Inaugural Graduate of Cooperative PhD Program
The School of Pharmacy proudly recognizes Olivia Slater, PhD, as the first graduate of its cooperative Pharmacology and Neuroscience doctoral program, since renamed the Doctor of Philosophy in Multidisciplinary Biomedical and Biological Sciences. Slater previously earned her bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at SIUE before completing her PhD with a specialization in Medicinal Chemistry.
Offered in partnership between the SIUE School of Pharmacy and the SIUC School of Medicine, the cooperative PhD program provides interdisciplinary training in innovative drug development and design, pharmacodynamic and translational research, and prepares graduates for careers across industry and academia.
Although the PhD is conferred through the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Slater’s research was rooted in computational chemistry. Her dissertation, “Targeting Toll-like Receptor 4 with Computational Chemistry Methods and Rationally Designed Glycoconjugates,” focused on designing small molecules to target proteins involved in inflammation and cancer.
Slater began her research at SIUE as an undergraduate in the lab of Maria Kontoyianni, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, whose mentorship played a pivotal role in her development.
“I chose to attend the program so that I could work under the direction of Dr. Kontoyianni,” said Slater. “It has been a privilege and an honor to be her student and the first graduate of the co-op program.”
“Olivia was never satisfied with being merely good enough,” said Kontoyianni. “She continually strived to improve, delving more deeply into research questions, considering all possible angles, and analyzing data in a highly comprehensive manner.”
The School of Pharmacy congratulates Slater and looks forward to the continued success of future graduates of the program.
