Pharmacology & Toxicology Department Chair Transition
Karen Wilcox, Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Pharmacy, has announced her decision to step down as Chair of the Department after 11 years of providing unsurpassed leadership in the role. Karen shares that she isn’t retiring from the College and is simply stepping down as Chair to dedicate more time to her research and her position as the Director of the Anticonvulsant Drug Development (ADD) Program.
“The ADD Program NIH contract with the Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP), which has been held for the last 51 years, is up for renewal at the end of this year and will require a significant amount of time and effort due to new screening models being implemented. It has been the honor of a lifetime leading this distinguished Department for the last 11 years and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the Department’s excellence as a Principal Investigator.” - Dr. Wilcox
The department has thrived under Karen’s leadership and recruited seven faculty members during that time, increased grant funding by 33% in the last three years alone, and launched a one-year Master’s Program, which provides a pipeline of talented students for the PhD program and personnel support for researchers.
The College of Pharmacy is hosting an external, nationwide search for a new Chair, headed up by Dr. Aaron Quinlan, who is the Chair of the Department of Human Genetics.
“The search committee is actively searching for the next department chair. I will continue to lead the Department until the new Chair begins work and will support them through the transition. The success of the Department means everything to me, and I am committed to making this process successful.” - Dr. Wilcox
Career Journey in Epilepsy Research
Karen came to Utah in 1998 when her husband, Roger Wilcox, was recruited to a position at Ovid Technologies. Luckily, the College of Pharmacy was looking for an electrophysiologist for the Anticonvulsant Drug Development Program, and she fit the bill perfectly. After a few years, Karen transitioned from being a Senior Scientist to a research track faculty member, and then the tenure line, and was promoted to full professor in 2012. She became the Director of the ADD Program in 2016 when then Director, H. Steve White, was recruited to a position at the University of Washington.
Karen shares how proud she is of the work she has been a part of over the last 28 years, “We are so proud of the work that we do with the ETSP. Our contributions have led to ultimate FDA approval of life-changing therapies for the person with epilepsy and other conditions like neuropathic pain, bipolar disorder, and migraine.”
Gratitude
Karen credits her colleagues and mentors for helping her succeed over the years, including Hal Wolf, Steve White, Randy Peterson, William Crowley, Kristen Keefe, Amy Brooks-Kayal, Lori Isom, and Manisha Patel.
“The support I have received over the years from my colleagues and mentors, both here at the University of Utah and with the epilepsy research community, have contributed greatly to my development as a scientist and administrator.”
Dean Randy Peterson shares, "Dr. Wilcox has been a pillar of the department for the past 28 years and its beloved leader for the past 11. It's hard to imagine the department without her at the helm, but the culture of excellence and impact she has built will continue to propel the department to success far into the future."
We look forward to sharing news with our alumni and supporters about the Chair search as it progresses. If you’d like to share well-wishes with Karen, you may contact her at Karen.Wilcox@hsc.utah.edu.