Symposium 12: Empowering educators: AI strategies for the next generation of pharmacologists
Tracks
Track 4
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 |
11:15 AM - 1:15 PM |
Details
In this symposium, Empowering Educators: AI Strategies for the Next Generation of Pharmacologists, we will explore the transformative role of AI in reshaping pharmacology education. Covering topics from drug discovery to virtual patient communication, our expert speakers will demonstrate innovative AI applications that enhance both teaching and learning. Participants will gain practical insights into integrating AI tools and methodologies into curricula, fostering digital competencies essential for future pharmacologists. This symposium encourages a multidisciplinary approach, engaging educators in discussions on AI-driven research, synthetic data usage, and more, to build a future-ready, AI-savvy workforce in pharmacology.
Speaker
Dr Jayne Reuben
Professor
Texas A&M University
Leveraging AI and Girvan–Newman Analysis to Explore Student Use of AI in Learning and Integrating Pharmacology
Biography
Jayne S. Reuben is an Instructional Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Texas A&M University (TAMU) School of Dentistry and the TAMU School of Medicine. Dr. Reuben earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan in the department of Pathology. Dr. Reuben provides leadership and faculty development in curriculum design, delivery and assessment to enhance student learning and success. Dr. Reuben has served as the Chair and Program Representative of the ASPET Division for Pharmacology Education (DPE). She is a 2021 fellow of DPE Academy for Pharmacology Educators and a 2022 ASPET Fellow. Her research uses quantitative and qualitative approaches to develop and evaluate learning activities that promote the integration of biomedical and clinical science to improve student metacognition, performance and self-efficacy.
Dr Trond Serkland
University of Bergen
Generative AI feedback and misconception detection in pharmacology education
Biography
Trond Trætteberg Serkland is a university lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bergen and a medical doctor in clinical pharmacology at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway. As an educator, he is focused on finding multiple angles to explain complex pharmacological concepts and actively adopts new technologies like VR and AI to aid in retaining knowledge among pharmacology students.
Dr Jon Andsnes Berg
University of Bergen
Co-presenter
Biography
Jon Andsnes Berg is a university lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bergen and a medical doctor in clinical pharmacology at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway. As an educator, he is focused on finding multiple angles to explain complex pharmacological concepts and actively adopts new technologies like VR and AI to aid in retaining knowledge among pharmacology students.
A/Prof Werner Cordier
University of Pretoria
Mapping the artificial intelligence landscape of pharmacology education
Biography
Prof Werner Cordier, an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Pretoria obtained his PhD in Pharmacology in 2016, and National Research Foundation Y2-rating in 2022. His biomedical research focuses on using advanced cell culture models to elucidate molecular factors that facilitate chemoresistance and dormancy in cancer so that better drug development platforms can be established for nanomedicine and indigenous knowledge systems. He has published 35 papers, with a diverse range of students graduated under his (co-)supervision (39 Honours; 9 Masters; 2 Doctoral).
Apart from his biomedical research, he has completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Institute of FAIMER’s health professions education fellowship, and a second PhD in Curriculum and Instructional Design and Development with a focus on aligning pharmacology education with healthcare practitioner workplace competencies to ensure fit-for-purpose graduates. Given his involvement in the health professions education community, Prof Cordier also serves as Faculty member of the Association for Health Professions Education and Leadership and Associate Editor on the African Journal for Health Professions Education.
Although his health professions education research focuses on graduate competency development and its involvement with professional identity formation, the implication of technology in education has become a passion for him. In belief of its potential, he is currently investigating the streamlining and advancement properties towards student and staff development, particularly in how it may promote student preparation for learning and postgraduate studies while minimising the administrative that academics often face. Although very excited and optimistic about the potentials of artificial intelligence in health professions education, he also approaches its implementation with caution due to the importance of appropriateness and ethics that needs to be maintained.
Session chair
Kellie Charles
University of Sydney
Nilushi Karunaratne
Monash University
