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Wonhee So, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP

Wonhee So, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP

Assistant Professor

College of Pharmacy

wso@westernu.edu

Phone: 5483

  • Education

    Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) – University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 2010
    Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) – Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea 2000

  • Education Experience

    Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Fellowship 7/2013-10/2015
    Center for Anti-Infective Research and Development
    Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

    ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Practice Resident 7/2012-6/2013
    St. Anthony’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL

  • Certification

    Infectious Diseases Board Certification (BCIDP)– Board of Pharmacy Specialties 2019
    Antimicrobial Stewardship Certification – Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists 2017
    Pharmacotherapy Board Certification (BCPS) – Board of Pharmacy Specialties 2013

  • License

    Pharmacist License – New York 2020
    Pharmacist License – Florida 2011
    Pharmacist License – California 2004
    Pharmacist License – South Korea 2000

  • Professional Experience

    External Collaborator, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist 8/2022-Present
    City of Hope, Duarte, CA

    Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice 2/2021- Present
    College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA

    Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice 2/2020- 7/2021
    Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY

    Clinical Pharmacy Manager – Infectious Diseases 3/2020- 7/2021 New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY
    Research Scientist 6/2019- 12/2019
    College of Pharmacy, University of Texas, Austin, TX
    Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialist 11/2015-12/2018
    Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL

    Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Fellow 7/2013-10/2015
    Center for Anti-Infective Research and Development
    Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

    ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Practice Resident 7/2012-6/2013
    St. Anthony’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL

    Post-PharmD Clinical Intern 8/2011-5/2012
    (Voluntary Post-Graduate Clinical Rotations Aimed for PGY1 Residency Preparation)
    Shands Hospital, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

    Clinical Pharmacist 9/2009-8/2011
    Long Beach Comprehensive Health Center, Long Beach, CA

    Pharmacist/Pharmacy Manager 7/2004-4/2009
    Rite Aid, Goleta, CA

    Post-Graduate Intern
    Rite Aid, Santa Barbara, CA 6/2003-7/2004

    Pharmacist 3/2000-3/2002
    Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

  • Teaching Experience

    I have one and a half years’ experience at Long Island University as an Infectious Diseases faculty and APPE preceptor; I mentored many ID fellows, residents and students on rotation at Moffitt Cancer Center and New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center; taught intra-abdominal infections, beta-lactam allergies, antifungal stewardship, Prosthetic joint infection, bone and joint infection in didactic classrooms. At WesternU, I am teaching infectious diseases and evidence-based medicine topics.

  • Philosophy

    I believe pharmacy education should help students identify and pursue their own talents and the best fit from the broad spectrum of opportunities available for future pharmacists. I also believe pharmacy education should help students grow in critical thinking and sound clinical judgment. Key words I put high priority in providing pharmacy education would be “interactive”, “up-to-date”, “practical” and “interprofessional.” I aim to keep myself as a role model as a clinical pharmacist by staying up-to-dated, bringing the cutting-edge research and knowledge to my classroom and to experiential education site.

  • Research Interest

    Antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, infections in the immunocompromised hosts, antimicrobial pharmacokinetics/dynamics

  • Publications

    Black CA, Benavides R, Bandy SM, Dallas SD, Gawrys G, So W, Moreira AG, Aguilar S, Quidilla K,Smelter DF, Reveles KR, Frei CR, Koeller JM, Lee GC. Diverse Role of blaCTX-M and Porins in Mediating Ertapenem Resistance among Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacterales. Antibiotics 2024;13(2):185. doi:10.3390/antibiotics13020185

    So W, Chiang E. Evidence-Based Appraisal of Respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F protein vaccine study by GSK in older adults. J Cont Pharm Pract [In Press, accepted in Nov 2023]

    Gogineni H, So W, Mata K, Greene JN. Multidisciplinary approach in diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis: a description of current reports. Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine 2022;34:58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-022-00143-7

    So W, Simon MS, Choi JJ, Wang TZ, Williams SC, Chua J, Kubin CJ. Characteristics of procalcitonin in hospitalized COVID 19 patients and clinical outcomes of antibiotic use stratifed by procalcitonin levels. Internal and Emergency Medicine. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-022-02955-5

    Black CA, So W, Dallas SS, Gawrys G, Benavides R, Aguilar S, Chen CJ, Shurko JF, Lee GC. Predominance of non-carbapenemase producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in South Texas. Front Microbiol. 11:623574. 2021. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.623574

    Kubin CJ, Loo AS, Cheng J, Nelson B, Mehta M, Mazur S, So W, Calfee DP, Singh H, Greendyke WG, Simon MS, Furuya EY. Antimicrobial stewardship perspectives from a New York City hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and opportunities. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2021. DOI 10.1093/ajhp/zxaa419

