Published on April 30, 2025 at 12:15 p.m. by Alison Ingle  
pharmacy colloquia presentation

On Friday, April 25, more than 160 students showcased their work at Samford University’s fourth annual Student Research Colloquia, held in the Davis Library.  Poster presentations filled the library with innovative research spanning categories from business to pharmacy to social work. Hosted by the Research Advisory Collaborative and the Office of Research, the event served as a public forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present original research across two sessions. 

McWhorter School of Pharmacy was well represented, with three third-year students earning top honors in the graduate category: Kaitlyn Madson, Banks Presson and the team of Elijah Carswell and Adriana Salgado. 

Madson’s research focused on the effects of herbal products on paclitaxel metabolism, a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat cancers such as ovarian and breast cancer. While paclitaxel is effective, it can cause serious side effects, including heart and kidney damage. Because the drug is heavily metabolized in the liver, Madson explored whether certain herbal compounds could slow this process to reduce side effects.  

Presson’s presentation focused on the Generalized Risk-Adjusted Cost-Effectiveness (GRACE) model as a more equitable alternative to traditional quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in evaluating stroke prevention therapies for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. He compared the effectiveness of apixaban and warfarin using GRACE, offering new insights on how health care policies could better reflect patient-centered outcomes, particularly under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 

Carswell and Salgado’s research examined the immunomodulatory effects of an extract from the butterfly pea plant on dendritic cells, which play a key role in initiating immune responses. In lab experiments, they found the extract increased markers associated with improved antigen presentation and immune activation. Their findings suggest that butterfly pea could serve as a promising natural adjuvant for cancer vaccines. 

Other pharmacy students who presented at the event included Joshua Kota, Kenneth Figueroa, Tiffany Williams and the team of Sarah Kate Horsley, Mattie Patzke, Riley Atkinson and Andrew Lockridge. 

Throughout the day, students engaged with faculty, peers and members of the campus community, gaining valuable experience in communicating research findings across disciplines. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.