a member of numerous scientific and professional organizations and has
served as the Chair of the Section of Teachers of Chemistry of the American Association
of Colleges of Pharmacy. His research interests include synthetic manipulation of
antimicrobial agents to modulate potency and spectrum of activity, use of combinatorial
chemistry for drug discovery and development, and improving the delivery of science
courses for professional and pre-professional students.
Edward Ofori, B.Pharm, M.S., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University
College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). He obtained his Bachelors in Pharmacy from Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology, Ghana. He worked as a pharmacist at the Komfo
Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Dr. Ofori has a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical
Analysis and Quality Control from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,
Ghana and a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Florida A & M University, Tallahassee,
FL. After, he worked with the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama as
a postdoctoral researcher.
Dr. Ofori’s research interests include but not limited to the design and synthesis
of small molecules that target the clinically relevant GPCRs as potential treatment
options for several psychiatric illnesses. He also focusses on using highly selective
dopamine ligands as molecular probes for diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.
One research area that really interests him is the identification of natural products
or derivatives thereof that may be useful in treating neuropathic pain. Dr. Ofori
has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles in the area of medicinal chemistry.
He is a member of the Rho Chi Society of the Academic Honor Society in Pharmacy. Also,
he is a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Association of Pharmaceutical
Scientists (AAPS).
Mohammad Newaz MD, Ph.D., FAHA is Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at Chicago State University College
of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). He is the former Department Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Before joining CSU Dr. Newaz was Associate Professor / Senior Scientist and Head of
Hypertension Unit in the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Texas Southern University,
Houston, Texas. Dr. Newaz received his MD from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh
(1992) and Ph.D. from the National University of Malaysia (1998). He has held faculty
positions at the University of Science and Technology Chittagong, Bangladesh, National
University of Malaysia and International Islamic University Malaysia before joining
the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in 2000. His research focus is primarily on
hypertension and vascular physiology using an integrated investigative approach with
special emphasis on understanding molecular events contributing to the pathogenesis
of hypertension and its complications
Dr. Newaz is a member of many professional societies, including the American Heart
Association, the American Physiological Society. He has received numerous honors and
awards, including the Young Investigator Award from High Blood Pressure Council of
American Heart Association, Young Investigator Award from the renal section of The
American Physiological Society, Caroline Tun Suden professional opportunity award
from The American Physiological Society, Young Investigator Award from The International
Society of Hypertension, FASEB MARC fellowship and Grant-in-Aid from American Heart
Association. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed research paper in high impact
journals, book chapters and invited reviews in the field of hypertension and vascular
biology. Dr. Newaz presented his research works extensively at conferences locally
and internationally and was also an invited speaker at several Universities in the
US.
Melany P. Puglisi, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University
College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). She received her B.A. in chemistry from Southampton
College, now part of Long Island University, in 1991. Her graduate studies were carried
out at the University of Guam where she received her M.S. in Biology in 1995 and the
University of Mississippi, School of Pharmacy where she received her Ph.D. in pharmacognosy.
After two years of postdoctoral studies at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, she
joined the new pharmacy program at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine as a
faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. After a short time,
she left Erie to pursue research efforts at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort
Pierce, Florida followed by Shannon Point Marine Laboratory in Anacortes, Washington
where she established a research program in marine microbial chemical ecology. In
2008, she joined Chicago State University as a founding faculty member in the College
of Pharmacy. She has received recognition from the student pharmacists for her teaching
as Teacher of the Year and Faculty Preceptor of the Year. She received the CSU Service
Excellence Award and CSU Research Excellence Award. In 2016, she joined the Editorial
Board of the Journal of Natural Products as the Book Review Editor. She serves a
member of the Executive Committee of the American Society of Pharmacognosy and as
Secretary to the ASP Foundation. She co-chaired the 2019 ASP Annual Meeting in Madison,
Wisconsin. Her research interests involve the chemical interactions between benthic
marine organisms and microorganisms. She has participated in numerous research expeditions
in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific including the 2005 NOAA Florida Coast Deep Corals
research cruise. She has numerous publications in algal, invertebrate and microbial
chemical ecology.
Mohammad Tauseef, M. Pharm., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University
College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). He completed his Pharmacy School from Faculty of Pharmacy,
Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi, India; and Ph.D., in Cardiovascular
Pharmacology from Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University
of Delhi, India. Later, he joined the Department of Pharmacology,
College of Medicine, The University of Illinois, Chicago, U.S., as a postdoctoral
research associate. After completing his postdoctoral training in cardiopulmonary
pharmacology, he was appointed as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department
of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois, Chicago, IL.