    Hicks JK, Quilitz RE, Komrokji RS, Kubal TE, Lancet JE, Pasikhova Y, Qin D,So W, Caceres G, Kelly K, Salchert YS, Shahbasian K, Abbas-Aghababazadeh F, Fridley BL, Velez AP, Mcleod HL, Greene JN. ProspectiveCYP2C19‐Guided Voriconazole Prophylaxis in Patients With Neutropenic Acute Myeloid Leukemia Reduces the Incidence of Subtherapeutic Antifungal Plasma Concentrations Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2020;107(3):563-570. doi: 10.1002/cpt.1641. Epub 2019 Nov 1.PMID:31549389

    So W. Antimicrobial Stewardship in immunocompromised hosts (2019). In Velez AP (Ed.) et al, Infections in neutropenic cancer patients, 1st ed. pp 163-79. Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21859-1_11.

    So W, Shurko J, Galega R, Quilitz R, Greene JN, Lee GC. Mechanisms of a high-level ceftolozane/tazobactam resistance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa developed in a severely neutropenic patient and treatment success from synergy with tobramycin. J Antimicrob Chemother 2018. doi: 10.1093/jac/dky393

    So W, Pandya S, Quilitz R, Shah, B, Greene JN. Infectious risks and complications in adult leukemic patients receiving blinatumomab. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis2018;10:e2018029, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4084/MJHID.2018.029

    So W,Nicolau DP (2018). Oritavancin. Grayson ML (Ed.) et al, In Kucers’ the use of antibiotics, 7ed: A clinical review of antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and antiviral drugs. pp 908-16. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

    So W, Kim L, Thabit AK, Nicolau DP, Kuti JL. Physical compatibility of isavuconazonium sulfate with select i.v. drugs during simulated Y-site administration. Am J Health Syst Pharm2017;74:e55-e63.

    So W, Kuti JL, Shepard A, Nugent J, Nicolau DP. Tissue penetration and exposure of cefepime in patients with diabetic foot infections. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2016;47(3):247-8.

    So W, Crandon JL, Nicolau DP. Poor Outcomes of Empiric Ceftriaxone ± Azithromycin Therapy for the Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Caused by Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Intern Emerg Med 2016;11(4): 545-51.

    So W, Crandon JL, Hamada Y, Nicolau DP. Antibacterial Activity of Achievable Epithelial Lining Fluid Exposures of Amikacin Inhale±Meropenem. J Antimicrob Chemother 2016;71(2):428-37.

    So W, Crandon JL, Nicolau DP. Effects of Urine Matrix and pH on the Potency of Delafloxacin and Ciprofloxacin against Urogenic E. coli and K. pneumoniae. J Urology 2015;194(2):563-70.

    So W, Crandon JL, Nicolau DP. Pharmacodynamic Profile of GSK2140944 against Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in a Murine Lung Infection Model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015;59(8):4956-61.

    So W, Kuti JL, Nicolau DP. Population Pharmacokinetics of Cefazolin in Serum and Tissue for Patients with Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections (cSSTI). Infect Dis Ther. 2014 Dec;3(2):269-279.

    So W, Nicolau DP. Pharmacodynamics of Macrolides, Azalides, and Ketolides. In Rodvold K, Andes D, Rotschafer J, eds. Pharmacodynamics. 1st ed., New York, NY,Springer Science + Business Media 2016:345-366.

    MacVane SH, So W, Nicolau DP, Kuti JL. In VitroActivity of Human-Simulated Epithelial Lining Fluid Exposures of Ceftaroline, Ceftriaxone, and Vancomycin against Methicillin-Susceptible and -Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014 Dec;58(12):7520-6.

    So W, Crandon JL, Zhanel GG, Nicolau DP. Comparison of In Vivo andIn Vitro Pharmacodynamics of Humanized Regimen of Ceftaroline Fosamil 600 mg Every 12 hours against Staphylococcus aureus at Initial Inocula of 106 and 108 CFU/ml.Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014 Nov;58(11):6931-3.

  • Narrative

    Dr. Wonhee So has graduated from Seoul National University (B.S. in pharmacy) and University of Florida (PharmD). Her pharmacy career started in Seoul National University Hospital in 2000 then continued in CA as a pharmacist in community and outpatient setting. Upon graduating from the PharmD program at University of FL, she transitioned to inpatient setting following PGY1 residency training at St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL and Infectious Diseases Fellowship training at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT. Her interest in infections in the immunocompromised hosts grew while serving as an ID/antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist at Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL. Right before joining WesternU, she spent one and a half years in New York as an assistant professor at Long Island University during which she found her true passion in pharmacy education.