Erica Woodahl
Erica Woodahl is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana. Dr. Woodahl received a B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame in 1998 and a Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington in 2004. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacokinetics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. She joined the faculty at the University of Montana in 2007 as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012, and promoted to Professor in 2020. Erica teaches pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics and conducts research in clinical pharmacology and community-engagement.
Karen Brown
Karen Brown is Director of Research at the University of Montana L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation (SIHI) and has been working with the Woodahl Lab since early 2018. Karen received her PharmD degree from UM and completed her postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Woodahl. Karen’s research interests include: precision medicine and pharmacogenomics; community-based participatory research to engage rural populations in clinical research; and innovative clinical trial designs to support implementation of health innovation in rural areas. Karen is an active member of the Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network and American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and serves as an Editor-in-Training for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
Shayna Killam
Shayna Killam is a postdoctoral fellow, and has been working in the lab since 2019. She earned her PharmD and MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Design from UM in 2022. She studies clinical implementation of pharmacogenetic testing in rural and Tribal communities. She is also helping launch a statewide, pharmacist-led pharmacogenetics consultation service in partnership with Shodair Children’s Hospital, located in Helena, Montana. She especially enjoys teaching and mentoring students. When not at work, she loves to spend time hiking, gardening, reading sci-fi novels, and traveling. Shayna also works part time as a licensed pharmacist.
Shivika Agrawal
Shivika Agrawal has been working in the Woodahl lab since the fall of 2024. She is currently a senior who will be graduating with her BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences through the UM Skaggs School of Pharmacy in spring of 2026. Her work currently involves large-scale data analysis and evaluating patterns of pharmacogenomic-associated medication prescribing across Montana. She is especially interested in improving health outcomes and access to personalized medicine. After graduation, she plans to pursue a MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Design at UM. Outside of research, Shivika is a student-athlete on the UM Griz Women’s tennis team, and she enjoys playing pickleball, hiking, reading, and exploring Montana.
Former Lab Members:
Conlan Rendell, undergraduate research assistant
Current position: Medical Student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Lea Amish, pre-undergraduate research assistant
Jack Staples, PhD, graduate student
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Katie George, PhD, research scientist
Maggie Wichman, PharmD, MS, graduate student
Daniella Wall, PharmD, MS, graduate student
Tianna Leitch, PharmD, graduate student
Current position: PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, Oregon State Health University, Portland, Oregon
Kirk Katseanas, PharmD, graduate student
Current position: Pharmacist at Community Medical Center, Missoula, Montana
Rachel Dalton, PharmD, MS graduate student
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program for Applied Research and Development in Genomic Medicine (PARADIGM) at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Ellen Ellerbeck, Research Assistant
Current position: Data Quality Developer Intern at McGraw-Hill Education, Dubuque, Iowa
Jessica Bailey, Research Assistant
Current position: PhD student, Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology, Brandon Cooper Lab, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
Burhan Khan, MS, Research Assistant
Current position: MD/PhD student, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Chelsea Morales, MS, Graduate Student
Current position: Allied Health Instructor, Aaniiih Nakoda College, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Harlem, Montana
Kasse Skagen, MS, Graduate Student
Current position: raising three children in Idaho Falls, Idaho
Amanda Schlichenmayer, PharmD/MS, Graduate Student
Current position: Pharmacist, Community Hospital of Anaconda, Anaconda, Montana
Meg Trahey, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Protocol Development Manager, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
Sarah Lacher, PhD, Graduate Student
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota
Mindy Stone, MS, Research Assistant
Current Position: Research Laboratory Liaison, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah