June 2026 ACCP Member Spotlight: Caitlin S. Brown

Caitlin S. Brown, Pharm.D., MPH, FCCP, FCCM, BCCCP, is an associate professor of emergency medicine and pharmacy and a medication knowledge management pharmacist at Mayo Clinic. She earned her Pharm.D. degree at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and her master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota. She completed a PGY1 residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a PGY2 critical care residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. After residency, she worked as a critical care and emergency medicine pharmacist at Mayo Clinic for 8 years before transitioning to a medication knowledge management pharmacist.

At present, she supports 3 academic centers and more than 10 community and critical access hospitals. In this role, she develops, maintains, and standardizes key enterprise pharmacy resources to promote safe, consistent, and evidence-based medication use across diverse practice settings. She also responds to drug information inquiries from clinicians and pharmacists across the enterprise.

Brown also remains engaged in academic work by mentoring pharmacy resident research projects and leading quality improvement/research initiatives. She has over 70 publications, with a focus on pharmacotherapy for critically/emergently ill patients and health equity. She was also recently awarded both the EM Pharmacist of the Year from the Academic Emergency Medicine Pharmacist Interest Group within the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine and the Early Career Research Achievement Award from the Academy of Geriatric Emergency Medicine.

Brown advocates consistently bringing the conversation back to the patient, especially to the needs of those who may be overlooked because of race, ethnicity, disability, health literacy, social vulnerability, or limited access to follow-up care. As chair of the Mayo Midwest Pharmacy Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Council, she expanded the use of pronoun pins, led the development and implementation of an interview and hiring toolkit to promote equitable hiring, and organized department-wide education. Through this work and related research, she aims to elevate gaps in care and provide actionable recommendations to advance equitable, affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse patients.

Outside patient care, she creates a safe environment for team members by setting clear expectations for respect, curiosity, and shared accountability while modeling these behaviors. In addition, she encourages an equity lens by asking residents not only “Does this intervention work?” but also “for whom, under what circumstances, and how can we improve access and impact?”

Browns credits Gil Fraser, her PGY2 critical care residency director, as having the greatest influence on her career. He instilled intellectual curiosity, modeled patient-centered care grounded in respect and dignity, and promoted a commitment to lifelong learning. He encouraged her to approach complex cases with both rigor and openness, to challenge assumptions, and to learn from every member of the interprofessional team. In addition, he emphasized humility, finding purpose and joy in one’s work, and sustaining pharmacist well-being to consistently bring their best selves to patients.

With that, her advice is to get involved intentionally. Choose opportunities that align with what genuinely motivates you to contribute consistently and develop skills that translate to patient care, research, teaching, and leadership. She values ACCP as a professional “home” within clinical pharmacy and credits the organization with turning ideas into action while supporting diversity and health equity. She believes this strengthens our profession and ultimately improves the care we provide for patients and communities. So, her advice is to say yes to getting involved, stay curious, and then keep returning to the work that energizes you.

May 2026 ACCP Member Spotlight: Christina Madison

Christina M. Madison, Pharm.D., FCCP, AAHIVP, is a residency-trained clinical pharmacist and public health communications strategist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is the Founder and CEO of The Public Health Pharmacist, PLLC, a public health consulting firm established in 2019 that focuses on translating evidence into culturally responsive health communication, media strategy, and community-centered public health education.

Madison’s Public Health Reach

A defining feature of Madison’s work is public-facing education at scale to advance health literacy. Through more than 200+ on-air television appearances, including Good Morning America (GMA3: What You Need to Know), she translates medical evidence into clear, practical guidance that supports informed decision-making and counters mis and disinformation. Madison also contributed to WIRED’s “Pharmacology Support,” answering widely searched medication questions with an evidence-first approach.

Most recently, Madison has expanded her communications work through collaborations that support evidence-based public education and small business empowerment, including work aligned with The Evidence Collective (a network of trusted health communicators) and Verizon Small Business programming through its “Ask the Expert(s)” learning series.

Why Pharmacy

Madison chose clinical pharmacy because she wanted a career where science directly changes outcomes. Where the “why” behind a decision matters as much as the decision itself. Early on in her professional journey, Madison was drawn to public health because as she notes, “it’s where prevention, trust, and long-term relationships live.” That path naturally led her to communicable diseases management and sexual health: HIV care, STI management, and immunizations are fields where evidence evolves quickly, stigma can be a barrier to care, and pharmacists can make an immediate difference by improving access and optimizing therapy.

