Fifteen investigator-participants and mentors teamed up for 5 days of intensive investigator development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, June 2 to 6.

This marked the 10th offering of the ACCP Foundation Mentored Research Investigator Training (MeRIT) program and the 15th offering of the Focused Investigator Training (FIT) program. The 5-day primer session kicked off the 2025 individualized, 2-year longitudinal program, designed to mentor participants throughout the research process—from research idea and study design to IRB and funding application to data collection, results presentation, and manuscript submission.

The mentors have the know-how AND are invested in developing us as researchers to help us meet our career goals. Then having the dedicated time and space to focus on research without being distracted by clinical and teaching responsibilities was invaluable and aided my growth.

–Nicole Metzger, Pharm.D., BCPS

MeRIT participant

The 2025 MeRIT primer participants will present posters of their proposed research projects during the ACCP Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 18 to 21, 2025. Please stop by to learn about these projects, ask questions, and offer advice to these motivated researchers.

The Foundation’s flagship program, FIT, delivers an unparalleled, intensive, hands-on grant refinement experience for pharmacist-investigators pursuing funding from the NIH and other similarly competitive sources as principal investigators.

Assisted by skilled and successful research mentors, the 2025 attendees concentrated on developing and revising their individual proposals throughout the week. Small-group sessions and individual worktime allowed mentees to focus on their individual projects and immediately address questions and the recommended revisions. The small-group sessions were complemented by tip-rich lectures and discussions, one-on-one mentor appointments, and continual revision and feedback on ideas and proposals.

Learn more about FIT or MeRIT: www.accpfoundation.org/investigator.

Watch for the summer 2026 FIT and MeRIT application materials on the ACCP Foundation website, and accelerate your growth as a clinical pharmacy researcher by submitting your letter of intent in February 2026 to attend one of the June 2026 programs. This approach to proposal development and investigator training with experienced and passionate mentors is unmatched by any other pharmacist training program.

2025 Investigator-Participants:

• Jason N. Barreto, Pharm.D., BCPS
  Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
• Stacey Cutrell, Pharm.D., BCACP
  High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy
• Abigail Elmes-Patel, Pharm.D., MHPE, BCPS
  University of Illinois Chicago Retzky College of Pharmacy
• Xinyi Huang, Pharm.D., BCPS
  Long Island University
• Nicole L. Metzger, Pharm.D., BCPS
  Mercer University College of Pharmacy
• Martha Ndung’u, Pharm.D., BCACP
  University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
• Ashley Runyon, Pharm.D., BCACP
  BayCare Health System
• Rebecca H. Stone, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCACP, BCPS
  University of Georgia College of Pharmacy

2025 Mentors:

• Sean N. Avedissian, Pharm.D., MSc, PhD
  University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Pharmacy
• Adriane N. Irwin, Pharm.D,, MS, FCCP, FAPhA, BCACP
  Oregon State University College of Pharmacy
• Charlie Leonard, Pharm.D., MSCE, MPH, FISPE
  Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
• Robbie Parker, Pharm.D., FCCP
  University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy
• Denise Rhoney, Pharm.D., FCCP, FNCS, MCCM
  University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy
• Mark Shaefer, Pharm.D., FCCP
  NC Triton Consulting
• Margie Snyder, Pharm.D., MPH, FCCP, FAPhA
  Purdue University College of Pharmacy