Retrospective Interviews
Sumit Basu, PhD
This month's Retrospective Interview focuses on Sumit Basu, PhD. Dr. Basu was an ACCP Student Abstract Award winner in 2016 and is currently an active member of the ACCP Student, Trainee & Young Professional (STYP) Committee. He received his PhD in Pharmaceutics in 2015 from the University of Houston and completed his postdoctoral period in the Center of Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology at the University of Florida in 2017. Dr. Basu currently serves as the Senior Clinical Pharmacokineticist II at AbbVie.
In his own words, Dr. Basu shares his thoughts on what the ACCP membership has meant to him: "After attending my first ACCP Annual Meeting, I decided to renew my membership and join the ACCP STYP Committee. This membership has benefited me in multiple ways. First of all, it gives me the opportunity to connect with clinical pharmacologists from various organizations at different stages of their career. Also, the Annual Meeting Poster Sessions provide me a great platform to present my research to a larger audience and get their feedback. Finally, the ACCP Virtual Journal Club webinars and other educational activities allow me to be in touch with the latest research in the field of clinical pharmacology."
How long have you been a Member of ACCP?
I joined ACCP in 2016 as a Student Member and became a Member in 2018.
Please tell us about your career since receiving the ACCP Student Award.
After receiving the ACCP Student Award in 2016, I completed my postdoctoral period in Center of Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology at the University of Florida and joined AbbVie the following year. Currently I am working as the Senior Clinical Pharmacokineticist II in the Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics (CPPM) group where my main role is to develop mechanistic models to support early/late phase clinical assets and address clinical pharmacology questions.
How has receiving the ACCP Student Award impacted your career?
The ACCP Student Award allowed me to get recognition from leaders of both pharmaceutical industries and regulatory agencies. Receiving this award at an early stage of my career motivated me to pursue clinical pharmacology as my career interest. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to develop a strong network with clinical pharmacology students and professionals from academia and industries.
What advice would you give to current ACCP Student Members regarding the importance of receiving an award like this?
Since there are very few dedicated clinical pharmacology organizations offering such opportunities to students, I would suggest all the clinical pharmacology trainees to attend the Annual Meeting and submit their research. In my opinion, getting a competitive award like this in the early stage of your career really helps to get recognition as a clinical pharmacologist on a national level.