• Clinical pharmacokinetics (drug disposition) and pharmacodynamics (drug action)
• Novel approaches to therapeutic drug monitoring
• Hormonal influences and drug action and disposition in women
• Pharmacogenetics
• Pharmaceutical outcomes evaluations

Title: Professor; Director, Doctor of Pharmacy Program
Distinguished University Scholar

Email: ensom@interchange.ubc.ca

Telephone: 604-875-2886

Fax: 604-875-3735

Links: CORE

Degrees:

 

Research Focus:

My long-term research focus has been in clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (particularly as these disciplines relate to: women's health; effects of gender, age, and other pathophysiologic states on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; and novel approaches to therapeutic drug monitoring), with more recent emerging interests in pharmacogenetics and pharmaceutical outcomes evaluations. Every day, I use my clinical practice experiences to identify relevant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic problems that are then studied through my laboratory-based research program. As an integrator who bridges the gap between the basic and clinical sciences, the goal of my research program is to address these clinical problems from a qualitative, quantitative, and mechanistic perspective and to make a difference in the health and well-being of patients (i.e., study results are directly and immediately incorporated into patient care).

Current Projects:

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) Prior to and During Pregnancy in Patients with Unexplained Secondary Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion (RSA). This is the first study ever to evaluate the pharmacokinetics/dynamics (prior to and during pregnancy) of intravenous immunoglobulin in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss. Pharmacogenetics of Mycophenolate in Thoracic Transplant Recipients: Role of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases. This study seeks to determine if the inter-patient variability observed in the mycophenolate pharmacokinetics of thoracic transplant recipients can be partially explained by genetic variability in the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes responsible for its metabolism. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenetics of Mycophenolate in Islet Cell Transplant Recipients. This project seeks to characterize the pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its glucuronidated metabolites and develop limited sampling strategies for this patient subpopulation. Stability of Medications in Extemporaneously Prepared Oral Suspensions for Use in Pediatric Patients. Most oral medications come in capsule or tablet form, many of which are prescribed to children (and to some adults) who cannot swallow capsules or tablets. As such, alternative dosage forms, primarily oral suspensions, need to be compounded extemporaneously and undergo stability testing to ensure effective drug delivery to patients and to give the suspensions a reasonable expiration date. In my lab, we evaluate the stability of various extemporaneously-compounded suspensions and apply the results immediately to care of pediatric patients Other Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacogenetics, and CORxE Pharmaceutical Outcomes Studies as Co-Investigator. Various.

Selected Publications:

From >350 total publications: Ting LSL, Partovi N, Levy RD, Riggs KW, Ensom MHH. Pharmacokinetics of Mycophenolic Acid and its Phenolic-Glucuronide and Acyl Glucuronide Metabolites in Stable Thoracic Transplant Recipients. Ther Drug Monit. 2008;30:282–91. Ting LSL, Partovi N, Levy RD, Ignaszewski AP, Ensom MHH. Performance of Limited Sampling Strategies for Predicting Mycophenolate Area Under the Curve in Thoracic Transplant Recipients. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation (JHLT). 2008;27:325-8. Oremus M, Zeidler J, Ensom MHH, Matsuda-Abedini M, Balion C, Booker L, Archer C, Raina P. Utility of Monitoring Mycophenolic Acid in Solid Organ Transplant Patients. Evid Rep Technol Assess. 2008;164:1-131. Ensom MHH, Decarie D, Sheppard I. Stability of Lansoprazole in Extemporaneously Compounded Suspensions for Nasogastric or Oral Administration. Can J Hosp Pharm. 2007;60:184-91. Ting LSL, Partovi N, Levy RD, Riggs KW, Ensom MHH. Pharmacokinetics of Mycophenolic Acid and its Glucuronidated Metabolites in Stable Lung Transplant Recipients. Ann Pharmacother. 2006;40:1509-16. Ting LSL, Partovi N, Levy RD, Riggs KW, Ensom MHH. Limited Sampling Strategy for Predicting Mycophenolic Acid Area-Under-the-Curve in Adult Lung Transplant Recipients. Pharmacotherapy 2006;26:1232-40. Ting LSL, Villeneuve E, Ensom MHH. Beyond Cyclosporine: A Systematic Review of Limited Sampling Strategies for Other Immunosuppressants. Ther Drug Monit. 2006;28:419-30. Ensom MHH, Decarie D. Stability of Thiamine in Extemporaneously Compounded Suspensions. Can J Hosp Pharm. 2005: 58: 26-30. Ensom MHH, Stephenson MD. Pharmacokinetics of Low Molecular Weight Heparin and Unfractionated Heparin in Pregnancy. J Soc Gynecol Investig. 2004;11:377-83. Stephenson MD, Ballem PJ, Tsang P, Purkiss S, Ensworth S, Houlihan E, Ensom MHH. Treatment of Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS) in Pregnancy: A Randomized Pilot Trial Comparing Low Molecular Weight Heparin to Unfractionated Heparin. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2004;26:729-34. Ensom MHH, Partovi N, Decarie D, Ignaszewski AP, Fradet G, Levy RD. Mycophenolate Pharmacokinetics in Early Period Following Lung or Heart Transplantation. Ann Pharmacother. 2003;37:1761-7. Ensom MHH, Chong G, Zhou D, Beaudin B, Shalansky S, Bai TR. Double-Blind Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study of Estradiol in Premenstrual Asthma. Pharmacotherapy. 2003;23:561-71. Ensom MHH, Partovi N, Decarie D, Dumont RJ, Fradet G, Levy RD. Pharmacokinetics and Protein Binding of Mycophenolic Acid in Stable Lung Transplant Recipients. Ther Drug Monit. 2002;24:310-4. Ensom MHH, Chang T, Patel P. Pharmacogenetics: The Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of the Future? Clin Pharmacokinet. 2001;40:783-802. Ensom MHH. Gender-Based Differences and Menstrual Cycle-Related Changes in Specific Diseases: Implications for Pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy. 2000;20:523-539.