Meet the Research Committee Members
Randy Absher, PharmD, BCPS
Title: Assistant Director of Pharmacy for Clinical Services, Cone Health Wesley Long Campus
Role: Chair, Cone Health Institutional Review Board; Member, Pharmacy Research Committee; Mentor, Pharmacy Resident and Student Research
“What I love about research is that it seeks to generate and confirm new scientific knowledge that can help our patients and future ones to live better or live longer.”
Michelle Turner, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP
Title: PGY1 Residency Program Director and Clinical Pharmacist, Cone Health
Role: Coordinator, Pharmacy Residency Research; Member, Pharmacy Research Committee; Mentor, Pharmacy Resident and Student Research
“I enjoy mentoring residents through the research process and facilitating their development as clinical researchers.”
Peter G. Koval, PharmD, BCPS, CPP
Title: Associate Professor of Clinical Education, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy; Director of Pharmacy Education, AHEC; Clinical Pharmacist, Cone Health Family Medicine
Role: Member, Pharmacy Research Committee Member; Mentor, Pharmacy Resident and Student Research
“I most enjoy seeing the impact of an intervention being studied show positive patient care results.”
Nick Gazda, PharmD, MS, BCPS, CSP
Title: Assistant Director, Cone Health Specialty Pharmacy
Role: Member, Pharmacy Research Committee; Mentor, Pharmacist, Resident, and Student Projects
“I am very passionate about outcomes research in the specialty pharmacy, administration, and ambulatory care space. By conducting outcomes research, we are able to demonstrate the quality of our care to justify our resources as well as share best practices with others to ensure all patients get the best care. I am also very passionate about helping students and residents see the benefit of research and get great experience while giving back to the health system and our patients.”
Benjamin Mancheril, PharmD, BCPS
Title: Clinical Pharmacist, Cone Health Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
Role: Pharmacy Research Committee Member; Mentor, Pharmacy Resident and Student Research
“Conducting research not only allows me to stay engaged and inquisitive about established and burgeoning pharmacy practice modalities, but it also forces me to question elements of my current practice and seek to find ways to improve it.”
Tsz-Yin So, PharmD, BCPS
Title: Pharmacist, Cone Health Information & Technology Services; Willow Application Analyst
Role: Member, Pharmacy Research Committee; Mentor, Pharmacy Resident and Student Research
“The thing I love most about research is the potential of improving patients’ outcome from the results of the studies.”
Emily Sinclair, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP
Title: Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist
Role: Member, Pharmacy Research Committee; Mentor, Pharmacy Resident and Student Research
"I enjoy helping residents and students develop and complete meaningful, clinically-driven projects that both improve our health system and contribute to the profession of pharmacy at large."
Sarah Abrams, PhD, MSN, RN, PCCN-K
Title: Pulmonary Clinical Nurse Specialist System-wide
Role: Member, Pharmacy Research Committee; Evidence-based practice expert impacting patient safety and quality by elevating nursing practice
“Clinical Nurse Specialists are clinical experts who support nurses at the bedside, guide organization-level practice changes, and ensure the use of best practices and evidence-based care to achieve the best patient outcomes.1”
1. National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. What is a CNS? National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. Published 2020. https://nacns.org/about-us/what-is-a-cns/
Michelle Porter, AAS, CPhT
Title: Investigational Drug Service Technician Specialist
Role: Member, Pharmacy Research Committee
“I enjoy all aspects of research, especially learn about new medications used to treat certain disease states and seeing the outcomes.”
Tia Ferguson
Title: Investigational Review Board Audit Coordinator
Role: IRB Coordinator; IRB Board Member; IRB Auditor; Member, Pharmacy Research Committee
“The Cone Health IRB fosters a research environment that promotes the respect for the rights and welfare of individuals recruited for, or participating in, research. I am proud to be a part of a research program that puts patients first!”
