BROOKINGS – “The Greatest Job in the World. What is it, You Ask? Let Me Tell You.”

With that intriguing title, world-renowned pharmaceutical researcher and scholar William Elmquist, a distinguished professor at the University of Minnesota, will deliver the keynote presentation at the 27th annual Pharmacy Fall Convocation at South Dakota State University from 3:30-5 p.m. today in the Volstorff Ballroom on campus.

He will be addressing some 300 students, research scientists and faculty from the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.

According to Elmquist, the greatest job is one that allows you to pursue your dreams, have fun and contribute to society, all at the same time.

As for Elmquist, he has been on the University of Minnesota faculty since 2002 and became a distinguished professor in 2016 because of his work with drug transporters and how they impact the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drug compounds. He has an established research program that focuses on drug delivery to brain tumors.

In his scientific lecture at 2 p.m. Oct. 24, Elmquist will speak on that topic in the Avera Health and Science Center’s Room 041. 

That lecture title is “Targeted CNS (central nervous system) Delivery to Treat Brain Tumors: Many Challenges, Many Opportunities.”

Specifically, Elmquist is studying the influence of active efflux transporters, a detoxifying system in the blood-brain barrier that facilitate removal of harmful compounds from the brain. While the barrier protects against intrusive chemicals, it can also frustrate therapeutic interventions for the treatment of brain tumors. Consequently, few therapeutics have made a significant impact on the course of this devastating disease, Elmquist said.

Elmquist’s research deals with distribution of drugs that target the central nervous system to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Prior to the convocation, research poster presentations by pharmacy undergraduates, graduates and research associates will be on display and judged from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Volstorff Ballroom.

Admission is free to both the convocation and the poster presentations.

For more information, contact Xiangming Guan, assistant dean for research with the college, at 605-688-5314 or xiangming.guan@sdstate.edu.