Lokhandwala Named Interim Dean of University of Houston College of Pharmacy

Appointment of prolific researcher, former pharmacy dean, is effective Sept. 13

Mustafa F. Lokhandwala has been named interim dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Houston (UH). The appointment is effective Sept. 13, 2008.

Lokhandwala, a professor of pharmacology, has been serving as executive vice dean for research and director of the Heart and Kidney Institute, one of four institutes and centers within the College of Pharmacy. The Heart and Kidney Institute researches the pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment of certain cardiovascular disorders while fostering collaborative research efforts among scientists from UH and other Texas Medical Center institutions.

"I look forward to the opportunity to lead the College of Pharmacy, which has an outstanding reputation in the education of pharmacy practitioners and is known for tremendous productivity in research and scholarship," Lokhandwala said. "The future is bright for pharmacists, and we're an international leader in educating and preparing pharmacists for tomorrow's world of pharmacy, as well as contributing to drug discovery and delivery in collaborations with institutions within the Texas Medical Center"

Lokhandwala fills the vacancy created when College of Pharmacy Dean Sunny Ohia announced his resignation effective Sept. 12 to accept the position of vice president of academic affairs and provost at Texas Southern University.

"Having served as dean of the College of Pharmacy from 1991-2002, Dr. Lokhandwala is well prepared to lead the college in its mission to prepare students for tomorrow's healthcare challenges," said Jerald W. Strickland, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "I'm very pleased that Dr. Lokhandwala has accepted this appointment, and I know the college will have strong leadership as we search for a permanent dean."

Among his research interests, Lokhandwala is studying the mechanisms related to the cause of hypertension, aging and diabetes and examining approaches to prevent or treat these conditions.

Lokhandwala has trained more than 30 graduate students and more than 20 postdoctoral research fellows.

He serves as editor-in-chief of the journal Clinical and Experimental Hypertension and serves on editorial boards of several journals. Over the past 25 years Lokhandwala has received more than $12 million in research funding from federal, state and private sources. He has published more than 250 scientific papers and currently his research is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Lokhandwala earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the L.M. College of Pharmacy in India, and a master's degree from Columbia University. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Houston in 1975 and was appointed assistant professor of pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy at UH. He was promoted in 1981 to associate professor, advancing to full professor in 1989. Lokhandwala also served as chair of the department of pharmacology from 1980-1991 and dean of the College of Pharmacy from 1991-2002. He has been executive vice dean for research since 2003.

Lokhandwala's awards and honors include the Scientific Research Society's Research Excellence Award for 1993 from the University of Houston chapter of Sigma Xi, the Individual Educational Excellence Award from the Texas Pharmacy Foundation in 2000 and being chosen to deliver the Robert A. Boblitt Rho Chi Lecture in 2004. Also, Dr. Lokhandwala is a Fellow of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heart Association and a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology.

A profile of his professional accomplishments is available at: http://pharmacy.uh.edu/facstaff/fprofiles/mustafa_lok.php.

For more information about the College of Pharmacy, please see: http://pharmacy.uh.edu/aboutus.php.


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