Biographical Sketches of Pharmacy Residents

Erica Pearce, Pharm.D.

Dr. Pearce is a 2008 graduate of Drake University. She is currently in her second year of a combined PGY-1 and PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Residency (2008 – 2010). Her interests include geriatrics, hypertension, diabetes and expanding clinical services. For her residency project, Dr. Pearce is working on evaluating therapeutic outcomes of the pharmacist-managed Pharmacotherapy Clinic. Upon completion of her training, she plans to pursue a clinical faculty position or a clinical pharmacy specialist position in a large medical office. 

Heidi Wood, Pharm.D.

Dr. Wood is a 2008 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and is currently completing a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency. Her interests include diabetes management, geriatrics, complementary and alternative medicine, anticoagulation, and renal/hypertension. Dr. Wood is completing a cost-benefit analysis of a pharmacist-managed pharmacotherapy clinic for her PGY2 residency project. Upon completion of her training, she plans to pursue a clinical faculty position.

Marie A. Marcelino, Pharm.D., MBA

Dr. Marcelino is a 2009 graduate of Drake University and is currently completing a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency with an emphasis in ambulatory care. Her interests include anticoagulation, disease state management, pharmacy service development, and working with indigent populations. For her residency project, Dr. Marcelino will be developing and implementing a medication therapy management service for UIHC’s Primary Care Clinic North, which serves the uninsured IowaCare population. She will be completing a PGY2 specialized residency in ambulatory care in 2010-2011 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Laura Elliott, Pharm.D., MPH

Dr. Elliott is a 2009 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy & College of Public Health PharmD/MPH dual degree program. Her current practice interests include infectious disease, internal medicine, psychiatry, ambulatory care and public health. For her residency project she is retrospectively examining the efficacy and safety of low dose vitamin k administered intravenously prior to urgent cardiac procedures in patients who are anticoagulated. Upon completion of the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency, Dr. Elliott plans to pursue a second year residency or take a clinical position with a teaching hospital.

Graziela Kalil, Pharm.D.

Dr. Kalil is a 2009 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. Her interests include critical care, infectious diseases, pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine and hypertension. Dr. Kalil’s research project is evaluating the use of aminoglycosides and vancomycin in joint cement implants and its risks for nephrotoxicity. Upon completion of the PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency, Dr. Kalil plans to pursue a clinical pharmacist position in an acute care setting or a research/teaching position in an academic setting.

Stuart Pitman, Pharm.D.

Dr. Pitman is a 2009 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. His current areas of interest include internal medicine, critical care, student education, process improvement, and coordination of care. Dr. Pitman's residency project involves improving various elements of current UIHC Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) practices and procedures. After his PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency, Dr. Pitman plan to pursue a PGY2 Pharmacy Specialty Residency.

Justin Suarez, Pharm.D.

Dr. Suarez is a 2009 graduate of Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. His current interests include cardiology, infectious disease, critical care, and emergency medicine. For his residency project, Dr. Suarez is working on the evaluation of induced therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Upon completion of the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency, he plans to pursue a position as a clinical pharmacist in an acute care setting.

Nadiya Zelenski, Pharm.D.

Dr. Zelenski is a 2009 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. Her current areas of interest include cardiology, pediatrics, infectious diseases, ambulatory care, oncology, critical care, psychiatry, and internal medicine. Dr. Zelenski’s project involves the pharmacist-mediated ordering of vancomycin levels and validation of the nomogram for the empiric dosing of vancomycin targeting trough levels of 15-20 mg/L. After completing the PGY1 Acute Care Pharmacy Residency, she is planning to pursue a second year residency or a position as an acute care clinical pharmacist.