Jake J. Thiessen, PhD Hallman Director, School of Pharmacy University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Jake Thiessen received his B.Sc. (Pharm) degree from the University of Manitoba in 1965. He went on to complete a Master’s of Science, and then moved to the
University of California at San Francisco for his Ph.D. work in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. His academic specializations were bio-pharmaceutics and
pharmacokinetics, particularly focused on drug-drug interactions. While in Manitoba he also completed a certificate in education and worked as a community pharmacist.
Dr. Thiessen joined the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto in 1973 as
an assistant professor. He taught pharmacokinetics at the undergraduate and graduate levels there for 32 years, eventually moving into the role of associate dean.
In the fall of 2004, he was invited to become the founding director of the new University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
Dr. Thiessen’s research interests include: the placental transfer of model drugs; the
pharmacokinetics of drugs in patients with cystic fibrosis; the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cancer chemotherapeutic agents; and the kinetics and response of iron chelator compounds.
A passionately committed educator, Dr. Thiessen has six times been named the
Teacher of the Year by the University of Toronto Undergraduate Pharmaceutical Society. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles, books, and book chapters,
and is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences. Dr. Thiessen is also deeply interested in international work, and has taken assignments
with the Canadian International Development Agency to teach in Barbados and Jamaica, as well serving as a visiting professor at the University of Khartoum, Sudan.
Dr. Thiessen has served on countless university, provincial and national committees,
teams and task forces. He was involved with the strategic planning, awards and continuing education committees for the Faculty of Pharmacy at U of T, as well as chairing the pharmacy users committee for the construction of the new Leslie Dan
building. He has chaired the Ontario Ministry of Health Drug Quality and Therapeutics Committee and was appointed to the Pharmaceutical Inquiry of Ontario.
Most recently, he has chaired the Health Canada Scientific Advisory Committee on Bioavailability and Bioequivalence, and served as President and Past-President of the
Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs.
Dr. Thiessen has served as a consultant to numerous manufacturers in the pharmaceutical sector as well as clinical research organizations, governments, and
As Hallman Director for the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Dr. Thiessen is working with a small team to develop a co-op undergraduate program, recruit
faculty members, build professional associations, design the new Pharmacy facility, and ensure a successful launch for during the 2007-2008 academic year.
JJ Thiessen Abbrev. Acad. Overview, 2006
As a summary of his tenure at the University of Toronto, Dr. Thiessen has supervised numerous graduate students. A brief overview of his scholarly activities since 2004
is presented below: 1. Publications:
• Jake J. Thiessen: Chapter 8: Bioavailability and Bioequivalence. In The
IUPHAR Compendium of Basic Principles for Pharmacological Research in
Humans. (Ed's P. du Souich, M. Orme and S. Erill) IUPHAR (2004), 55-66.
• JD Parker and JJ Thiessen: Increased endothelin-1 production in patients
with chronic heart failure. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 286: H1141-
• SES Miner, A Al-Hesayen, S Kelly, T Benson, JJ Thiessen, VR Young, JD Parker:
L-arginine transport in the human coronary and peripheral circulation. Circulation 109: 1278-1283 (2004).
• P Benninger, A Cooper, R Moisan, P Patel, A Elvin and JJ Thiessen: A
comparative clarithromycin bioavailability study: Determination of
clarithromycin and 14-(R)-hydroxyclarithromycin under fasting and fed conditions. Int. J. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 42: 342-349 (2004)
• J Kankesan, R Vanama, JJ Thiessen, V Ling, PM Rao, S Rajalakshmi, DSR
Sarma: Effect of PSC 833, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein on N-methyl-N-nitrosourea induced mammary carcinogeneis in rats. Carcinogenesis 25: 425-
• J Novakovic, A Tesoro, J Thiessen and M Spino: Metabolic and
pharmacokinetic evaluation of a novel 3-hydroxypyridinone iron chelator, CP502, in the rat. Europ. J. Drug Metab. Pharmacokin. 29: 221-224(2004).
• JJ Thiessen: Commentary: Bioequivalence, interchangeability and perceptions.
• J Novakovic, J Wodzinska, A Tesoro, JJ Thiessen, M Spino: Pharmacokinetic
studies of a novel 1,2,4-thiadiazole derivative, inhibitor of factor XIIIa, in the rabbit by a validated HPLC method. J. Pharm. Biomed Anal. 38: 293-297
• J Novakovic, A Tesoro, JJ Thiessen, M Spino: Validated HPLC assay for iron
determination in biological matrices based on ferrioxamine formation. J. Chromatrogr. B. Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical & Life Sciences 823:
• X-P Huang, M Spino, JJ Thiessen: Transport kinetics of iron chelators and
their chelates in Caco-2 cells. Pharm. Res. 23: 280-290 (2006).
2. Publications in press or in progress:
• J Kankesan, E Laconi, A Medline, JJ Thiessen, V Ling, PM Rao, S Rajalakshmi,
DSR Sarma: PSC 833, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein inhibits 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced colorectal carcinogenesis in male Fischer F344 rats.
