Harmon brings critical care expertise in emergency medicine
Victoria Harmon, Pharm.D., has joined the USC College of Pharmacy faculty as a clinical assistant professor.
Board-certified in critical care, Harmon completed her Pharm.D. studies at Presbyterian College of Pharmacy. She then completed two years of postgraduate residency training at UNC Rex Healthcare, where she served as an ICU/emergency medicine clinical pharmacist and PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator. The Lugoff native recently returned to South Carolina to be closer to family following the birth of her first child.
"I found that teaching was one of the most fulfilling parts of my job, developing relationships with students, helping them understand complex topics and patients," Harmon says. "I found a passion for helping students make those connections."
Harmon's transition from neurocritical care to emergency medicine represents an exciting career shift. She looks forward to the fast-paced environment where "you never know what you're going to get."
As a faculty member, Harmon will help to provide students with expanded access to specialized training opportunities in emergency and critical care pharmacy practice.
Wier expands mental health pharmacy education
Lauren Wier, Pharm.D., has accepted the position of clinical assistant professor and clinical specialist in mental health with the Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Outcomes Sciences. A board-certified psychiatric pharmacist, she will establish USC's first dedicated mental health practice site at Prisma Health.
The Columbia native earned her Pharm.D. from Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in 2015, then completed a postgraduate year one residency at Our Lady of the Lake in Louisiana, followed by a PGY2 residency in psychiatric pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina. Named Young Pharmacist of the Year by the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists in 2020, she brings extensive experience in academic detailing, interprofessional education and mental health advocacy.
“What I enjoy about psychiatric pharmacy is that it feels like solving a puzzle,” Wier says. “Each patient presents with unique symptoms that need to be addressed, and it’s our job to connect the pieces. We have to understand how the pharmacology of a drug works, identify its targets, and then choose the right medication to best treat their specific symptoms.”
Her expertise spans substance use disorders, ADHD, and safer opioid prescribing. She has delivered numerous accredited presentations, with a particular focus on addiction medicine.
“I’m really excited to get this practice site up and running,” she says. “It’s a chance to make a real difference by serving patients and helping them get the care they need, supporting providers in delivering that care, and creating meaningful learning opportunities for our pharmacy students through rotations. It’s rewarding to know this site can have an impact on patients, providers, and future pharmacists alike.”
Chen Advances Cancer Research
Mengqian "Max" Chen, Ph.D., has transitioned from research faculty to tenure-track assistant professor after 14 years with the USC College of Pharmacy. Chen brings extensive expertise in cellular and molecular biology, functional genomics and bioinformatics to his new role.
Born in Changsha, Hunan, Chen completed his undergraduate studies in Shanghai before pursuing his Ph.D. in Florida and postdoctoral training in New York. He moved to South Carolina in 2011, where his research has focused on understanding how aggressive cancer cells adapt to treatment and metastasize.
"As a cancer biologist, my ultimate goal is to bring effective treatments to patients with incurable diseases," Chen says. “I also find it fascinating that novel targeted drug candidates not only expand our arsenal against cancer but can also serve as powerful tools to deepen our understanding of disease mechanisms."
Chen's work spans discovering, optimizing and advancing targeted therapy drug candidates toward clinical application. His research utilizes extensive in-vitro and in-vivo models to study cancer biology and drug development.
Beyond his professional achievements, Chen brings unique perspectives to faculty life. He enjoys reading textbooks across diverse subjects and finds satisfaction in explaining complex scientific concepts to audiences with different backgrounds, including his children, who are semi-professional figure skaters competing at the national level.
Topics: Clinical Pharmacy & Outcomes Sciences, Drug Dicovery & Biomedical Sciences, Research & Practice