< Previous Article | Next Article >
Introducing Dr. Bingfan Yan the New Chair of the Department of Biomedical and
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Bingfan Yan was appointed to serve a three year term as the Chair of the Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) Department commencing October 1, 2013. Dr. Yan is a long-time researcher at the College of Pharmacy, where he has focused on the understanding of how genetic and environmental factors coordinate regulation of the expression of genes involved in drug response and oncogenic switch. He is a native of China, where he received a degree in veterinary medicine. His doctoral work was conducted at the University of Kansas, where he earned his Ph.D. Dr. Yan is a gifted mentor and talented researcher, noted for his unusual sense of humor and collaborative leadership style.
Paul Larrat, Ph.D.
Interim Dean
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am Bingfang Yan (D.V.M., Ph.D.), the newly appointed Chair of the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences in College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island. After steady expansion over the last two decades, the department now is the home of nationally recognized programs in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, and Toxicology. Together with our colleagues in Department of Pharmacy Practice, we deliver a rigorous curriculum leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a flagship program at the university. In addition, the faculty members in the department are responsible for educating students leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
This year, we graduated the most students with the doctor of philosophy degree in department history.
Our department has also expanded beyond the traditional programs. With an eye towards the future employment needs, we have recently initiated and implemented a new program: the Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. This program, with an input from many of you, has been a very successful one. I am proud to tell you that this year’s freshmen enrollment has reached 55 students. This is an exceptional accomplishment by any measure, for such a young program.
Equally successful is the well-fulfilled mission in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. This department has assembled a group of world-renowned experts in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Many research findings reported by our faculty have attracted attentions of public and professional media outlets such as National Public Radio, USA Today and Doctor’s Guide. During the past two months alone, faculty members in our department have been awarded several multi-year grants with a total amount of $4.5 million from the National Institutes of Health. I am proud to say: we are competing on the national stage, and winning.
These research accomplishments have been conducted in our $75 million state-of-the-art building with 24,300 square feet of laboratories. This building also houses a centralized research facility supported by the Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence grant. This facility is the only one of its kind in the state of Rhode Island and beyond. In addition, a 7,000 square foot cGMP-facility is under final construction.
It is very exciting time in the history of our department. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for what you have done for the department in the past. Your continued involvement and support will be key to the future success of our programs. For sustained growth, our department will strategically build on such areas as alumni networks, student internships and faculty development. For now, let us celebrate what we have achieved, outline what we will do, and detail how we will get there. I am looking forward to hearing from and meeting with you in person.
Sincerely,
Bingfang Yan, D.V.M., Ph.D
Professor and Chair