Home CAS News ArtSci News James Cloyd and Natalie Schmitz to lecture at Drake University Science Colloquium Series

James Cloyd and Natalie Schmitz to lecture at Drake University Science Colloquium Series

The Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI) will present a pair of lectures this week: One by a University of Minnesota professor whose team recently had an anti-seizure drug approved by the FDA, and another by one of his doctoral students, an alumna of the Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

James Cloyd, a professor in the department of experimental and clinical pharmacology at the University of Minnesota’s College of Pharmacy, will discuss his extensive work in development of drugs for seizure control. The lecture is scheduled for noon Friday, Oct. 21, in room 134 of Harvey Ingham Hall, as part of Drake’s Science Colloquium Series.

Cloyd, an accomplished researcher, recently led a team of investigators who developed an intravenous carbamazepine product to treat or prevent seizure emergencies.This product, known as Carnexiv, was approved by the FDA on Oct. 7.

One of Cloyd’s Ph.D. students—Natalie Schmitz, who earned her Drake Pharm.D. in 2014—will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, as part of the Life After Drake lecture series. The lecture will be held in Harvey Ingham room 135, and will be followed by a reception.

“When entering Drake University, I dreamed of becoming a pharmacist but could have never predicted where that road would lead me,” Schmitz said. “I had the opportunity to gain experience in several different settings including community pharmacy, social and administrative research, state legislation, teaching assistant, medication therapy management, the Food and Drug Administration, and drug development research. This ultimately led to me pursing a Ph.D. focusing on the development and approval of treatments for rare pediatric neurological conditions.”

The Drake University Science Colloquium Series presents lectures by Drake faculty and top scholars in the scientific community as well as invited speakers from industry and academic settings. The “Life After Drake lecture series” invites Drake alumni to celebrate their accomplishments, and offers current students the opportunity to network and obtain advice from alumni in different areas of specialty.