Tony Kiang, BScPharm, ACPR, RPh, PhD

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 at high levels in both clinical and experimental sciences. Dr. Kiang has extensive experience with pharmacokinetic modeling, drug analysis, and toxicological assessment in various disease states, as evident by his 48 peer-reviewed full papers (mostly as the primary or the corresponding author), 2 books, and 7 book chapters in high impact publications. Although still considered a new investigator, he has already been cited >1980 times (h-index 21; i10-index 30; Google Scholar analytics: Kiang publications) and serves on the editorial boards of a number of well-regarded journals. Dr. Kiang is also sought-after internationally by the pharmaceutical industry for his consulting expertise in drug kinetic modeling 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]

Examples of Distinctions and Awards:

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

International Committee, Curriculum Committee, Appeals Committee, Hiring Committee

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), 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/

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

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:

• 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.

• Kiang TK, Ranamukhaarachchi S, Ensom MH.  Revolutionizing therapeutic drug monitoring with the use of interstitial fluid and microneedles technology. Pharmaceutics. 2017;9:43. 

Editorial Board Memberships:

Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Springer/Nature

Clinical Drug Investigation, Springer/Adis

Drugs in R&D, Springer/Adis

European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Springer/Adis

Frontiers in Pharmacology (Associate Editor in Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology & Drug Metabolism and Transport) 

Pharmaceutics (Special Guest Editor)

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).

Principal Supervisor to Past and Current Research Trainees:

PhD thesis: 2 (one graduated; one in the current program)

MSc thesis: 2 (one graduated; one in the current program)

PharmD: 15

Post-doctoral fellow: 3 (one recently appointed as Assistant Professor in a Faculty of Pharmacy in Japan)

PGY1/PGY2 pharmacy residents: 8 (all currently practicing as clinical pharmacists or pharmacy specialists throughout Canada)

Research associate: 1 (pharmaceutical industry associate scientist in clinical pharmacology)

Courses:

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

Other announcements:

EXPH 2555 - Pharmacotherapy III

Learners will expand their knowledge and skills in order to provide care to various patient populations. Learners will engage in active learning and focus on using evidence, applying the biopsychosocial model, making decisions, monitoring outcomes, and adjusting drug therapy for complex patients. Prerequisite EXPH 2554

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.)

Browse more courses taught by Tony Kiang