Cathy Y. Poon, B.S., Pharm.D., is an endowed full professor, department chair and associate dean of interprofessional education at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Saint Joseph's University. Poon’s formalized training as a pharmacist focused on caring for pediatric patients, conducting research to improve medication therapy management, and educating pharmacy students and postgraduate trainees.
Over the past 10 years, while adopting direct patient care experiences and realizing her newly found passion, Poon has embraced leadership roles cultivating interprofessional/team-based education and practice. Poon is working collaboratively with several medical schools and health systems to develop and thread interprofessional education and training into the pharmacy curriculum as well as influence other healthcare profession curricula.
Under Poon’s leadership, the team received numerous grants and awards including, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Practice Section 2020, Excellence in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Award, and 2020 USPHS IPEC Award: Overall Winner, An Interprofessional Approach to International Outreach Experiences.