Member Spotlight
HOPA members are leaders in the field of hematology/oncology pharmacy. We’re always pleased to share with you news about our members' accomplishments, including awards, research endeavors, and speaking engagements.
Vivian Loo PharmD, BCOP
HOPA member Vivian Loo PharmD, BCOP is a Senior Protocol Content Administrator at City of Hope.
"Of the various research roles at our institution, our team is one of the first to comprehensively review protocol documents as we initiate our Epic build. Therefore, we are often able to make early interventions to clarify information or identify errors."
Nicole A Brunette, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP
HOPA member Nicole A. Brunette is a Clinical Oncology Specialist with a focus on Oncology Informatics at Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, MA
"By working to optimize the tools and resources available within the eHR, the oncology team can provide efficient care and focus on caring for the patient instead of looking at a computer screen. I strive to design an eHR that is standardized, easy to use, and encompasses what each end user needs in their day-to-day workflow."
Aseala Abousaud, PharmD, BCOP
HOPA member Aseala Abousaud, PharmD, BCOP is a Lymphoma Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Emory Winship Cancer Institute whose practice includes collaborating with healthcare providers in clinic to optimize patient care, among other responsibilities.
" One of my proudest moments is being nominated as the clinical pharmacist to The Cellular Therapy Research Review Committee alongside a physician and pathologist where we review proposed protocols to use the blood bank received from my involvement with my CARPET pharmacokinetic study. "
Jordyn Paige Higgins, PharmD, BCOP
HOPA member Jordyn Paige Higgins, PharmD, BCOP is a Thoracic Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, she is a member of the National Student Committee for HOPA.
" My current research interests include the optimization of anticancer treatments for my patients. Recently, the results of my PGY-2 oncology residency project were published regarding the use of immunotherapy in patients with preexisting autoimmune disorders."
Bernard Marini, PharmD, BCOP
Bernard Marini, PharmD, BCOP is an Inpatient Hematology Clinical Pharmacist at the University of Michigan and an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. .
"One of my proudest moments was when I was awarded the HOPA 2018 Foundation Grant for optimizing precision medicine therapy in patients with pediatric brain tumors using the CNS TAP tool. It was a very exciting project that I was very passionate about and had put a ton of work into, but I didn’t think I had a chance for actual grant funding!
Jennifer Thackray, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS
Jennifer Thackray, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, is a Pediatric Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She was recently awarded a Presidential Citation by The Pediatric Pharmacy Association for her contribution to the publication, Key Potentially Inappropriate Drugs in Pediatrics: The KIDs List.
"My advice for those just starting out comes from Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s epic career. She inspired many people, including myself, to listen and learn from others and to build something outside of yourself. As Bader Ginsberg said, 'Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.'"
Katie Gatwood, PharmD, BCOP
HOPA member Katie Gatwood, PharmD, BCOP, practices at Vanderbilt University as a Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Clinical Pharmacist Specialist. She was recently honored to receive the 2021 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Pharmacy Special Interest Group New Practitioner Award.
"The proudest moment thus far in my career was receiving the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) Pharmacy Special Interest Group (SIG) New Practitioner Award. I actually did not originally think I wanted to practice in oncology, so I want other new practitioners to know they should always keep an open mind throughout their training experiences. "
