Meet Ashana Puri, PhD

Ashana Puri, PhD, is the newest faculty member in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Originally from Chandigarh, India, sherecently completed her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics at Mercer University and worked on transdermal drug formulations with the well-known scientist, Dr. Ajay Banga. She also has experience working on research projects with cosmetic companies, L’Oreal and NuFace.Ashanaearned a MS degree in Pharmaceutics and a BS in Pharmacy at Panjab University, India. She worked as a research intern and associate scientist at Teva Pharmaceuticals in West Chester, Pennsylvania, before joining ETSU.

Why did you want to pursue your PhD? 

AP: I had no clue of what research in Pharmaceutical Sciences was all about, until I did my first project during the master’s program in India. It was focused on development of topical drug delivery systems for an anticancer and anti-aging drug candidate. While working on the same, I found this field of work truly rewarding! I attained better understanding of the final outcome of a scientist’s hard work in terms of the drug products that have been developed in the past and will continue to emerge as a result of constant efforts of innumerable researchers around the globe. This was an eye-opener for me and I realized my potential to contribute in the noble cause of serving the diseased, directly or indirectly.   

How does research and work in labs help students make a greater impact in their profession?  

AP: The ultimate result of several years of hard work and dedication of graduate students, research associates, post-doctoral fellows, and research and development scientists’ in the labs (pertaining to pharmacy field) is clearly evident by the medications that are available in the market, that successfully aid in curing and improving the quality of life of patients.  

What brought you to Gatton? 

AP: The opportunity of assistant professorship at Gatton was suitably aligned with my passion and desire for pursuing a career in academics, focusing on teaching and research. Moreover, the efforts and emphasis of the college in providing its students, an opportunity and experience in research, in addition to the clinical pharmacy training, was highly captivating. It all, fortunately, worked out favorably for me, and I recently joined the great team of educators at Gatton, with whom I look forward to work and serve the college in best possible ways.   

What is your teaching philosophy?  

AP: 

“Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion and compassion” -A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 

 I believe that teaching is not just a profession, rather a creative art that requires skill, immense passion and enthusiasm to get engaged in the process of educating students about new topics and concepts relevant to their field of study as well as to motivate them to constantly aspire to learn. It is undoubtedly, a challenging job and I strongly consider that to be an effective teacher of basic sciences, one needs to be an avid student and learner of the subject. As an educator in the field of pharmaceutical sciences, my primary teaching objective is to impart updated application-based theoretical knowledge in a simplistic manner that would enable the students to actually apply those concepts in the field of pharmacy or day to day life. I feel if the students are not well-acquainted with the clinical relevance and importance of acquiring knowledge about the basic scientific principles as part of foundation courses, they may be disinterested and not enjoy learning the subject. Therefore, I strive to facilitate connections between the theoretical pharmaceutical concepts and clinical applications of the same.  

What do you do in your free time? 

AP: I enjoy listening to music, cooking new cuisines, baking, engaging in art and craft work, catching up with distant friends.  

What’s a “weird” fact about yourself that many might not know?  

AP: I find this weird about myself that I hate having cheese, but I love pizzas and nachos.