Capstone Research Project 

The Capstone Research Project provides fourth-year professional student pharmacists the opportunity to apply and integrate knowledge learned throughout the curriculum to a research project in the broad categories of pharmacy education, pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical sciences, or public health. Students use a scholarly approach to design and execute the research project under the guidance of a mentor in the college of pharmacy or associated institutions. Research mentors include faculty, preceptors, pharmacists, and other scholars. Students can choose to conduct this work in a research laboratory, clinic, public health facility, or classroom.  Students may also pursue other opportunities to complete a business plan, systematic review, or drug utilization review. The Capstone Research projects commence in the beginning of the fourth professional year with the identification of a Capstone Research mentor interested in a similar research area.  The program is overseen by the Capstone Director who assists mentors in guiding students through the Capstone experience. The learning objectives of the Capstone Research Project include:

• Develop a pharmacy related project using a scholarly approach.
• Appropriately collect and analyze data subsequent to the project design.
• Create a manuscript describing the project and its findings.
• Create and present a visual summary of the project for poster presentation at Capstone Research Day. 

Students and mentors are encouraged to prepare a manuscript suitable for publication at the end of the year. Formal student poster presentations are made at the annual CSU-COP Capstone Research Day. Quality of presented posters is assessed by a team of judges who select the best poster in each category of Capstone Research projects.

2018-2019 Best Capstone Poster Awards

Pharmacy Education

Development of an online educational tool to enhance learning in the biochemistry course sequence in the pharmacy curriculum 

• Capstone Students: Amanda Walker , PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Melany Puglisi Weening, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Pharmacy Practice

Evaluation of levofloxacin use in pediatric pulomonary patients 

• Capstone Students: Amanda Kelly and Deborah Ogu, PharmD Candidates

• Capstone Research Mentor: Betty Vu, PharmD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Marine algae as a source for novel antimicrobial metabolites - Caulerpa sp. 

• Capstone Students: Zachary Golden and Ernesto Marticoreno, PharmD Candidates

• Capstone Research Mentor: Melany Puglisi Weening, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Association of Pharmacy Students' Sleep Qualities and Health Status with their Academic Grades

• Capstone Students: Jigna Patel and Wing Yee Ip’, PharmD Candidates

• Capstone Research Mentor: Rahul Garg, PhD, Hafeez Faridi, PhD, Mohammad Tauseef, PhD, Mohd Shahid, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

2017-2018 Best Capstone Poster Awards

Pharmacy Education

Development of a Biochemistry Mobile Website Phase 4

Shirley Mensah and Jontia Gentry

• Capstone Students: Manny Gomez, May Saetreurn, PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Melany Puglisi Weening, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Pharmacy Practice

NSAIDs in sickle cell patients and incidence of renal dysfunction 

• Capstone Students: Duaa Oshaik and Elnaz Arabian, PharmD Candidates

• Capstone Research Mentor: Kerins Soni, PharmD
• University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL

Pharmaceutical Sciences

To investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of vascular inflammation 

• Capstone Students: Ersever Corpuz and Thai Huynh, PharmD Candidates

• Capstone Research Mentor: Mohammad Tauseef, PharmD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Micellar Delivery of Hedgehog and XIAP Inhibitors for Treating Breast Cancer 

• Capstone Students: Yoo Yim and Temitayo DaSilva, PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Michael Danquah
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

2015-2016 Best Capstone Poster Awards

Pharmacy Education

Launch of a biochemistry application via the internet as a study tool for students in the PHAR 6113-6114 sequence

• Capstone Students: Manny Gomez, May Saetreurn, PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Melany Puglisi Weening, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Pharmaceutical Sciences

HPLC Determination of Phenolic Acids as Antioxidant Markers of Borotutu Bark.

• Capstone Students: Hao Wen Fu, PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Ehab Abourashed, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP)

Pharmacy Practice

Patients’ opinions on health screenings at a community pharmacy

• Capstone Students: Joanna Kaczmarczyk, Halina Mydra, PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Anna Ratka, PhD, PharmD
• Chicago Stat University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL

Public Health

Inpatient cost of Ischemic Stroke in USA

• Capstone Students: Mohamad Aboukhdor, Wassim Khanafe, Meszy Hbtemariam, PharmD Candidates
• Capstone Research Mentor: Kumar Mukherjee, PhD
• Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP)