The American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, or ASCPT, has honored Yu-Jung “Jenny” Wei, Ph.D., M.S., with one of its highest awards for her research in geriatric pharmacoepidemilogy. Wei was presented the William B. Abrams Award in Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology by ASCPT in March.
Wei is an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Her research examines drug safety, drug effectiveness and the quality of medication prescribing in older adults, especially those with pain, neurodegenerative diseases, multiple comorbidities and nursing home stays. She uses large administrative and clinical health record databases to identify and provide solutions to important health problems in geriatric patients.
“Older adults are the largest consumer of prescription drugs, yet they are often underrepresented in clinical trials that provide evidence for treatment decision in clinical and geriatric practice,” Wei said. “I have dedicated my early career research to helping this population, and it is truly an honor to be recognized with the William B. Abrams Award in Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology.”
Wei serves as a principal investigator on two federally-funded projects and has published more than 35 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. In 2017, she was named a Junior Scholar in the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center in the University of Florida’s Institute on Aging. In addition, she received a UF Excellence Award for Assistant Professor in 2018.
The William B. Abrams Award in Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology was established with support from the Merck Company Foundation in 1996 to honor an investigator in geriatric clinical pharmacology for outstanding contributions to the field. Abrams was a past president of ASCPT and had a long and illustrious career in the pharmaceutical industry.