It is our honor to announce this distinguished group of 2020 Scientific Achievement Award winners who are being recognized for their excellence in the pharmacology field.
The 2020 Scientific Achievement Award winners are listed below.
Division-Sponsored Scientific Achievement Awards are listed below:
John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology
Andrew Goodman, PhD
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. Andrew Goodman from Yale University the 2020 John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology. The Abel Award is named after the founder of ASPET. It was established in 1946 to stimulate fundamental research in pharmacology and experimental therapeutics by young investigators.
Dr. Goodman is receiving this award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the study of the impact of the microbiome on drug metabolism through the fearless use of cutting edge high throughput genetic and chemical methods. He was nominated by Dr. Namandjé Bumpus from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Goodman is the C.N.H. Long Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at Yale University. He received his BA degree in ecology from Princeton University, his PhD in microbiology from Harvard Medical School, and conducted postdoctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis. He started his own research group at Yale in 2011, where his lab combines microbial genetics, gnotobiotics, metabolomics, and pharmacokinetic modeling to understand microbiome-drug interactions. Dr. Goodman is innovative and fearless in his approach to science. By working between the fields of microbiology and pharmacology, the Goodman lab has developed new approaches to dissect the role of the microbiome in drug metabolism at the level of animal models, bacterial communities, species, enzymes, and drug metabolites.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
Dr. Goodman will deliver the John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology Lecture tentatively titled “Drug Metabolism by the Human Gut Microbiome" on Monday, April 6, 2020 from 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm.
Julius Axelrod Award in Pharmacology
P. Jeffrey Conn, PhD
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. P. Jeffrey Conn from the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery the 2020 Julius Axelrod Award in Pharmacology. The Axelrod Award was established in 1991 to honor the memory of the eminent American pharmacologist who shaped the fields of neuroscience, drug metabolism, and biochemistry and who served as a mentor for numerous eminent pharmacologists around the world.
Dr. Conn is receiving this award in recognition of his commitment to academic mentoring of trainees and his cutting-edge research in developing therapies for psychiatric diseases in an academic setting. He was nominated by Dr. Craig Lindsley, also from Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery.
Dr. Conn is the Lee E. Limbird Professor of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery. He received his PhD degree from Vanderbilt in 1986 and pursued postdoctoral studies at Yale University before joining the faculty at Emory University in 1988. Dr. Conn served as head of the Department of Neuroscience at Merck and Company, and then moved to Vanderbilt University where he founded the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, where he has advanced multiple drug candidates into development for neurological and psychiatric indications. His research is focused on understanding the pathophysiology changes that contribute to serious brain disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, depression, and using this understanding to develop novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of these devastating disorders. Dr. Conn served as Editor in Chief of Molecular Pharmacology and has been an ASPET member since 1992.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
Goodman and Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology
Terrence P. Kenakin, PhD
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. Terrence Kenakin from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the 2020 Goodman and Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology. The Louis S. Goodman and Alfred Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology was established in 1980 to recognize and stimulate outstanding research in pharmacology of biological receptors. Such research might provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of biological processes and potentially provide the basis for the discovery of drugs useful in the treatment of diseases.
Dr. Kenakin is receiving this award in recognition of his significant contributions to development of the field of quantitative receptor pharmacology, which has resulted in major impacts in basic science and drug discovery. He was nominated by Dr. Henrik G. Dohlman and Dr. Bryan Roth, both also from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Kenakin received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Alberta and pursued postdoctoral studies at University College in London. In 1978 he joined Burroughs Wellcome (later GlaxoSmithKline) before moving to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011, where he serves as a pharmacology professor in the School of Medicine. He has advanced receptor theory by applying mathematical models of drug-receptor interactions to generate a thermodynamically complete depiction of the cubic ternary complex model, including the first description of Protean agonism. He has contributed to education by authoring 12 books on pharmacology, including A Pharmacology Primer (Elsevier), now in its 5th edition. While at GSK he contributed to therapeutics, including the development of a novel allosteric HIV-1 entry inhibitor (aplaviroc). That effort grew out of his pioneering 1989 publication proposing a molecular mechanism for biased agonism and subsequent work delineating the theory and pharmacological relevance of receptor allosterism. Dr. Kenakin has been an ASPET member since 1983.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
Dr. Kenakin will deliver the Goodman and Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology Lecture titled “GPCRs as Pharmacology’s ‘Low Hanging Fruit’: A Perfect Storm in Pharmacology Leads to a Renaissance of Therapeutic Application for Nature’s Prototypic Allosteric Protein” on Sunday, April 5, 2020 from 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm.
Otto Krayer Award in Pharmacology
S.J. Enna, PhD, FASPET
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. S.J. Enna from the University of Kansas Medical Center the 2020 Otto Krayer Award in Pharmacology. The Krayer Award commemorates the enduring legacy of Otto Krayer's personal qualities: his ethical behavior, his commitment to teaching, his high standards of scientific scholarship, publication and editorship, his promotion of interdisciplinary research to reveal the actions of drugs or other chemicals, and his guidance and support of younger scientists.
Dr. Enna is being recognized for his outstanding scientific contributions to the field of GABA receptor pharmacology, his commitment to the mentorship of young scientists, and his leadership in advancing the discipline of pharmacology. He was nominated by Dr. Joseph Coyle from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
After a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Missouri, Dr. Enna completed postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, at F. Hoffmann La Roche in Basel, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Following a decade on the faculty at the University of Texas Medical School-Houston, he spent six years as Scientific Director of Nova Pharmaceuticals. He is now at the University of Kansas Medical School serving as the associate dean for research and graduate education, professor of physiology and pharmacology, and served for 12 years as chair of pharmacology. Dr. Enna is currently on the Executive Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) and served for four years as the IUPHAR president.
