A team of three University of Iowa (UI) College of Pharmacy students have claimed the top prize in the 2026 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Clinical Research Challenge (CRC), one of the most competitive student research competitions in clinical pharmacy. It’s the college’s first CRC championship in program history. 

Rising third-year Doctor of Pharmacy students Lauren Brady, Jennifer Ho, and Tyler Moores earned the title against a nationally competitive field of pharmacy schools from across the country with their proposal, “Pharmacist-Led SLCO1B1-Guided Statin Prescribing to Improve Statin Adherence and Reduce Patient-Reported Side Effects.” Professor Erika Ernst advised the team.

“We are excited that we won,” the trio said. “We have had great training in our clinical investigations courses and were able to get advice from faculty on designing our project. We were very well prepared because of that,” they said.

The competition focused on pharmacogenomics and began with 69 teams in February. An online Journal Club comprised the first round, with the top 40 advancing to a Letter of Intent submission. From there, 20 teams were invited to develop a full research proposal demonstrating the value of clinical pharmacy–led services and initiatives. The rigorous, multi-stage process mirrors real-world grant and research development. Students were provided with a specific research environment and asked to design a study that would advance the field.

Improving Statin Adherence
“We chose to focus on statin prescribing because statins are among the most prescribed medications, and recent guideline updates have expanded the number of patients eligible to receive them,” Ho said. 

Specifically, the team saw an opportunity to explore how pharmacogenomic-guided prescribing could improve medication adherence and patient outcomes.

“We looked at whether pharmacists can use genetic testing to help patients stay on statins. Statins are very effective, but some patients stop taking them because of muscle symptoms,” Moores explained. “The gene SLCO1B1 can affect a patient’s risk for those side effects. In our study, patients starting or restarting a statin in certain family medicine clinics would receive SLCO1B1 testing. A pharmacist would use the result, along with the patient’s history and labs, to recommend or prescribe a statin that may be better tolerated. Patients would then be followed at one, three, and six months to see if they stayed on therapy and had fewer muscle symptoms.”

The students hope such an approach can make statin therapy more individualized and less trial-and-error. By identifying patients at higher risk for side effects, pharmacists could help choose safer, better-tolerated therapy and support patients in staying on medications that reduce cardiovascular risk.

Finding Balance
Proposals were due in April and examined by the CRC Review Panel, with 10 top-ranked submissions advancing to the CRC Oversight Panel for final evaluation and award selection.

“I’m really proud of this team. Even making it to the final round is impressive,” Ernst said. “Being in the Clinical Research Challenge competition is almost like taking an extra elective, and during a busy second year with their heavy coursework and exams.”

That was the toughest part for the students. 

“Balancing the demands of a rigorous academic semester with tight competition deadlines was challenging. It required strong time management and effective communication to produce a product we are proud of,” Brady said. “We had to figure out what each other's strengths were since this was everyone's first time writing a research proposal.” 

The team presents its research poster at the 2026 ACCP Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City this October and received complimentary registration. They also earned a $500 cash prize each, individual plaques, and a team trophy. The win reflects the College of Pharmacy's ongoing commitment to training students who are prepared to lead evidence-based, patient-centered care.

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the outstanding faculty members who contributed to our success,” said the students. They specifically named advisor Ernst, Clinical Professors Michelle Fravel and Michael Ernst, and UI Health Care preceptors Theresa Hobbs and Wendi Slaughter.