Erica Sawyer

In May 2004, I received my Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University.  During my undergraduate career I had many opportunities to practice pharmacy in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, community pharmacies and the Indian Health Service in Dillingham, Alaska. 

However, I soon realized that the science of drug discovery and design was what really interested me.  Therefore, following graduation I moved to Ann Arbor and began graduate school at the University of Michigan to obtain a PhD in Pharmacology. 

I am currently finishing my second year of graduate school working in a lab that studies the underlying cellular mechanisms of drug abuse.

I am particularly interested in the actions of opioid analgesics, such as heroin, morphine, oxycodone and Vicodin®, many of which are commonly prescribed and widely abused. Such research will hopefully lead to the development of effective analgesics with a lower abuse liability. 

I believe that the philosophies instilled in me by D.A.R.E. as a teenager has positively influenced my life, both socially and professionally. 

Thanks to D.A.R.E., I have been able to achieve my goals, and will hopefully be able to have a positive impact on the science of drug abuse. 

In my spare time, I have been very busy planning my wedding, which is on June 10, 2006 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

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