Meaningful Mentoring

Trivedi Earns Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association's 2025 Mentorship Award

April 21 — With a mentoring philosophy centered around individualization, setting high standards, and empathy, Meghana Trivedi, Pharm.D. ('03), Ph.D. ('04), BCOP, is no stranger to guiding and supporting her mentees' holistic growth and success. For her efforts inspiring the future of pharmacy and cancer research, Trivedi was honored with the 2025 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Mentorship Award at the 2025 HOPA Annual Conference April 9-12 in Portland, Ore.

The award recognizes a HOPA member who has demonstrated outstanding mentorship by dedicating time, knowledge, and energy for the purposes of guiding, nurturing, and supporting mentees.

Since her faculty appointment in 2010, Trivedi has mentored three junior faculty members; four postdoctoral fellows; 15 Ph.D. students; three Pharm.D. residents; 43 Pharm.D. students; two M.D. students; 12 undergraduate students; and two high school students in clinical and translational cancer research.

Of these 82 mentees, 58 have been first or contributing authors in full-text peer-reviewed manuscripts. The majority of them also have made oral and/or poster presentations as presenting authors at national/international conferences of such organizations as HOPA, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

"Dr. Trivedi’s track record emphasizes how she prepares her mentees for professional success," said colleague and award nominator Onyebuchi Ononogbu, Pharm.D., MPH, BCOP. "New mentees seek her guidance and are always eager to join her research group."

In addition to the 43 Pharm.D. students involved in cancer research, Trivedi has served as a clinical experiential preceptor for 24 students on their Oncology Elective rotation, two students on Clinical Pharmaceutical Research rotation, and five students on Academic Scholarship rotation.

Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense, and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, allowing funded cancer research training for her mentees.

In addition, Trivedi has a keen interest in cultivating an interest in research early in students' academic journey. With support from a Cougar Initiative to Engage grant from the UH Office of the Provost in 2022, Trivedi led the one-year "Cougars in Cancer Research" program to enhance UH undergraduate students' cancer research experience with hands-on laboratory work and professional development.

Trivedi was also tasked with heading the Cancer Research Education Program under the Alliance for Cancer Drug Discovery/Development and Education, a National Cancer Institute-funded collaboration between UHCOP and the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Over the alliance's four years, nearly 200 undergraduates received experiential training and mentorship toward careers in cancer research.

"Dr. Trivedi introduces concepts with logical explanations, ignites mentees' interests in the subject and cultivates appreciation of the value of knowledge gained through research," Ononogbu said. "She promotes active learning to empower her mentees to think critically and apply and test what they have learned."

Trivedi also developed a new Integrated Hematology-Oncology Module for the Pharm.D. curriculum, for which she serves as a coordinator and a lecturer. She teaches 10 out of 39 lectures in this module and attends every lecture to ensure effective delivery of the material to Pharm.D. students. She also develops, revises content in and facilitates the Pharm.D. program's Oncology Module Related Skills Lab.

Trivedi was the 2016 recipient of HOPA’s Basic Science and Clinical Research Literature Award for her published study on a novel metastasis model using xenograft-bearing mice. In 2023, Trivedi earned the UH Undergraduate Mentor Award.

In addition to being a professor in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research and Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trivedi serves as director of clinical and translational research at UHCOP. Additionally, she holds an adjunct faculty appointment at Baylor.

Trivedi credits her lifelong mentor, mother Kokila Trivedi, with instilling in her the values of determination, focus and perseverance.

"From an early age, my mother taught me that success is not solely about talent, but about the grit and resilience to keep moving forward despite challenges," Trivedi said.

Trivedi has been guided by many individuals throughout her academic and professional journey, including cancer research mentor Rachel Schiff, Ph.D., at Baylor.

"She has taught me to critically evaluate data, challenge assumptions, always strive for rigor in scientific inquiry, and emphasize quality over quantity," Trivedi said. "Her mentorship has refined my approach to research, shaping my understanding of what truly constitutes impactful work in the field of cancer research."

Additionally, Trivedi has found an invaluable academic mentor at UHCOP who inspires her approach.

"I greatly admire Dr. Diana Chow’s kindness, patience, and the personal attention she devotes to each of her mentees," Trivedi said of Chow, who was recognized with the Outstanding Mentor Award from UH in 2021 and the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools in 2022. "Her genuine care for our growth—both academically and personally—has made a profound impact on me, and her approach to mentorship has become a model for how I hope to support and guide others."

— Kristin Marie Mitchener