Advocacy & Advice

Madsion is a strong proponent of advocacy in pharmacy. She shares that the most important form of advocacy is protecting and expanding evidence-based pharmacist care models that improve access to quality health care and improve health care outcomes. That includes advocating for appropriate scope, sustainable reimbursement, and policy that allows pharmacists to practice at the top of their license. Madison offers advice to pharmacists who are interested in having a greater role in advocacy:

1. Start local and specific: know your state practice act, identify one barrier patients face, and tie your advocacy to a concrete outcome (access, cost, safety, adherence).
2. Pair data with a story: embrace the power of storytelling by engaging with policymakers to remember people, not just numbers in a spreadsheet—but bring both.
3. Build coalitions: partner with physicians, nurses, public health leaders, and community organizations so the message isn’t “pharmacists want more,” but “patients need this.”
4. Be consistent: advocacy is a repetition game. Show up, follow up, and keep receipts (evidence, outcomes, testimonials).

Impact and Inspiration!

Madison’s impact spans policy, practice, and public understanding. She works to inform legislative conversations, help organizations embed equity into operations, and ensure that communities receive clear, respectful, and actionable health information. Madison shares that her goal is to ensure that evidence-based care is not only available, but also understandable and trustworthy for the people who need it most.

April 2026 ACCP Member Spotlight: Cecilia Volk

Cecilia Volk, Pharm.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Madison School of Pharmacy. Volk earned a BS degree in biochemistry at Northern Michigan University and her Pharm.D. degree at the UW Madison School of Pharmacy. During pharmacy school, Volk identified her passion for translational research while working with her mentor, Dr Warren Rose. After pharmacy school, Volk pursued a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, after which she returned to Madison to complete an infectious disease research fellowship with her mentor. After completing her fellowship in July 2023, Volk transitioned into her current position as an assistant professor at the UW Madison School of Pharmacy, where she maintains a clinical practice, teaches pharmacy students, and manages an active research program. Volk’s teaching is largely in the area of infectious diseases, but she also teaches within the Skills Lab at UW Madison. Volk also mentors students in her lab to help inspire research in future pharmacists.

Volk’s research program is currently funded by the KL2 Mentored Scholars Program through the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at UW Madison, where she concentrates on improving care for patients with infectious diseases by focusing on the interactions between antibiotics, bacteria, and the host immune system using a variety of translational modeling approaches. Her current project is investigating the host-pathogen-antibiotic interactions at play in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and determining the effects of different antibiotic therapies on the host immune response. A particularly important part of this work is the development of a novel zebrafish infection model; zebrafish are unique modeling systems, given that their transparency at early ages allows for in vivo imaging of infections and the associated immune response. In her lab, Volk shares her love of research with pharmacy and undergraduate students.

Volk attributes much of her career development to the influence of her research mentor. Rose prioritized Volk’s professional development as early as her first professional year and has offered her opportunities to develop new skills and collaborate with colleagues, many of whom she still works with today. Beyond pharmacy school, Rose’s research fellowship was instrumental in developing Volk’s skills to achieve her goals of a career in academia by integrating clinical practice and teaching opportunities into her research training. To this day, Rose remains a mentor on Volk’s KL2 award and continues to model the highest example of mentorship.

Volk aspires to model mentorship through the way she runs her lab. She attests that communication is a big theme within her research team, especially when onboarding new team members. Volk works with each team member to identify her learners’ communication preferences and goals and tailor their research experience accordingly. She also aims to make lab meetings inclusive and safe places by ensuring that everyone has the chance to be heard.

Every member of my team (including me) takes turns presenting their work and getting feedback and ideas from the group. I believe including myself in this practice sends the message that we are all continually learning and have room to grow with the help of the team.

This theme also extends to Volk’s teaching duties, where she solicits feedback and adapts teaching methods to ensure she is providing information in a way that connects with as many students as possible. Such feedback has led to a landmark change in how she approaches the “gray areas” of patient care. In her courses, students are tasked early on with debating controversial topics in infectious diseases, learning that in some situations, there is no right or wrong answer; instead, clinicians are tasked with finding evidence to support ideas for these unanswered questions.

Volk’s approach to research and teaching clearly supports the advice she offers to other ACCP members, students, and residents.

