Tony Kiang, BScPharm, ACPR, RPh, PhD, FCP

Area of Study / Keywords

Drug Metabolism Drug/Gene-Interactions Pharmacokinetics Pharmacogenomics Kinetic Modeling Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Pharmacotherapy Solid Organ Transplants Infectious Disease Neurology Toxicology Uremic Toxins

About

Dr. Tony Kiang is a Tenured Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta. Dr. Kiang is in a unique position for being able to teach and research in both clinical and experimental sciences. Dr. Kiang has extensive experience with pharmacokinetic modelling, drug analysis, and toxicological assessment in various disease states, as evident by his 53 peer-reviewed papers (mostly as the primary or the corresponding author), 2 books, and 7 book chapters in high impact publications. He has been highly cited (h-index 26; i10-index 39; Google Scholar analytics: Kiang publications) and serves on the editorial boards of a number of well-regarded journals (e.g., Clinical Pharmacokinetics; British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology). Dr. Kiang is also sought-after internationally by the pharmaceutical industry for his consulting expertise in drug kinetic modelling and therapeutic drug monitoring. Dr. Kiang's laboratory is funded by multiple grants, including Tri-Council funding to support his unique role in facilitating the translation of research knowledge from the bench to the bedside. 

Education

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in clinical pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (2010 - 2015)

Accredited Canadian Pharmacy Residency, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia (2009-2010) [awarded the Resident of the Year]

Doctor of Philosophy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (2009) [awarded the CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Award]

Bachelor of Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (2002) [obtained the best undergraduate record]

Distinctions and Awards:

2025: Honorary Visiting Professor distinction from the College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University 

2024: FCP (Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology) distinction

2021 COVID-19 Remote Teaching Award nominee by the Office of the Provost and Vice President, University of Alberta

2020 Wiley a top downloaded paper / most read in Biomedical Chromatography (2018-2019) (Biomed Chromatogr 2019, 33:e4549)

2016 Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacist- BC branch publication award in original research (CJHP 2016;69:269-79) (October 2016)

2015 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy best poster award (second place runner-up) (October 2015)

2015 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy best poster finalist (September 2015)

UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences research day best poster award (PDF/RA category) (May 2015) 

UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies PDF travel award (October 2012) 

M Kelli Jordan travel award from ACCP PK/PD/PG PRN (October 2012) 

2012 ACCP virtual poster symposium poster finalist (June 2012)

2011 CFRI student research forum (post-doctoral category) best poster award (June 2011)

2010 VCH-PHC pharmacy residency program Resident of the Year (July 2010)

HC LePatourel scholarship in hospital pharmacy (2009 to 2010) 

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canada Graduate Scholarships doctoral award (2005 to 2008) – top tier national award 

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) senior graduate studentship research award (2005 to 2008) – competitive provincial award 

Elsevier publication award [Kiang et al., Pharmacol Ther 2005, 106:97-102] (June 2005)

ASPET graduate student travel award (May 2005) 

UBC PhD tuition fee award (2004 to 2008) 

MSFHR junior graduate studentship research award (2003 to 2005) – competitive provincial award 

Rx&D Health Research Foundation graduate student scholarship in pharmacy (2003 to 2005, declined) 

Merck Frosst post graduate pharmacy fellowship (2003 to 2005, declined) 

Dean EL Woods memorial prize for best undergraduate record (June 2002) 

Dr. M. Pernarowski memorial scholarship (2001 to 2002) – outstanding record in pharmaceutical chemistry 

Medical Research Council summer research award (2001) 

London Drugs scholarship (2001 to 2002) 

Golden Key National Honour Society life membership (2000 to present)

UBC Undergraduate Scholar Program scholarship (1999 to 2002) 

Dean’s honour list (1999 to 2002)

George T & Myrtle W Cunningham scholarship (1999 to 2000) 

Service

Expert grant reviewer for Provincial (e.g. Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Collaborative Innovation Development Grant), National (e.g., Kidney Foundation of Canada, Kidney Health Research Grant; New Frontiers in Research Fund; Canadian Institutes of Health Research), and International (e.g. National Science Center Poland, French National Research Agency) funding bodies

