Organizational Updates – Welcome New Faculty and Leaders
The School of Pharmacy is pleased share the following new faculty appointments:
J. Andrew Orr-Skirvin, PharmD, BCOP, Associate Clinical Professor, has been appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences. Dr. Orr-Skirvin has been a faculty member at Northeastern University since 2007, with 25 years of teaching experience. He developed an Oncology/Hematology practice site with Dana Farber Cancer Institute for clinical services and APPE rotation students. Dr. Orr-Skirvin attended Oregon State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio where he earned he Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Texas at Austin. He completed an oncology pharmacy residency at the Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital in San Antonio Texas. Dr. Orr-Skirvin’s interest areas include adult oncology and hematology patient care, in particular supportive care for oncology patients including pain management, symptom control, and minimizing toxicity.
Ganesh Thakur, PhD, Associate Professor, has been appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Thakur joined Northeastern University in 2003 as a Senior Research Scientist in the Center for Drug Discovery and was appointed as a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2010. He received his BSc in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai, his MSc in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (Mumbai), and his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology (Mumbai). Dr. Thakur was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Connecticut, under the supervision of Dr. Alexandros Makriyannis. His research interests include allosteric modulators, chemistry, endocannabinoids, and medicinal chemistry.
Becky Briesacher, PhD, Associate Professor, has been appointed Vice Chair for Research and Scholarship in the Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences.
Margarita DiVall, PharmD, MEd, BCPS, Clinical Professor, has been appointed Assistant Dean of Assessment in the School of Pharmacy
The School of Pharmacy welcomed new faculty members this fall. The School’s new faculty member’s have a wide array of experience and skills that they’ve brought with them to Northeastern University. Meet these members of the community:
Chanhyun Park , PhD, Assistant Professor, is a Health Services and Outcomes Researcher in the Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences. Prior to joining Northeastern University, Dr. Park worked as a health economist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, with a focus on health outcomes research. She received two master’s degrees: one in quantitative methods from The University of Texas at Austin and one in clinical pharmacy from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Park also received her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Sookmyung Women’s University. Her research interests include understanding factors related to the utilization and costs of medications and healthcare services and estimating the economic burden of diseases.
Macayla Landi, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, Assistant Clinical Professor, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island. She completed an ASHP-accredited PGY-1 residency at Veterans Affairs Hospital in West Haven, CT, where she also completed her PGY-2 geriatrics pharmacy residency. Dr. Landi worked in pain management, home care and long-term care pharmacy following completion of her residency training. She became a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist in 2016 and received her Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy in 2017. Dr. Landi is passionate about pharmacy education and engaging students in the areas of geriatrics, pain management and palliative care. She has focused her practice and research on optimizing medication prescribing and reducing polypharmacy among older adults through deprescribing. Through her membership in the Society of Palliative Care Pharmacists, the American Geriatrics Society, and participation as an active member of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, Dr. Landi demonstrates to future pharmacists the importance of advocacy for the profession, the value of the collaboration and the importance of continuing to expand and support the pharmacist’s role in caring for older adults.
Alyssa Peckham, PharmD, BCPP, Assistant Clinical Professor, and Clinical Addiction Specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She holds board certification in psychiatric pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island. She completed both a PGY1 residency and a PGY2 residency in psychiatry and addiction at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in West Haven, CT. Prior to Northeastern University, Dr. Peckham was an Assistant Clinical Professor at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. Her research focuses on use and abuse of prescription medication, with recent publications examining the epidemiology, economics, and policy implications of gabapentin abuse in concert with opioids. She was the recipient of the Upsher-Smith Excellence in Innovation Award in 2017 for her collaborative practice in psychiatry. She is an active member of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.
Nishil Desai, PhD, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Desai earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Mercer College, and comes to Northeastern university with more than six years of experience that includes managing curriculum development, program design, and teaching at Texas Tech University School of Pharmacy and Larkin University College of Pharmacy. His scientific research is focused on developing formulations and devices targeting delivery of drugs (small molecules and biologics) and studying their stability.