Awdishu

Dr. Linda Awdishu, Pharm.D., MAS

Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
Head, Division of Clinical Pharmacy
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Linda Awdishu, Pharm.D., MAS

Pronouns: She|Her|Hers

Email
lawdishu@health.ucsd.edu
Phone
(858) 534-3919
Support

Human Resources

Lydia Heidt (formerly Napa)
lnapa@health.ucsd.edu
858-822-7861

Fund Management

Reimbursements

Jan Economy
jeconomy@health.ucsd.edu
(858)-822-5320

Research Summary

My research program is centered around the pharmacokinetics and dosing of drugs in kidney diseases, estimation of kidney function and drug dosing implications, and the clinical phenotyping, epidemiology, and biomarkers of drug-induced kidney injury.  As an academic pharmacist specialized and practicing in nephrology, my aim is to enhance the scientific research around drug exposure and toxicity as it relates to kidney diseases. I am a co-investigator in Core A (Resource for Clinical Studies of AKI) of the NIH-funded UAB-UCSD O’Brien Center for Acute Kidney Injury Research. In this role, I have developed registry studies of acute kidney injury (AKI), conducted research on novel biomarkers of AKI in various sub-populations and developed an international consortium of collaborators investigating the pharmacogenomics of drug-induced kidney injury (DIRECT Study). 

Academic Achievements

Education: B.S. in Pharmacy (1999) University of Toronto; Pharm.D. (2008) University of Colorado; Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research (2007) University of California, San Diego. San Diego. Healthcare Leadership Academy (2017) University of California, San Diego

Awards and Honors: UCSD Health Sciences Department/Division Excellence in Mentoring Award Honoree: “Division of Clinical Pharmacy”, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Linda Awdishu (Division Head), Jennifer Le, Joseph Ma, Candis Morello, Shirley Tsunoda – Faculty Mentor Training Directors. (2024); Preceptor of the Year Award, UCSD Pharmacy Practice Residency Program (2024); Excellence in Clinical Services, UCSD SSPPS (2024); Preceptor Excellence Award, UCSD SSPPS (2023); UCSD Inclusive Excellence Award Recipient for Academic Affairs (2023); Teacher of the Year, UC San Diego School of Pharmacy (2022); Fellow of American Society of Nephrology (2022); Elected as Nephrology Board Member, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2019-2022; Invited to serve on American Society of Nephrology Programming Committee, 2018-2020; Teacher of the Year, UC San Diego School of Pharmacy (2016); Award for Excellence in Medication Use Safety, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists Foundation (2014); Barbara and Paul Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award, UC San Diego Academic Senate (2015); Teacher of the Year, UC San Diego School of Pharmacy (2012); Apples for Preceptors Award, UCSF School of Pharmacy (2008); Preceptor of the Year Award, UCSD Pharmacy Practice Residency Program (2007); San Diego Preceptor of the Year Award, UCSF School of Pharmacy (2006); Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy National Schering Award for Pharmacokinetics (2003); Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy, Ontario Branch Douglas J Stewart Award for Hospital Administrators (2002).

Leadership Experience: Division Head, Clinical Pharmacy

Teaching
  • Therapeutics and Advanced Professional Practice 213 series
  • APPE Preceptor for Ambulatory Care Chronic Kidney Disease and Solid Organ Transplant
  • Pharmacy residency preceptor for longitudinal ambulatory care clinic rotation
  • P3 Objective Structured Clinical Experiences
  • P2 and P3 Inter-professional Education Experiences
  • Masters for Advanced Studies in Clinical Research: Faculty Mentor, Research Mentor
Key Contributions
  • Development of new clinical faculty practice sites at affiliate health systems.
  • Excellence in faculty mentorship, development and academic advancement.
  • Developed institutional Pharmacy and Therapeutics Protocols for Prescribing in Renal Disease as well as electronic algorithms for renal dosage adjustments.
  • Implemented electronic GFR reporting at the clinical laboratories for UCSD Medical Center.
  • Developed and lead the multidisciplinary Chronic Kidney Disease Program at UC San Diego Health System.  http://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/nephrology/Pages/chronic-kidney-disease.aspx
  • Project leader for the development of patient education videos for the Chronic Kidney Disease Program:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOaegTYfii7Gl9ytqZa8i_Q
  • Developed clinical pharmacy transplant services at UCSD Medical Center.
  • Clinical research in chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury in the ambulatory and hospitalized patient populations.
Selected Publications
Potential Collaborative Programs
  • Pharmacogenomic studies of drug induced nephrotoxicity.
  • Pharmacokinetic studies in kidney disease and transplantation