Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM

Po-Hung Hsieh, PhD, Reviewer, US Food and Drug Administration

Who inspired you in your career?
I was only nine years old, but I sat stunned by my mom's bedside in the hospital when she told me that she had just been diagnosed with cancer and that there was a good chance she may not be around much longer. I wondered how this could happen so suddenly, how this disease, which could so easily take my mom away from me, could have been so invisible. Although surgery removed the tumor, it brought a host of physical and psychological complications. As I grew older, I remained unable to reconcile how such a horrible thing could have happened, and my desire to fight against diseases, in a way surgery cannot, begin to solidify. I studied in college to try to understand what went wrong with my mom and realized that a more accurate early intervention and effective therapeutic could potentially have changed the entire course of my mom's life. So, I want to be a lifelong scientist.

My pre- and postdoctoral studies have left me with a unique skillset for understanding how chemistry and molecular structure can contribute to pharmacological effects and disease. These unique experiences, coupled with my lifelong drive to understand the molecular underpinnings of disease and develop new therapeutics, cemented my desire to pursue a clinical pharmacology career. It is my desire to understand and affect the therapeutics for patients that has truly led me toward this career. Fortunately, I met many wonderful mentors and had opportunities to work with the most talented colleagues in an academic hospital CLIA laboratory big pharma, and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to further prepare myself in clinical pharmacology and to begin to provide insights bridging clinical practice, modern technology, and therapeutics development. I know firsthand how challenging translating discovery into practical objects can be. Nevertheless, I remain committed to my ultimate goal of developing and delivering timely and effective therapeutics to make real progress toward transforming patients' lives, like my mom's.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
In college, I began to understand the importance of accurate and effective therapeutics, and the difference they could have made in my mom's case, I set out to study the molecular mechanisms of disease. I wanted to find a way, from the molecular level, to develop new therapeutics, and eventually facilitate treatments or cures for diseases. I chose to pursue PhD studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill and Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemistry at Caltech to establish a strong foundation in the molecular pathogenesis of disease and to identify new molecular targets and candidates for therapeutic intervention.

Heparin is a commonly used anticoagulant over the decades. Better tools and therapeutics could greatly safeguard patients' lives. One of the largest challenges I overcame was in a project, in concert with the FDA's funding, to identify the molecular structure of heparin drug components and subsequently characterize the molecular properties may be responsible for thrombotic disease or therapeutic anticoagulant effects in highly complex samples. I successfully established a heparin reference standard library, developed a semi-autonomous LC-MS/NMR-based analytical protocol, and identified novel, short-acting heparin-based anticoagulant molecules. These study results were published in the public domain in the hope of protecting public health.

Do you have a favorite tip or trick for clinical practice or research that you want to share with fellow members?
The clinical pharmacologist's counseling role in a team is especially fascinating and lifelong learning for me. I was honored to be served in a counseling role in an academic hospital, industry, and government. I worked to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice, drug development, and solving complex technical issues. I enjoyed thinking from different stakeholders' perspectives and wearing multiple hats. These experiences were certainly formative in my ability and desire to advise and help others. The happiness I found in helping others, and the fulfillment from each party after counseling further drove me toward pursuing a career in clinical pharmacology practice and research.

When you aren't working, how do you spend your free time?
I play badminton and softball in my free time when not working. In college and graduate school, I used to plan in the university teams and participate in tournaments, and fortunately, with great team members' support, we won prizes and trophies.

Po-Hung has been a member of ASCPT since 2020.