Appropriate drug dosing information for children and pregnant women is lacking. Often, health care providers are compelled to treat such patients using therapies and dosages that have yet to be adequately evaluated for safety and effectiveness. To address this knowledge gap, my laboratory focusses on the application of pharmacometrics to define appropriate dosing strategies in underserved patient populations.

Pharmacometrics is the field of study that resides at the intersection between drug pharmacology, organism physiology, and mathematics. My lab specializes in a particular branch of pharmacometrics called pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling. Pharmacokinetics is the study of the relationship between an administered dose and drug concentrations in the body; whereas, pharmacodynamics is the study of the relationship between drug concentrations in the body and drug effect. PK/PD modeling provides a platform to help researchers understand the relationship between dose administration and drug response. At its core, its goal is to define the right drug, at the right dose, for the right patient.

Data used to develop pharmacometric models can range from basic human physiological information to time-dependent drug concentrations in the body following dose administration. There remains significant information gaps that impede model development, particularly in children and pregnant women. To increase confidence in model predictions, my laboratory aims to incorporate benchtop research to identify biological differences between patient groups that drive changes in drug effect. Findings from benchtop studies can be integrated into pharmacometric models to provide a direct link between laboratory and clinic. The strength of this link shapes the laboratory’s mandate to prioritize research that can readily be translated towards improving patient clinical care.

Drug Dosing in Childhood Obesity