Tahmineh Tabrizian
OXFORD, Miss. – Dr. Tahmineh Tabrizian, a graduate student at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, is the recipient of the 2013-14 Edith Pritchard Pharmacology Award.
The Pritchard Award recognizes pharmacology Ph.D. candidates with outstanding records of academic and research performance.
“I am so pleased to win the Pritchard Award,” Tabrizian said. “Receiving this award is such an amazing honor that (it) makes me more and more motivated (to continue) my research and community work.”
Originally from Tehran, Iran, Tabrizian received a doctor of medicine degree from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2009 and was a member of the Digestive Disease Research Center, where she studied inflammatory bowel diseases. She began her studies at UM in 2012.
While at Ole Miss, Tabrizian maintained a 4.0 GPA, excelled in clinical pharmacology and disease-based research, and was a campus service project leader.
She has been involved in two main research projects, both of which center on the enzyme prolylcarboxypeptidase, or PRCP, which has implications in hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and obesity, and recently organized a team of pharmacy students to host Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes in Oxford.
“As a scientist, I feel the responsibility to increase awareness of obesity and Type 2 diabetes,” she said. “Mississippi is ranked first in the nation for overall diabetes prevalence, and more than 270,000 adult Mississippians have Type 2 diabetes. The disease can cause death and numerous complications. More importantly, it is controllable and preventable.”
Zia Shariat-Madar, an associate professor of pharmacology and Tabrizian’s adviser, nominated her for the award.
“Tahmineh has all the qualities necessary to become an outstanding physician and an independent investigator: intelligence, creativity, strong work ethic, excellent communication skills and an amicable personality,” Shariat-Madar said. “These qualities allow her to work extremely well with her colleagues.”
“I know that I wouldn’t have been able to receive this award without the invaluable encouragement of Dr. Shariat-Madar,” Tabrizian said. “I would also like to thank all the pharmacology faculty members for all they have done for me.”
Tabrizian received the Pritchard Award, which includes a plaque and $500, during a luncheon in her honor in November.
The Pritchard Award was established in 1989 to honor Edith Pritchard, a secretary in pharmacology from 1966 to 1989.
“Edith treated all of the graduate students over these years as her children, and she was much beloved by them,” said John Matthews, professor emeritus of pharmacology. “Several of our graduate program alumni got together upon her retirement and established an endowment to fund the award.”