Dr. Melanie Felmlee, PhD, joined Manchester University in July 2025 as Director of Pharmacogenomics and Professor of Pharmaceutical Science and Pharmacogenomics. Prior to this position she spent 10 years as a faculty member in the School of Pharmacy at University of the Pacific in California, where she served as an Associate Professor and Director of the PrePharmacy Advantage Program. She is originally from Mississauga, Ontario in Canada and completed her BSc in Biomedical Toxicology from the University of Guelph and MSc in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan. She obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University at Buffalo in 2011 with a focus in pharmacokinetics and drug transport. Dr. Felmlee’s research interests are in the areas of drug transport, pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics. Her current work is focused on investigating the role of biological sex and sex hormones on transporter expression and regulation, and the resulting functional changes in drug pharmacokinetics and toxicity. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children on their farm. She loves to grow food in her garden, and breed and show dairy goats with her kids.

Specialties and Research Interests:
– Pharmacogenomics
– Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics
– Drug Transporters

Education:
– B.Sc. (Biomedical Toxicology), University of Guelph (2001)
– M.Sc. (Pharmacy), University of Saskatchewan (2005)
– Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences), University at Buffalo (2011)

Notable Work:
– Lee A, Zhang Q, Wei H, Felmlee MA. “Effect of sex and cross-sex hormone treatment on renal MCT/SMCT expression following prepuertal gonadectomy.” Pharmaceutics. 2025 Feb 14; 17(2):252.
– Aldawod H, Patel AD, Emara R, Liang D, Ho JS, Amin TU, Tuhin MTH, Balgoname A, Kiani A, Ajlouny JM, Felmlee MA, Park MS, Jasti BR, Chan WK, Uchizono JA, Alhamadsheh MM. “Development and preclinical testing of a naloxone prodrug depot for extended protection again opioid overdose.” Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 23;16(1):686.
– Zhang Q, Wei H, Lee A, Felmlee MA. “Sex and cross-sex testosterone treatment alters GHB toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics in rats.” Pharmaceutics. 2024 Jan 21;16(1):143.
– Wei H, Cao J, Fallert T, Yeo S, Felmlee MA. “GHB toxicokinetics and renal monocarboxylate transporter expression are influenced by the estrus cycle in rats.” BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2023 Nov 2;24(1):58.
– Wei H, Lee A, Zhang Q, Felmlee MA. “Effect of sex and cross-sex hormone treatment on renal monocarboxylate-transporter expression in rats.” Pharmaceutics. 2023 Sept 29;15(10):2404.
– Tuhin MTH, Liang D, Liu F, Aldawod H, Amin TU, Ho JS, Emara R, Patel AD, Felmlee MA, Park MS, Uchizono JA, Alhamadsheh MM. “Peripherally restricted transthyretin-based delivery system for probes and therapeutics avoiding opioid-related side effects.” Nat Commun. 2022 Jun 23;13(1):3590.
– Felmlee MA, Morse BL, Morris ME. “γ-hydrobutyric acid: Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicology.” AAPS J. 2021; 23(1):22.
– Felmlee MA, Jones RS, Rodriquez-Cruz V, Follman KE, Morris ME. “Monocarboxylate Transporters (SLC16A): Function, Regulation, and Role in Health and Disease.” Pharmacol Rev. 2020; 72:466-485.

Honors and Awards:
– Graduate Advisor of the Year – Fall 2021