Cody Peer

Fifth-year Pharmaceutical & Pharmacological Sciences doctoral student.

Advisor: Patrick Callery, Ph.D.

Hometown: North Huntingdon, PA

What year are you in your program? I’m starting my 5th year in my program, but 4th year doing research.

Why did you choose this? I was a chemistry major as an undergraduate. I also did two summer internships with Mylan in the Bio-Analytical lab. After they tested the drugs, we tested the blood.

If you couldn’t do this, what would you want to do? In my fantasy world, I would be living in Hawaii and surfing all day. Realistically, I would be a MD, but I don’t think I’d like the lifestyle.

What is your favorite part of what you do? It’s a good feeling when something on paper actually works out. The big picture: how you can do your training here and then go to a company and also getting the experiments to work.

Who do you hope to help with your research? Well, no one in my family had any major health issues that made me want to do it. The Mylan internships made me interested. I’d like to help people in general who are sick.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? I’d like to see myself in an active part of research. I’d like to see myself running a lab at a drug company.

Do you have any awards or accomplishments? I was awarded the WVU School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences Graduate Student Research award - $250 awarded in April 2009; Robert E. Stitzel Graduate Student Support Fund (WVU School of Pharmacy) – Research and Scholarship Productivity Award: $1,000 award granted in September 2008; Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) Educational Research Award: $1,000 travel award granted in May 2007 for the October 2007 Annual National Meeting in Raleigh-Durham, NC

What is your favorite part of your program? My favorite part is knowing that students in all health sciences have opportunities for collaborations.

Do you have any hobbies? I like skiing and going to the beach and also the usual things like watching football.