New Dean to Focus on Future of Pharmacy

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) today (Dec. 5) hosted a reception to officially welcome Quentin Smith, Ph.D., as dean for the School of Pharmacy.

As one of the School of Pharmacy’s original faculty members, Smith has helped build a strong foundation for students and administrators throughout its history.

In his new role, Smith said his goal for the School of Pharmacy is to involve both the clinical faculty and researchers in ongoing programs. He would also like to create a new emphasis on pharmacists serving as drug counselors.

“With the continued development of technology like electronic health records and e-prescriptions, the pharmacy of the future looks much different from today’s pharmacy,” Smith said. “The TTUHSC School of Pharmacy is dedicated to preparing health care professionals who are equipped to meet the challenges of this changing field to better serve patients.”

Smith previously served as the school’s senior associate dean. TTUHSC honored Smith as a University Distinguished Professor in 2007, and in 2009 he was named the sixth recipient of the Grover E. Murray Professorship, the highest honor TTUHSC bestows upon its faculty members.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Utah. Prior to his recruitment, Smith served as chief of the Section on Neurochemistry and Brain Transport, Laboratory of Neurosciences National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

His primary research interests are in drug development and delivery to the central nervous system for the treatment of brain tumors, strokes and neurodegenerative diseases. The NIH, the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas fund his research.

For more breaking news and experts, follow @ttuhscnews on Twitter.