I would encourage students, trainees, and professionals at any age never to stop taking opportunities to learn and experience new things. During pharmacy school and residency, I think it is important to test out as many different practice sites, patient populations, and practice models as possible. You never know what might spark your interest.

Outside her teaching and research, Volk attests to loving the Wisconsin winter weather, where she can enjoy playing with her puppy, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling, and ice fishing with her family at their cabin.

February 2026 ACCP Member Spotlight: Jennifer Shenk

Jennifer Shenk, Pharm.D., BCPPS, is a dedicated board-certified pediatric pharmacy specialist in the neonatal ICU at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she also serves as the PGY2 pediatric pharmacy residency program director. Shenk earned her Pharm.D. degree from West Virginia University School of Pharmacy in 2008. Subsequently, she completed a PGY1 residency at West Virginia University Hospitals and a PGY2 pediatric residency at Arnold Palmer Medical Center.

With over 10 years’ experience in pediatric and neonatal pharmacy, she has held various leadership roles at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Arnold Palmer Medical Center. She currently serves as the PGY2 pediatric pharmacy residency program director and co-chairs the pharmacy residency integration committee. This committee oversees over 20 residency programs and 50 residents within the UPMC health system. As a dedicated educator, she collaborates with the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University schools of pharmacy and demonstrates her continued commitment to clinical excellence, leadership, education, and research. These efforts advance pediatric pharmacy and enhance care for patient populations at highest risk.

Shenk’s clinical expertise encompasses creating and delivering education and drug information to multidisciplinary teams, developing institutional guidelines and policies, and leading quality improvement initiatives that have advanced medication safety and clinical outcomes for neonatal and pediatric patients. She has mentored countless pharmacy residents and students through clinical rotations, research projects, and professional development. Her scholarly activities include leading and co-precepting numerous research and quality improvement projects, many of which have been presented at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Although the UPMC Children’s Hospital where she practices is a freestanding children’s hospital, it is part of a large health system, which is currently transitioning from a single-site electronic medical record system to a unified platform across all 40 hospitals in the system. In preparation for this integration, Shenk has used her pediatric expertise to advocate for safe and effective medication use for all neonatal and pediatric patients through the system-level hospitals. This significant undertaking has involved aligning neonatal and pediatric practices across sites and understanding each hospital’s unique needs. It also ensures that pediatric standards of care remain prioritized throughout the process.

Shenk was first introduced to clinical pharmacy during her advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations. Through these experiences, she discovered a passion for applying pharmacotherapy knowledge to optimize patient care and address complex clinical challenges. Her exposure to pediatrics during APPE rotations and throughout her PGY1 residency solidified her decision to specialize in this field. She was drawn to the unique challenges and profound rewards of caring for this patient population.

Throughout her career, Shenk has had the privilege of learning from and working alongside exceptional pediatric pharmacists who are deeply passionate about advocating for the patients they serve. The recent decline in students and residents pursuing pediatric pharmacy concerns her and many of her colleagues. One of her ongoing goals is to increase learners’ exposure to pediatric pharmacy and effectively train pharmacy residents. This ensures that future generations of pharmacists are prepared and inspired to advocate for these patients for years to come.

Shenk finds leading collaborative and innovative group projects professionally rewarding. She believes effective leadership begins with actively listening, fostering a safe and open environment for ideas, and recognizing the value each team member brings. By leveraging the unique skills and strengths of individuals, a group is more likely to be successful and continue to collaborate on future initiatives. To reinforce teamwork, motivation, and a sense of belonging, success should be shared by recognizing and celebrating accomplishments together.

Outside her pharmacy life, Shenk invests in the community. Growing up, Shenk was a competitive swimmer. Now, she enjoys the sport again through her daughter’s participation. She serves as a co-chair of the club scholarship committee and is often timing events on the pool deck at swim meets. She also participates in several team service projects throughout the season such as making bags for foster children or blankets for local patients with cancer.

Shenk’s advice to other ACCP members, students, and residents is to consistently challenge themselves to identify opportunities for growth—in both their practice and their personal development. She states:

Facing barriers can be difficult, but overcoming them is incredibly rewarding. During training, we receive an abundance of feedback. However, once in practice, we shift to relying more on self-assessment, which can be an adjustment. Setting intentional goals for yourself helps ensure you continue to evolve as a clinician and a person.