DETROIT – Wayne State University has received a $225,000 commitment from the Arab American Pharmacists Association to support a new fellowship in the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. 

The WSU-AAPA fellowship will provide a pathway to developing research expertise in community health outcomes and prepare the fellow for a future career in higher education. Additionally, the research will assist in serving the health needs of the Arab American community in southeast Michigan and advancing the delivery of care from pharmacists to the community. The fellowship will operate under the direction of Linda Jaber, professor of Pharmacy Practice.

“The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is grateful to the Arab American Pharmacists Association for its generosity,” said Dean Lloyd Young. “Research fellowships are critical to preparing the next generation of practitioners, academic leaders and researchers, and this particular fellowship will enable us to learn more about the health needs in our community and to support those needs through training for advanced pharmacy practice.”

The WSU-AAPA fellowship is a two-year program that will begin with an assessment of the demographic, behavioral and health-related characteristics of Arab Americans in southeast Michigan, which has the highest concentration of Arab Americans outside of the Middle East. Under the direction of Jaber, the fellow will determine how community pharmacies can help meet the health needs of Arab Americans and provide assistance in the development of pharmacy-based patient care practices. 

Jaber has decades of research experience, teaching excellence and clinical practice skills, as well as an in-depth cultural understanding of the Arab-American community. Through her research, Jaber provided the first representative, population-based, cross-sectional estimates of diabetes incidence among the Arab-American population, drawing national attention to health disparities affecting Arab Americans.

Founded in 1996 the Arab American Pharmacists Association represents 225 registered pharmacists, 50 pharmacy students and 115 independently owned pharmacies primarily located in southeast Michigan. Its mission is to advance and support Arab-American pharmacists in serving society as the profession responsible for managing the appropriate use of medications and providing services to enhance optimal patient care and public health. The association is the leading voice of Arab pharmacists through advocacy, education and information dissemination.