Overview
Share insights, collaborate on advocacy, and engage in networking opportunities to advance pharmacy research and science.
Meet the Leaders Driving Our Community Forward
Get to know the leaders guiding our profession. Their leadership drives innovation, fosters collaboration, and makes a lasting impact on patient care and pharmacy practice.
Bio
Adati Tarfa, PharmD, MS, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, where she explores integrating HIV and substance use care within pharmacy settings. After earning a PharmD degree from Drake University in 2017, they completed a PhD in health services research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023. Adati's research is currently supported by multiple prestigious programs, including the Cornell Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorder, HCV, and HIV (CHERISH), an NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded center on economic evaluation of substance use interventions; the Infrastructure for Studying Treatment & Addiction Recovery Residences, part of NIDA’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative, which provides mentorship and training in MOUD research; and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence Early Career Researcher Program, which supports emerging investigators in substance use research. With this support, Adati is leading studies examining mobile pharmacy models for providing integrated HIV and substance use disorder (SUD) care.
In her role as a community member-at-large, Adati looks forward to promoting rigorous pharmacy research and advancing the role of pharmacists in addressing national health care priority at the intersection of HIV and SUD.
Adati Tarfa
PharmD, MS, PhD
Bio
Elizabeth Unni, PhD, MBA, BSPharm, is an associate professor and chair of the department of social, behavioral, and administrative sciences at the Touro College of Pharmacy in New York. She teaches pharmacy professionalism, pharmacy management, the health care systems in the United States, and leadership. Her research is mainly focused on patients' self-management of chronic disease conditions, with emphasis on medication adherence. Elizabeth has developed theoretical models and a measurement scale to understand and measure medication adherence. She has been recognized for her excellence and dedication in research.
Following completion of her PharmD degree, Elizabeth earned an MBA from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and her PhD in pharmaceutical socioeconomics from the University of Iowa. She is the director of the health disparities fellowship program and the founding director of the PharmD/MBA program at Touro. In addition to working closely with the APhA-APRS ESAS Section, she has also completed the AACP Academic Leadership Fellows Program, is a graduate of the Society of Behavioral Medicine's Leadership Institute, and Touro University's Leadership Academy. Elizabeth currently serves as the editor-in-chief for Journal of Patient Reported Outcomes, the International Society of Quality of Life's official journal.
Elizabeth Unni
PhD, MBA, BSPharm
Bio
Junling Wang, PhD, is a professor, vice chair for research, and director of graduate affairs at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Translational Science. Her research focuses on racial and ethnic disparities and value assessment, and has been funded by the NIH, foundations, industry, and the state of Tennessee. She has secured millions in grant funding for her institution and has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Junling serves as the advisory committee chair for the value assessment-health outcomes program of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation. She recently completed an assignment as a standing member and ad hoc chair of the NIH Organization and Delivery of Health Services Study Section. She is also a Journal of the American Pharmacists Association Editorial Advisory Board member. Within AcademyHealth, she is the vice chair of the Health Economics Interest Group Advisory Committee and AcademyHealth/ASHEcon Diversity Mentorship team chair, an Education Council member, and the Abstract Review Committee chair of the Quality and Value Interest Group Advisory Committee. She has also held numerous leadership roles within the American Public Health Association.
Junling is a recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award and multiple mentorship awards at her institution.
Junling Wang
PhD
Bio
Karen Nagel Edwards, PhD, is a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus. She received her BSPharm degree from St. Louis College of Pharmacy and her PhD degree in industrial and physical pharmacy from Purdue University. Her current teaching responsibilities include biotechnology, compounding, dosage form design, and history of pharmacy. Karen's areas of research include pharmaceutical compounding, biotechnology, educational research, and herbal product analysis. She has contributed to several textbooks, review guides, and encyclopedias.
Karen has held leadership roles in the APhA-APRS Basic Sciences Section and has served on the APhA-APRS Task Force on Biosimilars, several committees (Awards, Education, and Policy), and the joint APhA-ARPS/American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Task Force on Gender Equity. She was named as an APhA-APRS Fellow in 2019. She is also an active member of AACP, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS), and the AAPS Chicagoland Pharmaceutics Discussion Group. She has served as an abstract and grant reviewer and annual meeting session moderator for both APhA and AACP, and has served on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foreign Pharmacy Equivalency Exam Review Committee.
Karen Nagel Edwards
PhD
Bio
Julie Oestreich, PharmD, PhD, FAPhA, is an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Findlay College of Pharmacy. She has authored more than 35 publications and delivered numerous presentations, with research interests spanning antiplatelet variability, pharmacogenomics, and educational gaming. She has been honored as Teacher of the Year at two different institutions, reflecting her dedication to innovative teaching methods that enhance the classroom experience.
Julie has received multiple research paper awards and is an APhA fellow.
Julie Oestreich
PharmD, PhD, FAPhA
Bio
Morgan Carson-Marino, PharmD, MS, is a pharmacy leader and biomedical scientist dedicated to advancing research, policy, and public health. He serves on the 2024-2025 APhA-APRS Communication Standing Committee and previously contributed to the Policy Standing Committee. At the 2024 APhA Annual Meeting, he moderated APhA's FDA Update, leading discussions on key regulatory changes, and represented APhA-APRS in the House of Delegates.
During his residency experience at APhA, Morgan authored a four-part article series for Student Pharmacist magazine featuring career advice from student pharmacists, residents, early career, and established pharmacists across the United States. He also played a key role in revamping the APhA Career Pathway Evaluation Program, enhancing resources for pharmacy professionals. He later joined FDA as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), focusing on drug safety policies, adverse drug event analysis, and regulatory science. After his FDA fellowship, he became development manager at the FDA Reagan-Udall Foundation, supporting research, communications, and engagement initiatives.
Morgan continues to drive innovation in pharmaceutical research, policy, and public health through leadership, advocacy, and scientific collaboration, shaping the future of the profession.
Morgan Carson-Marino
PharmD, MS
Bio
Yifei Liu, PhD, is an associate professor at the UMKC School of Pharmacy, a fellow at the UMKC Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality, a faculty fellow at the UMKC Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, and a doctoral faculty member at the UMKC Bloch School of Management. He holds a BS degree in pharmacy from the West China University of Medical Sciences, and an MS and PhD in pharmaceutical socioeconomics from the University of Iowa. His research focuses on health care service implementation, patient and provider behavior, and factors influencing health outcomes, supported by a robust record of funding and publications.
Yifei is an associate faculty member with the PGY2 Western Missouri Psychiatric Residency Program and a preceptor for the Walgreens Local Specialty PGY1 Community Residency Program. He serves as faculty advisor for UMKC's Industry Pharmacists Organization student chapter. He is a review editor for Frontiers in Pharmacology, an editorial board member for Advances in Therapy, an advisory board member for Dermatology and Therapy, and a guest editor for two research topics. He previously served on the editorial boards of JAPhA and RSAP, earning recognition as an outstanding reviewer by JAPhA. His roles include service on the APhA-APRS Policy Standing Committee, APhA-APRS ESAS Nomination & Award Committee, APhA-APRS delegate to the APhA House, and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Practitioner Education Advisory Committee.
Yifei Liu
PhD
Collaborate for Change: Join a Team
Teams are at the heart of our association's impact. By joining a team, you will collaborate with like-minded professionals, share insights, and work together on key initiatives that shape the future of our field.
The Community is led by a chair, chair-elect, and member-at-large that serve to advance the work of the Community. Team members are appointed by the Community leadership.
Engagement and Communication Team