Media Interviews:

https://globalnews.ca/tag/dr-tony-kiang/

https://www.ualberta.ca/pharmacy/news/2023/07-july/personal-best.html

https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2023/06/could-prescribing-music-make-medications-work-better.html

https://globalnews.ca/news/9793892/pharmacology-music-drugs-metabolize-alberta/

https://thecord.ca/the-benefit-of-interdisciplinary-study-what-we-can-learn-about-metabolism-from-music-and-rats/

https://www.kmfa.org/programs/18-staccato/episodes/7987-music-might-be-best-with-your-medication

https://thegatewayonline.ca/2023/07/use-music-combat-side-effects-medication-the-gateway/

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-52-radio-active/clip/16108701-the-power-music

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2025/01/pain-medication-finds-new-purpose-fighting-toxins-from-kidney-disease.html

Research

Tri-Council Grants: 

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Discovery Grant and Supplements (principal investigator): https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/index_eng.asp

New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration (Tri-Council) (principal investigator): https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/nfrf-fnfr/exploration/2022/award_recipients-titulaires_subvention-eng.aspx 

National Foundation Grants:

The Kidney Foundation of Canada 2022 Allied Health Kidney Research Grant (principal investigator): https://kidney.ca/Research/Supported-Research/ABNT/Effects-of-prednisone-avoidance-or-tapering-on-myc

The Kidney Foundation of Canada 2021 Kidney Health Research Grant (principal investigator): https://kidney.ca/Research/Supported-Research/ABS/p-Cresol-and-mycophenolate-interaction-in-adult-ki

The Kidney Foundation of Canada 2025 Kidney Health Research Grant (principal investigator)

Institutional Grants:

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) Innovation and Translational Research Award (principal investigator): https://www.vchri.ca/announcement/2017/05/14/innovation-and-translational-research-awards-2017-recipients

VCHRI Team Grant Award (principal investigator)

Mitacs Global Link (principal investigator)

Publications:

Please see Google Scholar link for full list of publications: Kiang publications

"Selected/recent" papers from the Kiang lab:

• Al-Dajani A, Kiang TK. A high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous quantification of p-cresol sulfate, p-cresol glucuronide, indoxyl sulfate, and indoxyl glucuronide in HepaRG culture medium and the demonstration of mefenamic acid as a potent and selective detoxifying agent. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2024. In press.                                                 

• Rong Y, Wichart J, Hamiwka L, Kiang TK. Significant effects of renal function on mycophenolic acid total clearance in pediatric kidney transplant recipients with population pharmacokinetic modeling. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2023; 62:1289-1303.

• Rong Y and Kiang TK. Clinical evidence on the purported pharmacokinetic interactions between corticosteroids and mycophenolic acid. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2023; 62: 157-207. 

• Rong Y, Colbourne P, Gourishankar S, Kiang TK. Significant correlations between p-cresol and mycophenolic acid plasma concentrations in adult kidney transplant recipients. Clin Drug Investig. 2022; doi: 10.1007/s40261-022-01121-1. 

• Rong Y, Patel V, Kiang TK. Recent lessons learned from population pharmacokinetic studies of mycophenolic acid: physiological, genomic, and drug interactions leading to the prediction of drug effects. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2022; doi: 10.1080/17425255.2021.2027906. 

• Rong Y and Kiang TK. Characterization of human sulfotransferases catalyzing the formation of p-cresol sulfate and identification of mefenamic acid as a potent metabolism inhibitor and potential therapeutic agent for detoxification. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115553. 

• Zhu S, Rong Y, and Kiang TK. Effects of p-cresol on oxidative stress, glutathione depletion, and necrosis in HepaRG cells: comparisons to other uremic toxins and the role of p-cresol glucuronide formation. Pharmaceutics. 2021; 13:857.

• Rong Y, Jun H, Kiang TK. Population pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid in paediatric patients. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021; 87:1730-1757. 



• Jun H..., Kiang TK. Comparisons of four protein-binding models characterizing the pharmacokinetics of unbound phenytoin in adult patients using non-linear mixed-effects modeling. Drugs R&D. 2020; 20:343-358.

