ACADEMIC TITLE(S)

Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

BIO

Prior to joining NEOMED, Dr. Fujiwara was an Assistant Professor in College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). While studying the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of new generation synthetic cannabinoids, he taught Pharmaceutics I and Pharmaceutics II in the P1 fall and spring semesters. Dr. Fujiwara utilized various teaching methods such as Think-Pair-Share and small group discussion to maximize student engagement and enhance students’ understanding. In 2021, he was named Rho Chi Teacher of the Year. In 2022, Dr. Fujiwara joined the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy, NEOMED, as an Assistant Professor. He is looking forward to teaching Pharmaceutics and other lectures to NEOMED students.

AREA OF EXPERTISE/RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes
• Drug Interactions
• Adverse Drug Reactions
• Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia and Kernicterus
• Scholastic research

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

• Pharm.D. in Kitasato University, Japan, 2004
• Ph.D. in Kanazawa University, Japan, 2008
• Postdoc in University of California San Diego, CA, 2008-2012

COURSES

• Pharmaceutical Calculations (P1 Fall)
• Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics (P1 spring)
• Immunology and Biotechnology (P1 spring)
• Pharmaceutics (P2 fall)
• System Biology: Omics technologies (P3 spring)
• Adv Pharmaceutical Compounding (P3 spring)

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Editorial Advisory Board Member, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Editorial Board Member, Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
• Editorial Board Member, Drug Metabolism Reviews
• Editorial Board Member, Xenobiotica
• Member, Society of Toxicology
• Member, USA Triathlon
• Member, US Tennis Association

AWARDS

• Rho Chi Teacher of the Year, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 2021
• Top Reviewer Award, The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2019
• Young Investigator’s Award, The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, 2016
• Young Investigator’s Award, Kitasato University, 2015
• Best Original Paper Award, Nestlé Nutrition Council Japan, 2014
• Editors’ Award, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 2010
• Best Poster Award, The 12th International Workshop on Glucuronidation and UGT enzymes, 2008

PRESENTATIONS

• Fujiwara R. Role of glucuronidation in drug metabolism and toxicity. Invited seminar at the Annual Meeting of International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, Portland, OR 2019.
• Fujiwara R. Role of extrahepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: Potential importance of jaundice. Invited seminar at UAMS College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, AR 2018.
• Fujiwara R. Successful treatment of Crigler-Najjar syndrome model mice with zinc protoporphyrin: Understanding the beneficial effects of hyperbilirubinemia. Invited seminar at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Italy, 2017.
• Fujiwara R. Role of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Invited Lecture at Showa University, Tokyo, Japan, 2016.
• Fujiwara R. Bilirubin Metabolism and its impact. Invited Seminar at Soka University, Tokyo, Japan, 2016.

PUBLICATIONS

• Fujiwara R. Balancing act. Science. 371: 750, 2021.
• Jones S, Yarbrough AL, Fantegrossi WE, Prather PL, Bush JM, Radominska-Pandya A, Fujiwara R. Identifying cytochrome P450s involved in oxidative metabolism of synthetic cannabinoid N-(adamantan-1-yl)-1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxamide (STS-135). Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2020 Feb;8(1):e00561.
• Kazuki Y, Kobayashi K, Hirabayashi M, Abe S, Kajitani N, Kazuki K, Takehara S, Takiguchi M, Satoh D, Kuze J, Sakuma T, Kaneko T, Mashimo T, Osamura M, Hashimoto M, Wakatsuki R, Hirashima R, Fujiwara R, Deguchi T, Kurihara A, Tsukazaki Y, Senda N, Yamamoto T, Scheer N, Oshimura M. Humanized UGT2 and CYP3A transchromosomic rats for improved prediction of human drug metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 116:3072-3081, 2019.
• Jones S, Yarbrough AL, Shoeib A, Bush JM, Fantegrossi WE, Prather PL, Radominska-Pandya A, Fujiwara R. Enzymatic Analysis of Glucuronidation of Synthetic Cannabinoid 1-Naphthyl 1-(4- fluorobenzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylate (FDU-PB-22). Xenobiotica. 49:1388-1395, 2019.
• Fujiwara R. Exposure to sub-parts per million levels of vinyl chloride can increase the risk of developing liver injury. Fujiwara R. Hepatol Commun. 2:227-229, 2018.
• Fujiwara R, Haag M, Schäffeler E, Nies AT, Zanger UM, and Schwab M. Systemic regulation of bilirubin homeostasis: Potential benefits of hyperbilirubinemia. Invited from Hepatology. 67:1609- 1619, 2018.

Other publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=fujiwara%2Cryoichi