School of Pharmacy

Akshay Salegaonkar

I am a second year graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

I completed my Bachelor degree in Pharmacy in 2019, from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Hyderabad, India. Prior to obtaining my degree, I contributed to a project on chitosan-siRNA based treatment, for amelioration of crystal induced nephropathy by moderation of macrophage activation. I was also part of a team aimed at exploring the role of HDAC-5, as a target for diabetic wound healing. While I explored my areas of interest in research, I was also an intern at Zephyr Biomedicals (now PerkinElmer), where I learned about mass production of rapid diagnostic kits used to detect various diseases.

I am highly interested in research areas related to Diabetes and Nanoparticle based delivery systems.

Nathan Scott

I am a second year graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. I earned my BS in biology from Truman State University in Kirksville Missouri. Prior to my graduate studies, I worked as a research technician at Washington University in St. Louis in the department of Neurology where I assisted in research on underlying neurodegeneration, particularly as it's related to Alzheimer's. My current research interest is in Pharmacology. 

Shaluah Vijeth

I am a second year Pharmaceutical Sciences Master's student with specialization in Pharmacology. I completed my Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from Belgaum Institute of Medical Sciences, India. Prior to starting this program, I worked as a research assistant at Karnatak University Dharwad. My primary area of research was in improving drug delivery systems across the blood-brain-barrier for glioblastoma treatment. My current research interest is in neuro-pharmacology. I am working in Dr. Witt's lab on evaluation of novel selective somatostatin receptor subtype-drug agonists to mitigate age-dependent learning and memory deficits in models of Alzheimers' disease.

Matthew Butler

 I am a first year graduate student in the Department of Pharmceutical Sciences. I am lucky to be familiary with the SIUE community, having spent the entirety of my undergraduate education at SIUE. My years of hard work culminated in receiving a BS in Biological Sciences from SIUE in May of 2020. I am a native of Alton, IL, haivng always lived just 25 minutes from SIUE's campus. 

I have also been fortunate to have been able to work multiple jobs while maintaining full time student status to pay for mu undergraduate education. I currently work for both CVS Pharmacy, as a Pharmacy Technician, and as a sales associate at RunWell in downtown Edwardsville. I am very excited to learn more about the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, as I explore avenues of research. My goal following the completion of my degree, is to continue my studies and apply to medical school, focusing on the path of Emergency Medicine.

Eric Lodholz

 I am a first year graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. I received my BS in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Medical Science from SIUE. Prior to starting the graduate program, I briefly worked as a medical scribe in the ER of three hospitals. I also performed various research tasks while learning techniques and methods in organic chemistry, physiology, and cell biology throughout my undergraduate career. My current interest is in Pharmacology.

Nathan Peel

 I am a first year gradute student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. I completed my  Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana in 2015. During my tenure, I worked on indole reduction reactions to test iridium catalysts to be used in hydrogen fuel, and a project based on substituted glucose rings as alternative catalysts. 

Before starting the program, I spent 4 years in industry as a bench chemist in Quality Control/Assurance.