PharmAlliance marks 10 years
Carolina’s partnership with pharmacy schools in England and Australia advances education, research and practice.
What do Chapel Hill, London and Melbourne, Australia, all have in common? PharmAlliance.
PharmAlliance is a strategic, international partnership between three Top 10 global pharmacy schools — the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the University College London School of Pharmacy and the Monash University Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Melbourne, Australia. The partnership started as a conversation between the deans, initiated by then-interim dean Dhiren Thakker, and has since evolved into a deeply integrated network spanning across the four domains of education, research, practice and students.
“What began as an aspiration is now a shared reality with intentional collaboration across education, research and engagement,” said Caroline Sasser, assistant professor and PharmAlliance’s first program coordinator.
In the last decade, PharmAlliance facilitated over 200 student exchanges and awarded 45 collaborative grants, resulting in over 130 peer-reviewed publications. Additionally, its Research Clusters for Doctoral Training supported more than 10 doctoral students and created cross-institutional research networks that support the culture of shared discovery.
“What truly sets us apart is the strength of our relationships. The trust, respect and shared purpose among our colleagues have created a collaborative environment where innovation thrives,” says Jacqui Mclaughlin, one of PharmAlliance’s domain leads and director of the school’s Center for Innovative Pharmacy Education and Research.
Beyond student engagement, the partnership’s return on investment has generated over $6 million U.S. dollars in extramural funding. These resources allow for breakthrough projects, including advances in glioblastoma immunotherapy and global medication safety campaigns.
PharmAlliance’s influence on education has been equally strong. The alliance co-developed the Vaccine Champion Curriculum, now used in five countries. It also created cultural competency modules accessed by more than 5,900 learners worldwide. New simulation tools featuring electronic health records and AI-driven avatars have further prepared students for real-world practice in diverse settings.
For fourth-year doctoral candidate Ryan Woodring, the global scope of PharmAlliance has been a core component to his journey. “Having a global component to a Ph.D. experience is incredibly valuable,” Woodring said.
“Many of the challenges we aim to address — health disparities, drug development, access to care — are inherently global. Integrating cross-cultural perspectives leads to solutions that better serve diverse populations.” Woodring is one of the collaboratively trained doctoral students, supported by an internal PharmAlliance grant.
PharmAlliance is transforming research and education and is shaping the mindset of its participants in a community setting. “We’ve placed a strong emphasis on mentorship and building the pipeline for future leaders,” says Stephen Eckel, associate dean for global engagement, who has been with the program since its inception and has watched it flourish in the past decade.
As the program looks ahead, leaders aim to expand global doctoral training, continue developing cutting-edge educational technologies and strengthen alumni networks. The partnership underscores the school’s mission to advance pharmacy practice and education on a global scale.
For PharmAlliance, the next decade promises deeper collaboration and greater innovation — building on a foundation of trust, shared purpose and global vision.