• D Whiteside, et al: Pharmacokinetic disposition of the oral iron chelator
deferiprone in the white leghorn chicken (Gallus Forma Domestica). J Avian
• D Whiteside, et al: Pharmacokinetic disposition of the oral iron chelator
deferiprone in the domestic pigeon (Columba Livia). J Avian Med. Surg.
• LCT Fung, JJ Thiessen, MW Mittelman and AE Khoury: The pharmacokinetics
of intravesically administered gentamicin. J. Urology
JJ Thiessen Abbrev. Acad. Overview, 2006
• M Michael, MJ Moore, P Firby, JJ Thiessen: A pharmacodynamic model to
assess the indirect pharmacological response of 9-amino campothecin given
by a 24 hour infusion once weekly. Can. J. Pharm. Sci.
• L Meadwell, P Patel, P Benninger, R Moisan, J Letteri, M Elkashab, JJ Thiessen:
A non-randomized study to evaluate the effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of faropenem daloxate. J. Clin. Pharmacol.
• GOA Naik, MJ Moore, CR Erlichman, JJ Thiessen: An enigma of Valspodar
(PSC 833) effect on doxorubicin distribution: The implied need for a paradigm
• J Kankesan, JJ Thiessen, V Ling, PM Rao, S Rajalakshmi, D.S.R. Sarma:
PSC833, a potent inhibitor of p-glycoprotein, induces cell cycle arrest
associated with elevated ceramide levels and p21 (WAF1) expression in HepG2 human hepatocellular cells in vitro. Cancer Res.
• X-P Huang, JJ Thiessen, M Spino, DM Templeton: Transport of iron chelators
and chelates across MDCK cell monolayers: Implications for iron excretion
3. Scientific abstracts: 2004 a) 95th AACR, Orlando, March 2004 - J Kankesan, JJ Thiessen, V Ling, S
Rajalakshmi, DSR Sarma: Induction of ceramide and p21 (WAF-1)
associated with PSC 833-mediated growth arrest of HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
b) AAPS, Baltimore, November 2004 - A Cooper, P Benninger, P Patel, R Moisan, and JJ Thiessen: Developing an Unambiguous Validated Method for Clarithromycin and its 14-(R)-Hydroxyclarithromycin metabolite in
c) AAPS, Baltimore, November 2004 - A Cooper, P Benninger, P Patel, R
Moisan, and JJ Thiessen: A Comparative Clarithromycin Bioavailability Study: Determination of Clarithromycin and 14-(R)-
Hydroxyclarithromycin under Fasting and Fed Conditions.
d) AAPS, Baltimore, November 2004 - J Novakovic, A Tesoro, JJ Thiessen,
M Spino, R Sandhu, J Connelly: Efficacy of Deferiprone Plus Desferrioxamine in an Iron-Loaded Rat Model.
e) AAPS, Baltimore, November 2004 - R Moisan, Y Liu, P Benninger, D
Patel, P Patel, and JJ Thiessen: Clinical Equivalence of Topical Nasal Products: What Will Follow the Draft FDA Guidance?
2005 a) 96th AACR, Anaheim, April 2005 - J Kankesan, A Medline, JJ Thiessen,
V Ling, PM Rao, S Rajalakshmi, DSR Sarma: PSC 833, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, inhibits 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced colorectal
carcinogenesis in male Fischer 344 rats.
b) CSPS, Toronto, May 2005 - J Novakovic, A Tesoro, JJ Thiessen, M Spino,
R Sandhu, J Connelly: Hepatic iron removal by deferiprone and
c) BIOIRON, Prague May 2005 - J Novakovic, A Tesoro, JJ Thiessen, J
Connelly, M Spino: Characterization of non-clinical models of iron overload.
d) 53rd ASMS Conference, San Antonio 2005 - M Deng, AA Cooper, JJ
Thiessen: Developing a validated high sensitivity method for quantitation of fluticasone proprionate in human plasma by heated nebulizer.
JJ Thiessen Abbrev. Acad. Overview, 2006
e) AAPS, 2005 - J Novakovic, A Tesoro, JJ Thiessen, M Spino, J Connelly: Experimental Iron loading of rats tissues and its removal by chelation.
f) AAPS, 2005 - S Bojja, L Zhu, Z Zhang, A Cooper, JJ Thiessen: A validated method for quantitation of glyburide and metformin in human
plasma by protein precipitation and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
2006 a) 54th ASMS Conference, Seattle 2006 – L Zhu, N Wang, A Cooper, JJ
Thiessen: Solving the Plasma Mycophenolic Acid Analytical Challenges: A Validated Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry Quantitation Method.
b) 54th ASMS Conference, Seattle 2006 – M Deng, H Wan, A Cooper, JJ Thiessen: A Novel APCI LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of
c) AAAAI Annual Meeting, Miami Beach 2006 - P Patel, P Benninger, A
Cooper, R Moisan, JJ Thiessen: Testing a Direct, Highly Sensitivity Method For Quantitation Of Fluticasone Propionate In Human Plasma: Contrasting
JJ Thiessen Abbrev. Acad. Overview, 2006
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