Presenting Author
Midwestern University
Dr. Shaifali Bhalla is Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, IL. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA in 2005. Dr. Bhalla’s laboratory focuses on the role of the central endothelin (ET) system in opioid tolerance and withdrawal. Her research interests include exploring the signaling mechanisms involved in the pharmacological actions of opioid analgesics. Her research group is presently investigating the cyclic AMP and calcium signaling pathways by which endothelin-A receptor antagonists enhance opioid analgesia and reverse analgesic tolerance. The role of endothelin-A and endothelin-B receptors in neuroadaptations in the brain during opioid withdrawal is being evaluated.
In her role as faculty member, Dr. Bhalla directs and teaches courses on Pharmaceutical Calculations, and Introduction to Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics in the first year of the Pharm.D. curriculum. She also teaches in a Pharmacogenomics elective and mentors students from the College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine on special research projects. Dr. Bhalla has received 12 teaching awards for her dedication to her students. Dr. Bhalla is involved in various professional organizations: the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), and the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP).