Biography
Dr. Kerry Empey is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy and Therapeutics and is the Associate Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Programs. She holds secondary appointments in the Department of Immunology, Center for Vaccine Research, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute in the School of Medicine. Additionally, she is the Director of the Certificate in Clinical Translational Science for Graduate Students in the Health Sciences. Dr. Empey conducts industry and NIH-funded clinical and translational research aimed at understanding the immune response to pulmonary viruses and the mechanisms of vaccine mediated protection (or pathology) in pregnant women and infants. Furthermore, Dr. Empey closely works with vaccine formulation experts to design and test the delivery, biodistribution, kinetics, and immune responses of new vaccine candidates with the goal of optimizing their safety and efficacy in vulnerable patient populations. Dr. Empey received her PharmD from the University of Rhode Island and completed PGY1 and PGY2 residencies in Pharmacy Practice and Infectious Diseases at the University of Kentucky. She earned a PhD in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky before accepting a faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh.
Education / Training
- PharmD, PhD
Research Interests
Clinical Pharmaceutical SciencesDrug Formulations and DeliveryIn the News
PhD students awarded Certification in Clinical and Translational Science
Congratulations to Shambhavi Parab, Avantika Gupta, and Yuqian Zhao for receiving the Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science for Graduate...
Students present at annual PSRS at West Virginia University
Pitt Pharmacy graduate students from Dr. Kerry Empey’s lab (photo on right) presented their research posters on Saturday at the...
Sarah Ostrowski receives the American Association of Immunology Abstract Award at the Autumn Immunology Conference in Chicago
Sarah Ostrowski received the prestigious American Association of Immunology Abstract Award for your abstract titled: Optimization of a Biotinylated Nanoparticle...
Featured Publications
Modeling the kinetics of lymph node retention and exposure of a cargo protein delivered by biotin-functionalized nanoparticles
Acta Biomater. 2023 Oct 15:170:453-463. DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.08.048. PMID: 37652212.
Exacerbated lung inflammation following secondary RSV exposure is CD4+ T cell-dependent and is not mitigated in infant BALB/c mice born to PreF-vaccinated dams
Front Immunol. 2023 Aug 14:14:1206026. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1206026. PMID: 37646035.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of cerium oxide nanoparticles in respiratory syncytial virus infection
Bioact Mater. 2022 Dec 15:24:124-135. DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.12.005. PMID: 36606255.
