Dr. Radhika Devraj Announced as the Inaugural Recipient of the Therese Poirier Endowed Professorship in Pharmacy

Dr. Radhika Devraj Announced as the Inaugural Recipient of the Therese Poirier Endowed Professorship in Pharmacy

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) has announced the inaugural recipient of the Therese Poirier Endowed Professorship in Pharmacy. Radhika Devraj, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, received the award, which was announced during SIUE's record-breaking One Day, One SIUE day of giving and celebration.

"I was truly surprised and shocked when my name was called out for it. I am especially honored that my research efforts were recognized by the committee," said Devraj. "Being selected for this professorship is a tremendous honor, and I am sincerely grateful for Dr. Poirier's generosity, support, and confidence in my work. I view this recognition with great humility and appreciation."

Devraj received her PhD with an emphasis in Pharmacy Administration from Purdue University. She holds a master's degree from the University of Toledo, and a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Bombay. While her research broadly focuses on improving health outcomes through patient education, her body of work spans several areas such as health literacy, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), community pharmacy practice, qualitative research in leadership, gender equity, and more recently, community-based participatory research in Parkinson's disease.

Devraj also received the AACP SoTL grant to design a mobile serious game app to enhance instruction in a pharmacy management course.

Devraj's research has been published in a number of journals including J Am Pharmacists Association (JAPhA), Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, which featured her mobile game app, Am J of Pharm Educ, which covered the curricular inclusion of health disparities/cultural competence and health literacy in U.S. and Canadian Pharmacy Programs, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, American Journal of Kidney Disease, and Current Medical Research and Opinion.

Devraj added, "This award will provide an important opportunity to further expand my research in two areas. First, it will support the continued growth of my work in Parkinson's disease to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Second, it will allow me to explore opportunities for the School to further expand its engagement and scholarship in rural health. I am excited about the potential for this support to foster meaningful research collaborations and community impact."

As SOP Professor Emerita Therese Poirier, PharmD, MPH, FASHP, FCCP, BCPS has stated, the purpose of the endowment is to provide recognition and financial support for research, teaching innovation and scholarly activities of fund a distinguished scholar/teacher.

"I am so pleased on the selection of Dr Devraj for this award. She is very deserving," said Poirier. "The investment in her will benefit both Dr. Devraj and the School of Pharmacy and its programs. I look forward to seeing great accomplishments from her."

PHOTO: Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, Dean of School of Pharmacy PharmD, FCCP, Radhika Devraj, PhD, SOP Professor Emerita Therese Poirier, PharmD, MPH, FASHP, FCCP, BCPS and Connie Collins, CFRE, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and CEO of the SIUE Foundation