Journal of Pharmaceutics & Drug Development

Michael Namaka is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Manitoba. In this capacity he functions as clinician/scientist specialized in multiple sclerosis & chronic neuropathic pain. This dual capacity has allowed Michael to bridge his neuroscience research to clinical practice. Currently, Michael has a clinical practice in the department of rehab medicine (Rehab Medicine Clinic) with Dr Karen Ethans as well as in the department of anesthesia (Pain Clinic) with Dr. Howard Intrater. Since his Faculty appointment, Michael has held several research grants and has published 31 manuscripts, 2 book chapters, 1 editorial letter, 42 abstracts, 12 non-peer-reviewed papers and has performed an excess of 100 invited presentations world-wide. Michael’s lifelong commitment to the profession of pharmacy is indicative by his previously help elected positions in the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) where he functioned in the capacities of: councilor, research chair, president elect, president and past president. Furthermore, in 2006, Michael was officially recognized as the first MS Medical Clinical Assistant dually licensed with the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. In this capacity Michael was one of the first pharmacists in the province of Manitoba to prescribe MS medications for the patients that he served. As a result of his new professional designation, Michael the recipient of the national commitment to care award which recognized his innovative clinical pharmacy practice in multiple sclerosis. Currently, Michael heads a cellular neuroscience research team of graduate and undergraduate summer students whose primary focus is on cytokine/neurotrophin interactions and their implications on remyelination and myelin repair. Michael also heads the gene research training institute for endMS (Manitoba/Ontario divisions) society where he serves as on senior faculty.

Multiple sclerosis, neuroimmunology, dorsal root ganglia, neuropathic pain, inflammatory cytokines (TNFα), neurotrophins, BDNF, NGF, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), myelin repair, spinal cord, non-traumatic spinal cord injury, MeCP2, oligodendrocytes, central nervous system, myelin proteins, white matter.