Pharmacogenomics Student Organization Raises Money for Leukemia and Lymphoma

The fledgling GW Pharmacogenomics Student Organization has organized a fundraising drive for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and hopes to raise $1,700 to support patients and research by fall 2006.

Founded by first-year students in the new pharmacogenomics undergraduate program offered through a partnership between GW and Shenandoah University, the organization acts primarily as a forum for discussions of the newest and most innovative topics in the field of pharmacogenomics. Officers in the organization are Christie Maggiore, Connie Riengnimit, and Vicki West.

Maggiore said she became interested in supporting the society after loosing someone close to her to leukemia, and felt this was a way the student organization could raise money and make a difference in someone’s life.

Thus far they have raised $731 toward their $1,700 goal. Activities included a bake sale in early May at the Virginia Campus and a second bake sale and Mother’s Day card sale at Main Campus. They are also accepting donations online.

For more information about the Pharmacogenomics Student Organization contact Christie Maggiore.

Check the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's website to find out more about them or to check the student organizations’ fundraising progress.

About the Pharmacogenomics Program
A joint program between GW's School of Medicine & Health Sciences and Shenandoah University's Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, the program utilizes the expertise of both schools to create a truly unique undergraduate program—the only one of its kind in the country. The students will receive a B.S. in Health Sciences from GW with a specialization in Pharmacogenomics.

The first cohort of seven students was admitted for fall 2005 and is finishing their first year in May 2006. Many of the students have internships this summer, including several students who are participating in “Critical Path Initiative" internships at the FDA and one with an internship at Sequella Inc. A second cohort of approximately 15 students begins the program next fall.

Pharmacogenomics, the study of how a person's genetics affect the body's response to drugs, is a growing field. Using genetic testing to predict drug response and then tailoring drug therapies to individual patients is the cornerstone of this field.
More information about the program