UB names Mary Riedy first Hempling McGlynn Endowed Chair to address rare genetic pediatric disorders through clinical pharmacy

New role will enhance the delivery of integrated care for children with genetic disorders in WNY and beyond

BUFFALO, NY – Mary B. Riedy has been named the first Margaret Hempling McGlynn Endowed Chair in Clinical Pharmacy at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

In the new role that will merge the disciplines of pharmacy, genetics and pediatrics, Riedy will implement an innovative teaching and research program that engages pharmacy and other health science students and explores new approaches to better support patients and families struggling with rare genetic pediatric conditions. She will also work with John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital to improve the delivery of integrated care to children with metabolic and other genetic disorders in Western New York.

The position came about through a major gift to the university as part of the Boldly Buffalo campaign from UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences alumna and South Buffalo native Margaret Hempling McGlynn, former president of both Merck Global Vaccines and Infectious Disease and US Hospital and Specialty Products. McGlynn is also the founder of both the Hempling Foundation for Homocystinuria Research, which funds research into new therapies for patients suffering from homocystinuria, and HCU (Homocystinuria) Network America, which provides advocacy and support to affected families.

“This gift has enabled us to recruit an exceptionally talented clinician-scholar to focus on an important unmet need. This is an area where pharmacy can have a major impact. I am delighted that UB is in a position to lead the way and am extremely grateful for Ms. McGlynn’s passionate support,” said Gary M. Pollack, PhD, Dean of the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Riedy will also work directly with the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Genetics of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the UB. The interdisciplinary nature of her work allows Riedy to mentor health science students and build interprofessional experiences for students in clinical pharmacy, genetics, and pediatrics.

“We have worked very hard over the past decade to grow interprofessional education, practice, and research at our university,” said William A. Prescott Jr., PharmD, clinical professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals. Sciences. “This appointment will establish an academic program focused on genetic and metabolic disorders, providing educators and students from across the Academic Health Center the opportunity to collaborate and learn, taking our interprofessional program to the next level.”

Translating a career in clinical care into research discovery

Riedy’s appointment will further the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ vision to become a leader in the development of effective therapies for rare genetic pediatric diseases, as well as the school’s unique concentration on research discovery and clinical application in pediatrics. strengthen.

The role will be based on Riedy’s experiences as a pediatric pharmacies physician and emerging researcher. Prior to joining UB, she held positions as a clinical pharmacist at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.

“As a pioneer in pediatric clinical pharmacy, I am excited to work as a member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team to bring medication expertise to the new and emerging treatments in the care of children with rare genetic and metabolic disorders,” said Riedy, PharmD , also appointed a clinical assistant professor in the University Library’s Department of Pharmacy Practice. She previously taught in the department as an adjunct instructor in the pediatric curriculum.

Knowing from an early age that she wanted a career in health care, Riedy is involved in early stage clinical research and has published several studies and shared numerous presentations on childhood health and genetic disorders, including the Prader-Willi- syndrome, a rare condition that causes a range of physical symptoms, learning difficulties and behavioral problems from childhood.

She holds a doctorate in pharmacy from Duquesne University and completed a general pharmacy residency at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, as well as a specialty pediatric residency at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Global Impact Powered by Philanthropy

The Margaret Hempling McGlynn Endowed Chair in Clinical Pharmacy is the second new special faculty position established last year in the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The creation of the position has personal significance for McGlynn. Her two sisters, Judy and Susie Hempling, both died when they were children of homocystinuria, a rare metabolic genetic disease that disrupts the body’s ability to process certain amino acids. The loss of her sisters ultimately inspired McGlynn’s gift to UB, as well as her life’s work.

“The grant helps to further strengthen and support the leading role that clinical pharmacists play in the use of novel therapies for rare genetic diseases, and positions UB to have a substantial impact on the care of children with genetic disorders in Western countries. New York and beyond,” said McGlynn, a UB graduate with an MBA in 1993 and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1982, and received an honorary doctorate in science in 2017.