Erica Woodahl

Erica Woodahl is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana. Dr. Woodahl received a B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame in 1998 and a Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington in 2004. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacokinetics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. She joined the faculty at the University of Montana in 2007 as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012, and promoted to Professor in 2020. Erica teaches pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics and conducts research in clinical pharmacology and community-engagement.

Karen Brown

Karen Brown is a research scientist at the University of Montana Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation (SIHI) in Missoula, Montana and has been working with the Precision Medicine Project and Woodahl Lab since early 2018. Karen received her degree from the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy and completed her postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Erica Woodahl. She is facilitating SIHI’s efforts towards launching a statewide, pharmacist-led pharmacogenetics consultation service in partnership with Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena, Montana, a leader in genetics in the state and the only facility in Montana that provides inpatient and outpatient pediatric psychiatric services. Karen’s research interests include: precision medicine and pharmacogenomics in rural and underserved populations; community-based participatory research to engage underserved populations in clinical research; and innovative clinical trial designs to support implementation of health innovation in rural areas. Karen is an active member of the Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network and American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and serves as an Editor-in-Training for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Jack Staples

Jack Staples is a 5th year PhD candidate in Pharmaceutical Science and Drug design. He received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Montana State University and worked at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as a bioinformatics intern. His current research is focused on using bioinformatic, biostatistical, and epidemiological techniques to study how environmental and genetic factors influence pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of small molecule drugs and hormones in underserved populations.

Shayna Killam

Shayna Killam is a postdoctoral fellow, and has been working in the lab since 2019. She earned her PharmD and MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Drug Design from UM in 2022. She is working on implementation research projects, with a focus on equitable pharmacogenetic testing in rural and tribal communities. She enjoys teaching and mentoring students. When not at work, she loves to spend time with her children hiking, biking, and traveling. Shayna also works part time as a licensed pharmacist in various sites across MT.

Maggie Davies

Maggie Davies is a graduate research assistant pursuing both a PharmD degree and M.S. in pharmaceutical science and drug design. She has been working in the Woodahl Lab since October 2019. Maggie assists on various research projects and is currently focusing on the implementation of pharmacogenomics to guide tobacco cessation. In her free time, Maggie enjoys visiting new places, working out, and spending lots of time outdoors.

Dani Wall

Dani Wall is a current PharmD candidate in the UM Skaggs School of Pharmacy and is also pursuing an MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Design. Before joining the Woodahl Lab in September 2020, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Carroll College. Within the lab Dani assists in research on pharmacogenetic implementation and contributes to several other projects in the lab. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, snowboarding, and coffee drinking.

Scotty Wilson

Scotty Wilson is a first year PharmD candidate in the UM Skaggs School of Pharmacy. Before joining the Woodahl Lab in September 2022, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Central Washington University. In his free time he enjoys listening to music, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife and two dogs.

Katie George

Katie George works as the Research Coordinator in the Woodahl lab so if you have been contacted regarding a recruitment, it was probably her! Katie received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Northwestern University and spent some time working on an island in the West Indies called Nevis. When not hard at work coordinating the recruitments, Katie likes to spend time hiking with her husband and dog or snorkeling on Nevis.

Former Lab Members:

Tianna Leitch, PharmD, graduate student
Current position: PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, Oregon State Health University, Portland, Oregon

Kirk Katseanas, PharmD, graduate student
Current position: Pharmacist at Community Medical Center, Missoula, Montana

Rachel Dalton, PharmD, MS graduate student
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program for Applied Research and Development in Genomic Medicine (PARADIGM) at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Ellen Ellerbeck, Research Assistant
Current position: Data Quality Developer Intern at McGraw-Hill Education, Dubuque, Iowa

Jessica Bailey, Research Assistant
Current position: PhD student, Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology, Brandon Cooper Lab, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana

Burhan Khan, MS, Research Assistant
Current position: MD/PhD student, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Chelsea Morales, MS, Graduate Student
Current position: Allied Health Instructor, Aaniiih Nakoda College, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Harlem, Montana

Kasse Skagen, MS, Graduate Student 
Current position: raising three children in Idaho Falls, Idaho

Amanda Schlichenmayer, PharmD/MS, Graduate Student
Current position: Pharmacist, Community Hospital of Anaconda, Anaconda, Montana

Meg Trahey, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow 
Current position: Protocol Development Manager, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington

Sarah Lacher, PhD, Graduate Student
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota

Mindy Stone, MS, Research Assistant
Current Position: Research Laboratory Liaison, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah