Karan Dawson, PhD, RPh

Dr. Dawson earned both her RPh and PhD in Pharmacy at the University of Washington. Her interests range from adult general medicine to substance abuse, psychopharmacy, and geriatrics. She specializes in tobacco cessation, adult education, and human communication.

Shelly Gray, PharmD, MS, BCPS

Dr. Gray earned her doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Michigan and a MS in Epidemiology from the University of Washington.  She completed a pharmacy practice residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, and a two-year Geriatric Pharmacy Research Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington, Dr. Gray was on faculty for 3 years at the University of Wisconsin.  She is the recipient of a Career Development Award from the National Institute of Aging.  Currently, she directs the Geriatric Pharmacy Program in takes an active role in the geriatric certificate program.  She is a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Consultant Pharmacist and the American Geriatrics Society.  She has served as Chair, Geriatrics Practice and Research Network (ACCP) and is a member of the research committee for American Geriatrics Society.  Her research focuses on the pharmacoepidemiology of medication-related problems in frail elderly and the impact of adverse drug effects on functional status.

Susan L. Lakey, PharmD, MPH

Dr. Lakey earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy and her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Washington. She completed a pharmacy residency and fellowship in geriatric psychopharmacology at the University of Washington Department of Pharmacy. During her residency, she also earned the Geriatric Certificate in Pharmacy Practice. Currently, Dr. Lakey is completing a T32 fellowship in Women’s Health at the Group Health Research Institute. Dr. Lakey is a member of the Gerontological Society of America, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the American Geriatrics Society, and the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. She serves on the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists’ Annual Meeting committee. She is a faculty advisor for Lambda Kappa Sigma (LKS) Chi student chapter and a member of the LKS Chi Alumni chapter. Dr. Lakey was selected as a participant in the 2009 NIMH-funded summer research institute in geriatric psychiatry. Her teaching and research interests include psychotropic medication use and medication adherence in older adults, with an emphasis on antidepressants.

Annie Lam, PharmD, FASCP, CGP*

Dr. Lam earned her BSc, PharmD and the Geriatric Pharmacy Practice Certificate from the University of Washington.  She started her career as a pharmacist at Evergreen Pharmaceutical Services, a Long Term Care pharmaceutical provider and worked as a staff pharmacist at the University of Washington Medical Center In-Patient Pharmacy, Virginia Mason Medical Center Ambulatory Pharmacy and the Seattle King County Public Health Pharmacy before joining the University of Washington Department of Pharmacy as a Lecturer.  She is a core faculty of the Geriatric Program and teaches Geriatric Specialty courses and is a preceptor of PharmD students at an Assisted Living facility, where she practices as a consultant pharmacist.  Dr. Lam is the Director of Residency Program at the International Community Health Services, where she also provides anticoagulation management, asthma education, and medication consultation services.  Her community outreach activities include blood pressure monitoring, home visitations, and immunization of community-dwelling elders.  Her research interests focus on health education, disease and medication management in the Asian elderly population.  She has conducted projects assessing the prevalence of osteoporosis and diabetes in the Asian population, and the identification of medication-related risk factors and the use of over-the-counter products in assisted living populations.  Dr. Lam is a member and a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacist and a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association.  

Nanci Murphy, PharmD

Dr. Nanci Murphy is Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Academic and Student Programs and a core faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy’s Geriatric Program. She received a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Washington State University in 1977 and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington in 1997. She also earned the Geriatric Certificate in Pharmacy Practice.  Dr, Murphy is active in the American Association of  Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) where her involvement includes, Administrative Board member of the Council of Deans, Secretary, Council of Deans, Curriculum SIG Chair-elect, Pharmacy Practice Section Program Committee, Student Services SIG Chair, and the Institutional Research Advisory Committee. Dr. Murphy has presented nationally on topics that include student leadership and professionalism, assessing critical thinking skills, and motivational interviewing. Dr. Murphy’s practice interests include geriatric pharmacy and medication safety. 

Peggy Odegard, PharmD, BCPS, CDE*
Director, Geriatrics Program and Plein Certificate in Geriatrics

Dr. Odegard earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington in 1990 and her Bs Pharmacy from the UW in 1985.  She currently practices pharmacy in an interprofessional senior care clinic, provides community-based education on aging to older adults, and is a certified diabetes educator (CDE) working primarily with older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Prior to her current position, Dr. Odegard was the clinical pharmacy manager for a 200-bed community hospital and was Assistant Dean for the UW School of Pharmacy’s Professional Programs.  As a faculty member at the University of Washington, Dr. Odegard’s primary research and teaching interests are in the areas of diabetes, pulmonary diseases, and drug-induced problems with an emphasis on the care of the older adult.  She is a member of the core geriatrics faculty and Director of the Certificate Program in Geriatrics.  In development of the Geriatrics curriculum at the UW, Dr. Odegard is an active member of the task force to develop geriatrics training competencies for all doctor of pharmacy students using both the specialized geriatrics training sites and the general medicine and community sites.  Her vision for geriatrics care is that all pharmacists will enter practice with the competency to provide the essential pharmaceutical care needed by older adults. 

Joy Plein, RPh, PhD,CGP*

Dr. Plein earned her BS Pharm, from Idaho State College and her MS Pharm and PhD from University of Washington. Her professional experience prior to joining the University of Washington faculty in 1966, included community pharmacy practice, writing and editing monographs for AHFS-DI, and teaching at Seattle Pacific College.

Her teaching and research at UW have been primarily in clinical pharmacy and in health professions education, with specialization since 1973 in senior care pharmacy. She developed and coordinated four didactic/seminar courses and clinical clerkships in geriatric pharmacy and was Coordinator of the Certificate Program in Geriatric Pharmacy Practice from its inception in 1986 until 2002. She also served as program coordinator for several UW interdisciplinary geriatric programs.

Dr. Plein's publications include research reports, syllabi, books and book chapters. Federal appointments include an FDA OTC Review Panel and the Bureau of Health Professions' National Advisory Council on Health Professions Education. She received ASCP's George F. Archambault Award in 2001 and the Janssen ElderCare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

Currently, Dr. Plein teaches in UW geriatric pharmacy didactic and seminar courses and she continues as the coordinator and a clerkship preceptor for the UW-Hearthstone Pharmacy Education & Service Program. She serves on ASCP's Planning Committee for Senior Care Pharmacy Student Rotations and contributes to other ASCP programs. 

On-going research interests are geriatric drug therapy and pharmacy education and practice.