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ASCPT Member of the Month
The ASCPT Member of the Month is a forum to recognize and thank a member of ASCPT who has supported the Society's endeavors. Each month on its web site, ASCPT highlights one member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty! We also highlight the Member of the Month, along with two other members, in each issue of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. We hope you will enjoy learning about fellow members and as always, encourage your participation in Society events and activities. ASCPT is proud to recognize Walter Kraft as the December Member of the Month. Dr. Kraft is an Assistant Professor in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Jefferson Medical College and Medical Director of the Clinical Research Unit at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He received his MD from the University of Pittsburgh and completed his MS and his postgraduate training and fellowship programs at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Kraft achieved his board certification from the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology (ABCP) in 2003 and is a current member of the ABCP board. Dr. Kraft has had a fascination with pharmacology throughout his medical training and his professional career. "That a pill or injection can relieve so much suffering and illness still seems a bit of magic to me. The thought that you can understand and control this magic makes it all the more appealing." His current responsibilities at Thomas Jefferson allow him to see the discipline's impact in two ways, "As a practicing clinician, the application of our discipline's tools on individual patients has rewards to me. As a clinical researcher, there is satisfaction in discovering fundamental characteristics of drugs that can apply to many patients." Dr. Kraft believes the present is very exciting, "Our present era is exciting in the continuing number of newly exploited molecular targets, as well as pharmacogenetic and informatics technologies that can bring us closer to the ideal of truly individualized therapy." His ability to interact and network with members of ASCPT has had a tremendous influence on his career development and in the furthering of his own scientific projects. "ASCPT fosters cross-fertilization between individuals with varied backgrounds and expertise, and makes forward motion in our discipline more rapid." Dr. Kraft believes that ASCPT is unique because of the "active participation and leadership of scientists working in all parts of the DDRU continuum - this is a key reason why ASCPT is a premier organization in drug development and therapeutics." Thank you, Dr. Kraft, for your valuable leadership and your continued commitment to ASCPT and the discipline of clinical pharmacology!
Previous Members of the Month:November 2007 - J. Steven Leeder, PharmD, PhD |
