College of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Newsroom

September 28, 2026

New $3.1M NIH Grant for University of Houston to Study How ‘Spongy Heart’ Disease Develops — and Whether It Can Be Stopped

Mingfu Wu, professor of pharmacology, has received a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how left ventricular noncompaction, commonly known as "spongy heart," disease develops in children. The serious condition can lead to heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and other complications. Wu's study will investigate what causes the heart to develop abnormally and whether the biological processes involved could one day be interrupted.

Top Stories

September 30, 2026

Wang Elected Fellow of the American College of Cardiology

Elisabeth M. Wang, Pharm.D. (’16), BCCP, FACC, clinical associate professor, has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology in recognition of her contributions to cardiovascular care, pharmacy education, scholarship and professional service.

September 21, 2026

Labdis Welcomed into UHCOP Mading Society of Benefactors

The University of Houston College of Pharmacy's Mading Society of benefactors welcomed two new members — alumna Bonnie Labdi, Pharm.D. ('02), BCOP, and husband Imad Labdi — into its ranks at the 2026 Mading Society Induction and Dinner Sept. 18 in Houston.

September 21, 2026

UHCOP Honors Alumni Cuellar, Mohr with Top College Awards

UHCOP bestowed its Meritorious Achievement Award to alumna Lourdes M. Cuellar, M.S. (’79), B.S. (’73), FTSHP, FASHP, and its Alumnus Pharmacist of the Year Award to John F. Mohr, Pharm.D. ('02), at the Mading Society Dinner & Induction Sept. 18.

Latest News

September 30, 2026

Wang Elected Fellow of the American College of Cardiology

Elisabeth M. Wang, Pharm.D. (’16), BCCP, FACC, clinical associate professor, has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology in recognition of her contributions to cardiovascular care, pharmacy education, scholarship and professional service.

September 28, 2026

New $3.1M NIH Grant for University of Houston to Study How ‘Spongy Heart’ Disease Develops — and Whether It Can Be Stopped

Mingfu Wu, professor of pharmacology, has received a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how left ventricular noncompaction, commonly known as "spongy heart," disease develops in children. The serious condition can lead to heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and other complications. Wu's study will investigate what causes the heart to develop abnormally and whether the biological processes involved could one day be interrupted.

September 23, 2026

Advancing Alzheimer’s Drug Repurposing Through AI and Brain Imaging

Supported by a $148,445 Alzheimer’s Association grant, UHCOP researcher Tiansheng Wang, Pharm.D., Ph.D., is using real-world health data, genetic information, brain imaging and artificial intelligence to identify existing medications that may warrant further study as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

September 21, 2026

Labdis Welcomed into UHCOP Mading Society of Benefactors

The University of Houston College of Pharmacy's Mading Society of benefactors welcomed two new members — alumna Bonnie Labdi, Pharm.D. ('02), BCOP, and husband Imad Labdi — into its ranks at the 2026 Mading Society Induction and Dinner Sept. 18 in Houston.

September 21, 2026

UHCOP Honors Alumni Cuellar, Mohr with Top College Awards

UHCOP bestowed its Meritorious Achievement Award to alumna Lourdes M. Cuellar, M.S. (’79), B.S. (’73), FTSHP, FASHP, and its Alumnus Pharmacist of the Year Award to John F. Mohr, Pharm.D. ('02), at the Mading Society Dinner & Induction Sept. 18.

September 21, 2026

UHCOP Ph.D. Candidate Earns PhRMA Foundation Award for AI Research

UHCOP Ph.D. candidate Chijioke M. Okeke received a PhRMA Foundation Trainee Challenge Award for research examining how large language models can assess potential bias in real-world evidence studies. His work explores the promise and current limitations of AI as a tool to support more efficient, rigorous evaluation of healthcare research and inform evidence-based decision-making.