2/2/2024 Bethan Owen
The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) recently announced the appointment of bioengineering PhD student Muhammad Fayyaz to its Editorial Content Committee.
Written by Bethan Owen
The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) recently announced the appointment of bioengineering PhD student Muhammad Fayyaz to its Editorial Content Committee. AAPS is a well-established organization dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical sciences, and Fayyaz's inclusion in the committee is a recognition of his academic achievements and contributions to the field.
AAPS plays a pivotal role in shaping the pharmaceutical industry's future through its commitment to research, education, and professional development. The Editorial Content Committee that Fayyaz is joining is composed of experienced professionals, and is responsible for overseeing the quality and relevance of AAPS publications. This committee ensures that the association's journals reflect the latest advancements and breakthroughs in pharmaceutical sciences, and helps guide the future of pharmaceutical research.
Fayyaz is a Mayo Clinic and Illinois Fellow and Mavis Future Faculty Fellow who already holds a Pharm.D., Ph.D in pharmaceutics, and is also extensively involved in the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Chemical Society, and the Biomedical Engineering Society, among others. Within the department of bioengineering, he is a member of the Smith lab, where his research interests include novel therapeutics for the treatment of obesity and type two diabetes. With his background in pharmaceutical sciences and passion for bioengineering and its related subjects, Fayyaz has demonstrated a commitment to advancing and improving knowledge in the field. He looks forward to continuing to pursue these goals as a member of the Editorial Content Committee.
“This will be a fascinating experience for me,” Fayyaz said. “Through my position on the committee, I want to be able to bring more elements of engineering into what is being published. After my experience with the department of bioengineering and inspiration from the world’s first engineering based medical college on campus, the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, why not bring more engineering into pharmacy?”
Fayyaz will be responsible for reviewing articles and abstracts for the Journal of Polymer Research, the British Medical Journal, the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and others. Among these responsibilities, Fayyaz has been tasked with finding one or more co-authors who are interested in writing a paper on the subject of space medicine. Fayyaz had more reasons than just his own pharmaceutical background to choose this specific subject.
“I chose this topic,” Fayyaz said, “because UIUC has more space connections than people realize.”
Some of these connections include distinguished UIUC alumnus Jack Kilby’s invention of the integrated circuit, which played a key role in the Apollo 11 spacecraft’s computers, and astronaut alumnus Scott Altman.
“I hope to speak with some of these people during my research,” Fayyaz said. “Especially Altman. Who knows what kind of medicine they need in space better than him?”
From guiding upcoming scientific research to delving into space medicine, Fayyaz’s new role on the committee promises to be an exciting new way to engage with the scientific community in addition to being a well-earned recognition of his own academic contributions.
Anyone who is interested in coauthoring a paper on the subject of space medicine is encouraged to reach out to Muhammad Fayyaz at mfayyaz2@illinois.edu