When Miljan Terzic, Pharm.D., was accepted into NEOMED, he was planning a career in retail pharmacy. In his first year in the College of Pharmacy, a faculty member mentioned the many careers pharmacists can choose from, including research.
That faculty member, Scott Wisneski, Pharm.D., M.B.A., R.Ph., associate professor of pharmacy practice, changed Dr. Terzic’s view of his future.
While Dr. Terzic had always had an interest in research – he engaged in bioinformatics research as an undergraduate at Walsh University, where he graduated with a degree in biology – he never considered it as a career option.
After graduating in 2022 from the College of Pharmacy, Dr. Terzic enrolled in NEOMED’s Integrated Pharmaceutical Medicine Ph.D. program (now know as Basic and Translational Biomedicine). He is currently conducting research with Samuel Crish II, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, on neurodegenerative disease states. Their current work focuses on genetic differences underlying sex-related mechanisms in visual system deficits in Alzheimer's, as well as incorporation of a molecular occlusion model in the study of glaucoma. Dr. Terzic says he “likes the challenge of this research area because the mind can control everything, and we really don’t know that much about it.”
He hopes that more NEOMED students consider continuing their education with research because “it can open up more doors for the future. And if nothing else, it’s a learning experience to learn more skills and network with other professionals.” If Dr. Terzic could give one piece of advice to students interested in research, it would be: “do rotations first. Do as many as you can without burning yourself out. Keep your options open and test out different research areas to find what you love. The sooner you get started, the better.”
After graduation, Dr. Terzic plans to merge his Pharm.D. and Ph.D. to do clinical work and community work. He is interested in continuing working in neurodegenerative diseases but plans to keep his options open. One day, he would like to run his own lab to continue research at NEOMED.