Leadership
Christopher Surratt
Dr. Christopher Surratt was recently appointed dean of the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, He most recently served as Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Affairs for the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at Long Island University. Dr. Surratt received his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of Virginia. His doctoral work there and postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley elaborated mechanisms of RNA processing and maturation. As Senior Staff Fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), NIH, he participated in cloning some of the first opiate and psychostimulant receptor cDNAs. Dr. Surratt created and characterized the first mutants of the heroin/morphine (mu opioid) receptor, contributing toward elucidation of the receptor’s binding sites for abused opiates. He continued opioid receptor research and studies on the dopamine transporter (DAT), the brain’s “cocaine receptor”, as Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He moved to Duquesne University in 2001 for its teacher-scholar model, eventually attaining tenured Professor of Pharmacology rank and serving as Division Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences. His team’s virtual (computational) transporter modeling and molecular pharmacology research contributed to the identification of molecular mechanisms for discrimination of abused and non-abused psychostimulants, and discovery of hit-to-lead compounds with antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. At LIU, he launched a pharmacology/toxicology PhD curricular track, spurred the creation of several PharmD–MS shared credit degree programs, and led the College to a 40% increase in graduate enrollment. Over $7M in faculty external funding was generated via faculty recruiting and grant mentoring.
Dr. Surratt has presented his research at top neuroscience universities including MIT, Princeton, Cal Tech, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Sydney, Victoria University – Wellington, and at international congresses in Munich, Copenhagen, Singapore, Hong Kong, Cape Town and Montreal. He is a graduate of the AACP Leadership Fellows Program. He was the recipient of several teaching awards while at Duquesne University, including its most prestigious: the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He created the first major service-learning project for Duquesne Pharmacy, “The Neuroscience Behind Drugs of Abuse”. Over 20,000 Pittsburgh area teenagers were educated by Pharm.D. students on the subject; a DU-independent assessment indicated that the project was successful in dissuading teenage drug experimentation.
Leadership Team
Christopher K Surratt
Dean, Pharmacy College of Pharmacy
Kowalewski Hall
Prior to joining Long Island University, Surratt spent 17 years at Duquesne University. He joined Duquesne in 2001 as assistant professor of pharmacology, was named division head of Pharmaceutical Sciences while a tenured associate professor of pharmacology in 2007 and served as professor of pharmacology from 2011 to 2018. Surratt has held previous academic and research positions at the University of Virginia, the University of California - Berkeley, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Surratt’s research has focused on drug mechanisms of action and medications development for neurological diseases and disorders such as depression, anxiety and psychostimulant abuse. He has served as a grant reviewer for numerous National Institutes of Health study sections and served on the editorial advisory board of the scientific journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.
Surratt earned both a BA and PhD in chemistry from the University of Virginia.
Brad E. Hein
Associate Dean for Professional Education & Assessment
Associate Professor
,
Pharmacy Academic Affairs
145G Kowalewski Hall
In Dr. Hein's current role as associate dean, his office supports the college, faculty, staff and students in the areas of the curriculum, assessment, accreditation, interprofessional education, experiential education, student academic success, co-curricular activities, pharmacy practice skills development, instructional design, information technology and continuing education.
Kelly T. Epplen
Associate Dean for Admissions & Student Affairs
Associate Professor,
Pharmacy Student & Alumni Affairs
135G Kowalewski Hall
Jill Martin Boone
Director of Interprofessional Education
Interim Co-Curricular Director
Clinical Professor,
Pharmacy College of Pharmacy
391 Kowalewski Hall
Bingfang Yan
Associate Dean for Research & Innovation
Professor
,
Pharmacy College of Pharmacy
3205 Medical Sciences Building
Pankaj Desai
Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences Division
Professor,
Pharmacy Desai Lab
3005 H Medical Sciences Building
Sara E. Lehew
Dir Business Affairs, Pharmacy Financial Administration
161B Kowalewski Hall
- Management of Business Office staff including Grants Administrator, Human Resources Coordinator (HR), and Financial Administrator
- Long-range budget planning and formulation
- PBB revenue tracking
- Cash and budget transfers
- Funds allocations
- Cost analysis
- Strategic hiring and sizing proposals