• Rong Y and Kiang TK. Characterizations of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes in the conjugation of p-cresol. Toxicol Sci. 2020; 176:285-296. 

• Rong Y and Kiang TK. Mechanisms of metabolism interaction between p-cresol and mycophenolic acid. Toxicol Sci. 2020; 173:267-279. 

• Kiang TK and Ensom MH. Exposure-toxicity relationships of mycophenolic acid in adult kidney transplant patients. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2019; 58: 1533-1552. 

• Rong Y, Mayo P, Ensom MHH, and Kiang TK. Population pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid co-administered with tacrolimus in corticosteroid-free adult kidney transplant patients. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2019; 58:1483-1495. 

• Kiang TK, Partovi N, Shapiro RJ, Berman J, Collier A, Ensom MHH.  Regression and genomic analyses on the association between dose-normalized mycophenolic acid exposure and absolute neutrophil count in steroid-free, de novo kidney transplant recipients. Clin Drug Investig. 2018; 38:1011-1022.

Editorial Board Memberships:

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Wiley (Executive Editorial Board)  

Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Springer/Nature

Clinical Drug Investigation, Springer/Adis

Drugs in R&D, Springer/Adis

European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Springer/Adis

Teaching

Research Mentorships: 

Dr. Kiang's research trainees have won various competitive training awards (e.g. Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Summer Internship; Mike Wolowky Graduate Scholarship; Dr. Fakhreddin Jamali Graduate Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Sciences; Mitacs Globalink Research Award; Dr. Leonard Wiebe Graduate Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship).

Courses:

PHARM415: Advanced Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics [coordinator; New Course; Winter 2025] 

EXPH2555: CCPP Advanced Pharmacotherapy III [coordinator]

PHARM446: Pharmacotherapy 9 (ID & Transplant) [coordinator]

PHARM401: Toxicology

PHARM310: Clinical Pharmacogenomics

PHARM346: Pharmacotherapy 5 (ID)

PHARM323: Patient Skills 4

PHARM303: Essentials of Pharmacokinetics [co-instructor]

PHARM630: Metabolism and Excretion of Drugs

PHARM615: Advanced Pharmacokinetics

PHARM496: Clinical Pharmacogenomics as a Basis for Precision Medicine

PHARM 489: Seminars in Therapeutics and Professional Practice [coordinator]

Oncol254: Principles of Oncology

IntD457: Global Health [co-coordinator]

Recent trainee announcements:

April 2021: congratulations to Ms. Sang Zhu on successfully defending her MSc thesis!

December 2021: congratulations to Ms. Yan Rong (PhD candidate) on receiving the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship!

March 2022: congratulations to Yan Rong on successfully defending her PhD thesis!

September 2022: congratulations to Yashita Singh on successfully defending her MSc thesis!

March 2023: congratulations to Mostafa Moharram (PharmD candidate) for obtaining the APSA student research award!

March 2023: congratulations to Angel Nong (PharmD candidate) for obtaining the 2023 CSPS National Undergraduate Student Research Program Award!

April 2023: congratulations to Shiying Yang (PharmD candidate) for obtaining the FoPPS Summer Research Scholarship Award 

May 2023: congratulations to Jinal Adhiya (MSc trainee) for obtaining the FoPPS Entrance Scholarship 

May 2023: congratulations to Al'aA Al Dajani (PhD trainee) for being named the 2023 American College of Clinical Pharmacology Student Abstract Award Winner (with travel stipend, podium presentation invitation, and honorarium) 

June 2023: congratulations to Dr. Yan Rong (fellow) for receiving the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) Clinical Pharmacometrics SIG Trainee Award 

July 2023: congratulations to Jinal Adhiya and Ali Shalaby (MSc trainees) for obtaining the University of Alberta Graduate Recruitment Scholarships

November 2023: congratulations to Heba Aref (PhD candidate) on receiving the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship!

March 2024: congratulations to Heba Aref (PhD candidate) on receiving the Graduate Student Research Assistant Award (2024) from Graduate Students' Association

April 2024: congratulations to Jinal Adhiya (PhD student) on receiving a top abstract honour and being invited to deliver an oral podium presentation on "Development of an in vitro renal cellular model for characterizing the transporter and metabolism interactions involving mycophenolate" at the Alberta Transplant Institute Annual Research Day

May 2024: congratulations to Jinal Adhiya on receiving a Student Choice poster award honour for the 2024 Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Day. 

