On May 7, 2025, Chapman University School of Pharmacy hosted its annual Research Day, which showcased groundbreaking research from multiple California graduate-level health science colleges and schools.

Martina Nieswandt, Vice President of Research, and Jennifer Totonchy, Associate Dean of Research, welcomed students, faculty, and guest researchers bright and early. “Looking at the schedule and abstracts, I’m delighted of the breadth of topics represented this year,” said Nieswandt. “From advancing drug development for Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies to enzyme engineering, public health policy, and precision medicine, the scope of research being showcased is truly impressive.

CUSP welcomed back Rinzhin Sherpa, PhD, a two-time CUSP alumnus and our first Master of Science graduate, as our first invited speaker. His presentation, “A Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAP)in Compartmentation of cAMP Signaling in Myocytes,” outlined his latest findings in cell signaling research and gave context to his young yet accomplished career.

Throughout the day, doctoral, master’s, and PharmD students presented their recent research through presentations to explain their innovative research areas, such as predictive gene expression signatures for degenerative diseases, pharmaceutical inhibitors targeting melanoma, and structural insights into the pharmacological modulation of ion channels.

Additionally, graduate health science students, including those from the University of California, Irvine, and Keck Graduate Institute, participated in a dedicated student-focused poster session. This practical experience in explaining their posters was a first for many, preparing students to present their posters at national and international conferences in the future. Several students were awarded for their posters, including Dr. Anika Patel, who is also the 2025 Chapman University Doti Award recipient.

CUSP Research Day 2025 was only made possible by the CUSP Science Committee, with special recognition extended to Rachita Sumbria, PhD, Cristina Clark, and a volunteer team of graduate students for their support. As Nieswandt emphasized, “Research Day is more than showcasing extraordinary work – it’s also about celebrating community and the collective pursuit of knowledge… Research Day is a chance to share ideas, spark collaboration, and inspire one another to keep dreaming bigger.”