Express Scripts Scholar 

Pharm.D./Ph.D. Candidate Waldron-Young Earns $10,000 National Scholarship from AACP 

October 24 — UH College of Pharmacy's Pharm.D./Ph.D. dual degree program candidate Elise M. Waldron-Young has been honored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) as a 2019 Express Scripts Scholar.

The Express Scripts Scholars Program provides four $10,000 scholarships to enrolled dual-degree students to help offset tuition, fees, books or cost of attendance.

"I had a professor say, 'The fight against resistant pathogens is a war, and not a battle.' One way we fight this war is in the lab – developing unique, potent, safer anti-infectants," Waldron-Young said in her application essay. "Over the last half-decade, I have pursued my PharmD./Ph.D., to play my role in this war. With my Ph.D. in pharmacology with an emphasis in medicinal chemistry, I am learning multiple levels of drug development, from chemistry to pharmaceutics to pharmacology. With this diverse training, I intend to apply my clinical and preclinical knowledge into a consulting role and develop more efficacious medical products."

Waldron-Young, who completed the Pharm.D. degree program in 2016, is pursuing a Ph.D. in pharmacology with an emphasis in medicinal chemistry. Under the supervision of UHCOP Associate Professor Greg Cuny, Ph.D., Waldron-Young's research involves synthesizing selective compounds to target Cryptosporidium, a hardy parasitic protozoan that is resistant to some disinfection/filtration processes and potentially life-threatening to children, the elderly and immunocompromised as a result of diarrhea-related dehydration. 

"AACP received a record number of applications for the program this year, which is indicative of the growing popularity of dual-degree programs as more student pharmacists seek to align their education with their professional goals and interests," said Libby J. Ross, senior director of student affairs with AACP. "The Express Scripts program significantly offsets the increased financial burden for these exceptional students."

The scholarship is granted to only four students each year.

AACP is comprised of 144 accredited colleges and schools with pharmacy degree programs, including more than 6,600 faculty, 63,200 students enrolled in professional programs and 6,000 individuals pursuing graduate study.