May 2024: congratulations to Heba Aref on receiving a Poster Award honour for the 2024 Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Day. 

Nov 2024: congratulations to Heba Aref on receiving the Dorothy Whiteman Scholarship

Nov 2024:  congratulations to Jinal Adhiya, Ali Shalaby, and Alaa Al-Dajani for receiving the Shoppers Drug Mart scholarships.

Feb 2025: congratulations to  Hamid Ghazal (PhD candidate) on a top abstract honour and being invited for oral podium presentation at the 2025 Alberta Transplant Institute Annual Research Day (Title: "Development and validation of a population pharmacokinetic model for anti-thymocyte globulin in hematopoietic cell transplant patients")

March 2025: congratulations to Alaa Al-Dajani on passing her PhD candidacy exam.

March 2025: congratulations to Heba Aref for being nominated for AFPC poster research award & for being a finalist/runner up for the 3MT (3 minute thesis) competition (only candidate from FoPPS)

April 2025: congratulations to Heba Aref for being awarded the 2025 Graduate Student Teaching Award

May 2025: congratulations to Jinal Adhiya; Best Poster Award at the 2025 Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Annual Research Day (May, Edmonton). Project: "Effects of Music on the Enzyme Kinetics of Mycophenolic Acid Glucuronidation in Rat Liver Microsomes"

May 2025: congratulations to Ali Shalaby; Antoine A. Noujaim Award of Excellence for Outstanding Poster Presentation at the 2025 Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences Annual Symposium (May, Montreal). Project: "Effects of music elements on the activities of cytochrome P450 1A subfamily in Sprague Dawley rats". 

Other announcements re Dr. Kiang:

Sept 2024: received FCP (Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology) distinction 

May 2025: received Honorary Visiting professor distinction from the College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University 

PHARM 303 - Essentials of Pharmacokinetics

Provides students with fundamental knowledge of pharmacokinetic concepts and their application in devising appropriate patient-specific dosing regimens. Clinical relevance of pharmacokinetics will be explored through the examination of disease states and drug interactions that affect drug concentrations in the body. (Restricted to Pharmacy students.)

PHARM 415 - Advanced Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics

This course will provide students with applied knowledge and skills, through integrated patient care scenarios, on the clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics of select therapeutic agents (e.g., antibiotics, mental health, antiseizure medications, cardiovascular agents, antineoplastics, immunosuppressants). Emphasis will be placed on the incorporation of clinical pharmacokinetic monitoring and genomic principles into the therapeutic decision making process for the optimization of patient outcomes. Prerequisite: PHARM 303 or equivalent, or consent of the Faculty.

PHARM 446 - Pharmacotherapy 9

Students will develop foundational knowledge related to select fungal, viral and protozoal infections, as well as in the area of transplant. In addition, this course will provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills (patient assessment) in disease prevention through delivery of immunizations and traveller's health services. Students will further develop their critical thinking and self-directed learning skills, along with their breadth and depth of therapeutic knowledge, as they incorporate principles of evidence-based therapeutic decision making within the patient care process framework. (Restricted to Pharmacy students.)

PHARM 573 - Analytical Techniques in Pharmaceutical Sciences

The course emphasizes the key skills required to study and explore recent trends in pharmaceutical analysis and the latest analytical technologies. The core analytical techniques such as chromatography, LC-MS, ELISA, and, electrophoresis will be discussed in detail along with hands-on experience during laboratory sessions. Prerequisite: PHARM 570 or consent of the Faculty. Offered alternate years.

PHARM 615 - Advanced Pharmacokinetics

An advanced course designed to provide students with the theoretical aspects of pharmacokinetics including compartmental and non-compartmental methods. Students will gain hands-on experience with the use of computers, population methods, and the role of pharmacokinetics in the development of drugs. Seminar time is devoted to pharmacokinetic analyses used in clinical pharmacology. Prerequisite: PHARM 303 or equivalent, or consent of the Faculty. Note: Offered alternate years.

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