Dr. Tauseef performs his biomedical research to investigate the role of calcium signaling
in the regulation of vascular endothelial hyperpermeability and inflammation. Increase
in endothelial permeability is the earliest sign of the initiation of serious cardiopulmonary
disorders during septic conditions, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and
diabetes mellitus. Dr. Tauseef is trying to identify molecular signaling mechanisms,
activated during endothelial dysfunction to develop potential therapeutics against
vascular inflammatory diseases. He utilizes an array of techniques such as gene silencing
technology in endothelial cells and genetic knockout mice models to answer his research
questions. He regularly presents his research findings in various national and international
scientific meetings such as Federations of America Society of Experimental Biology
(FASEB), American Thoracic Society (ATS), American Heart Association (AHA), etc. He
is the recipient of several awards for his research presentations including Research
Recognition Award from American Physiological Society (APS), Young Investigator Award
by American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and Gold
Medal Prize, College of
Medicine (COM) Research, University of Illinois Chicago. He is an active member of
the American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP), American Association of Immunologists
(AAI), American Association of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He is a
member, Editorial Board, The Journal of Clinical Research. Dr. Tauseef has published
his research work in top-tier, peer-reviewed international journals, such as Circulation
Research, Journal of Experimental Medicine, The FASEB Journal. Dr. Tauseef is also
an Adjunct Research Assistant Professor at the Center for and Vascular Biology, Department
of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois of Chicago, IL.
Hafeez Faridi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University
College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). He earned his M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees in life sciences
from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India. Prior to joining CSU, he served
as an assistant professor at the department of internal medicine, Rush University
Medical Center, Chicago IL. Dr. Faridi completed his postdoctoral training from The
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami. FL. His postdoctoral work focused
on the discovery of novel small molecules targeting integrin CD11b. His research led
to the discovery of novel integrin CD11b targeting small molecules with anti-inflammatory
properties. He has presented his findings at various international meetings.
His research interests are (1) Screening and characterization of small molecules with
anti-inflammatory properties. (2) Understanding the physiological mechanisms in chronic
kidney disease and identifying the therapeutic targets. Dr. Faridi has published his
research work in well known, peer-reviewed journals, such as Science Signaling, and
Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI). He is involved in multidisciplinary and collaborative
research in the area of drug discovery including inflammation, cancer and chronic
kidney diseases.
Dr. Faridi is a member of several scientific and professional organizations, including
the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the American Society of
Nephrology (ASN). Dr. Faridialso serves as an active member on various institutional
committees including curriculum committee and self-study committee. Dr. Faridi is
also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, College
of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center. Chicago, IL.
Mohd Shahid, M.Pharm., Ph.D., is a pharmacologist/cardiovascular physiologist and an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
at the Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). He obtained his Bachelor
in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Hamdard University, New Delhi India. He then went
on to complete his Master’s in Pharmacology with the scholarship from Government of
India. In 2008, he earned his Ph.D., in Pharmacology from the University of Delhi.
Prior to coming to CSU, Dr. Shahid was an Instructor and Assistant in Pharmacology
at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston. He completed
two post-doctoral fellowships in renal and cardiovascular diseases at the Tulane University
and subsequently at Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts General Hospital).
Dr. Shahid’s primary research interests consist of understanding the role of macrophages
in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and exploring its translational
significance. In July 2017, Dr. Shahid joined the CSU-COP as a tenure-track Assistant
Professor, where he established an active research program in the field of metabolic
and cardiovascular diseases. His lab employs several unique mouse models such as tissue-specific
conditional knockout, double mutant, and transgenic mice, as well as various state-of-the-art
techniques including in situ imaging system, fluorescent microscope, siRNA-mediated
gene silencing etc. The ongoing research in his lab is particularly investigating
the role of macrophage-specific Immediate Early Response Gene X-1 (IEX-1) in the development
of obesity, atherosclerosis, and osteoporosis. Dr. Shahid is the author of several
scholarly articles, viewpoint, abstracts, and online media texts. He has also delivered
a number of lectures on the role of IEX-1 in hypertension and obesity, nationally
and internationally. His research activities have been supported by the funding from
the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and Harvard
Medical School.
Dr. Shahid is a member of several professional organizations including the American
Heart Association (AHA), the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(ASPET), and the American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP). He serves as
a peer reviewer for many scientific journals such as Scientific Reports, Cardiovascular
Research, British Journal of Pharmacology etc. He regularly presents his scientific
findings at the annual scientific sessions organized by the AHA and the American Diabetes
Association (ADA). He has received several awards for his scientific contributions
including the Young Investigator Award from the American Federation of Medical Research
(AFMR), the Young Investigator Travel Award from the AHA, the Outstanding Research
Award from the MGH, and the Shore’s fellowship from the Harvard University. Dr. Shahid
is also a visiting research scientist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
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