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Dr. Oliver Grundmann

Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Florida
 

Brief Biography:


My career path started about 14 years ago when I worked as a nurse aid in a hospital in Germany which furthered my interest in benefiting those in need of medical attention. Combined with my early interest in natural sciences, I decided to study pharmacy at the University of Muenster in Germany from which I graduated with a European pharmacist license in 2004. During my pharmacy studies I was interviewed for a position as a PhD student at the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy which I joined shortly after graduation from pharmacy school. My research focuses on the use and interactions of natural products - both in preclinical and clinical investigations. I expanded my interest in pharmaceutical sciences and specifically pharmacology by graduating with both a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a MS in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida in 2007.

Aside from my educational background I am very much involved in advancing the application of modern technology to teaching and dissemination of information. Since 2008, after a postdoctoral position at the University of Arizona, I have been teaching graduate-level courses in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Forensic Sciences via distance education to students and professionals from around the world. I have been involved in a number of publications related to natural products, drug metabolism, and toxicology. Currently, I hold several positions as editor-in-chief and editorial board member on scientific journals.

 

Academic positions:


Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida

Adjunct faculty, College of Pharmacy, Midwestern University

 

Research interests:


My main research interests focus on the discovery of natural products for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Either the natural product itself can be utilized as a new treatment modality or it can serve as a precursor for the development of new medications. During the last years I have spent much time exploring the structure of an anxiolytic present in the leaves of the plant Apocynum venetum or "Venetian dogbane".

During my time as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Arizona in 2008 I was able to gain some insight into the mechanisms involved in radiation-induced salivary gland damage. Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat patients with head and neck cancer and as a side effect cause functional and structural changes in salivary glands which significantly impacts the quality of life for patients.

A new collaboration in 2009 with the Colleges of Nursing and Medicine at the University of Florida gives me the exciting opportunity to work on complementary and alternative treatment approaches for the therapy of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Another, much different, research interest is concerned with the development of online distance education courses specifically in the area of health and human sciences such as Forensic Sciences, Medicine, and Pharmacy. By connecting my current teaching philosophy and responsibility for the Forensic Science and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Distance Education Programs at the University of Florida with the development of new courses, I'm interested in how online courses might contribute to the future learning environment. This is especially interesting for students who wish to go back to school to advance their careers but are limited in their ability to suspend their job or private obligations such as a family. As education and the social environment becomes more and more globalized, students seek and explore options around the globe to advance their knowledge and careers while getting to know other cultures. One goal of our current efforts is to provide students from around the world with such a learning experience from the comfort of their home and usual social and professional environment. The impact of such a new learning perspective are yet mostly unexplored.

 

What I think of the idea behind WebmedCentral:


I fully support the mission of WebmedCentral as a portal for scientists and professionals in all areas of health sciences to publish their research. Furthermore, the vision of post-publication peer-review provides the scientific community with the unique opportunity for an open, accessible, fair, and balanced review process. As a member of multiple editorial boards for scientific journals I believe that the peer-review process implemented by WebmedCentral will serve as a model for current and future high-profile publications.

 

Home Page:


http://plaza.ufl.edu/grundman