The School of Pharmacy Welcomes Colleagues from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Guests from the Eshleman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina (UNC) discussed the partnership between the two Schools, aiming to foster further impactful research and educational collaborations, and exchange programmes.

During their recent visit, Professor Kim Brouwer (Interim Dean) and Dr Stephen Eckel (Associate Dean for Global Engagement) from the Eshleman School of Pharmacy at UNC experienced the celebratory atmosphere on campus during the School's graduation, engaged in a tour of University facilities, including the KN Cheung SK Chin InterSim Centre, and met current undergraduate and postgraduate students and research staff to discuss collaborations between the two institutions which are already underway.
The visit follows the recent launch of the QUB/UNC Pump Priming Fund, aimed at supporting collaborative research projects between the two institutes. Three awards were allocated to projects between the School of Pharmacy at Âé¶¹ÒùÔº and the Eshleman School of Pharmacy.
Dr Emma McErlean, who has been building on her recent visit to UNC in February 2025, and who has received a pump priming award in collaboration with Dr Owen Fenton at UNC, stated:
“We are delighted to receive this pump priming award to support our research into novel delivery approaches for RNA therapeutics in collaboration with the Fenton lab at UNC. We are looking forward to building on this exciting partnership between UNC and QUB.”
Speaking of the visit from UNC colleagues, Professor Gavin Andrews, Head of the School of Pharmacy at Âé¶¹ÒùÔº, commented:
"It was a pleasure to welcome our esteemed colleagues from the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at UNC Chapel Hill to Âé¶¹ÒùÔº. This visit represents an exciting milestone in strengthening the partnership between our two institutions.
QUB has the top-ranked School of Pharmacy across the Island of Ireland, and is a global top 20 School of Pharmacy (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025). UNC is one of the in the Top 4 (QS) Schools of Pharmacy in North America, and a global top 10 School of Pharmacy.
It is both strategically prudent and academically enriching for two leading Schools of Pharmacy to pursue substantive collaboration in both research and education, catalysing innovation, and cultivating a dynamic, globally engaged academic community.
The launch of the QUB/UNC Pump Priming Fund has already yielded promising collaborative projects, and we look forward to building on this strong foundation to create lasting impact through our joint initiatives."
Projects between the two Schools of Pharmacy are ongoing, and seek to further deepen the collaboration between the two institutions going forward, leading to further key initiatives in relation to both education and research.
Media
For media enquiries, please contact Grace White at Queen’s Communications Office via email.