An ASPET member since 1977, he served ASPET in many roles after receiving the ASPET John J. Abel Award in 1980, most notably as ASPET president and as editor of The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He was named a fellow of ASPET in 2019.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
Pharmacia-ASPET Award for Experimental Therapeutics
Daniela Salvemini, PhD
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. Daniela Salvemini from Saint Louis University School of Medicine the 2020 Pharmacia-ASPET Award for Experimental Therapeutics. The Pharmacia-ASPET Award for Experimental Therapeutics recognizes and stimulates outstanding research in pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, basic laboratory or clinical research that has had, or potentially will have, a major impact on the pharmacological treatment of disease.
Dr. Salvemini is receiving this award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of the molecular and cellular basis of neuropathic pain. Her highly translational approach has resulted in the development of multiple novel therapies that have entered clinical trials. She was nominated by Dr. Kenneth Jacobson, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH.
Dr. Salvemini received her BSc in pharmacology from Kings College, London, her PhD in pharmacology from the University of London, and pursued postdoctoral studies at the William Harvey Research Institute in London and Monsanto in Saint Louis. After 15 years in industry, Dr. Salvemini moved to Saint Louis University, where she is professor and interim chair of the department of pharmacology and physiology, director of the Henry and Amelia Nasrallah Center for Neuroscience, fellow of the Saint Louis Academy of Science and fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. She is a founder of BioIntervene, which is developing A3 adenosine receptor agonists for neuropathic pain treatment. She has published over 190 peer-reviewed articles and over 30 book chapters and holds ten U.S. patents. Dr. Salvemini’s scientific innovations and discoveries have opened new research fields in the area of pain and inflammation and led to the development of novel medicines having potential to treat millions who are in desperate need. She has been an ASPET member since 1996.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
Robert R. Ruffolo Career Achievement Award in Pharmacology
Joan Heller Brown, PhD
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. Joan Heller Brown from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) the 2020 Robert R. Ruffolo Career Achievement Award in Pharmacology. This award was established in 2011 in recognition of the contributions made to drug discovery and development by Dr. Ruffolo. The award recognizes the scientific achievements of scientists who are at the height of their careers and who have made significant contributions to pharmacology.
Dr. Heller Brown is being recognized for her fundamental contributions to identification and understanding of G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction pathways and their roles in physiology and disease. She was nominated by Dr. Alan Saltiel from UCSD and Dr. Susan Band Horowitz from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Heller Brown graduated from Cornell University and obtained her PhD in pharmacology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her seminal early papers on GPCR signaling demonstrated that dopamine receptors are the target of antipsychotic drugs, that muscarinic receptors inhibit adenylate cyclase and that phospholipase C and CaM kinase II activation mediate cardiac hypertrophy. Her current work focuses on the role of RhoA signaling pathways in cancer and of CaMKII in cardiac inflammation and heart failure development. She has been consistently funded by NIH, published 250 scholarly articles, authored chapters in seven editions of Goodman and Gilman, and served as editor of Molecular Pharmacology. Dr. Heller Brown has been an ASPET member since 1978.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
E. Leong Way Emeritus Travel Award
Lynn Wecker, PhD, FASPET
ASPET is pleased to award Dr. Lynn Wecker from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine the 2020 E. Leong Way Emeritus Travel Award. This award provides financial support to defray the expenses for an ASPET emeritus member to attend the ASPET Annual Meeting at EB. The award honors Edward Leong Way (1916-2017), a former president of ASPET remembered for his contributions to drug metabolism research, opioid pharmacology, and a western understanding of Chinese traditional medicine, as well as the numerous scientists he mentored over 75 years of his professional life.
Dr. Wecker is being recognized for her strong contributions to ASPET including serving as president and creating the ASPET Mentoring Network, as well as her contributions to understanding the role of dietary choline in neurotransmission and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor pharmacology.
She received her PhD in pharmacology from the University of Florida and pursued postdoctoral studies at Vanderbilt University. She moved to the University of South Florida in 1990, where she served as chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics. When she retired in 2019, she was given the title of Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida. Dr. Wecker's research focused on the regulation of neuronal nicotinic receptors in the brain and demonstrated serine site-specific phosphorylation plays a role in receptor formation, maturation, and expression.
Dr. Wecker mentored many students, postdoctoral scientists and faculty throughout her career and was instrumental in creating and initiating the ASPET Mentoring Network. An ASPET member since 1980, she served ASPET in many roles, most notably as program committee chair, secretary/treasurer, and president. She was named a fellow of ASPET in 2019.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Business Meeting and Awards Presentation during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.
J.H. Woods Early Career Award in Behavioral Pharmacology
Susan K. Wood, PhD
The ASPET Division for Behavioral Pharmacology is pleased to award Dr. Susan Wood from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine the 2020 J.H. Woods Early Career Award in Behavioral Pharmacology. This award was established to recognize outstanding original research by early career investigators in the area of behavioral pharmacology.
Dr. Wood is being recognized for her innovative and interdisciplinary research program linking stress-related behavior and neuroinflammation to mood disorders and comorbid cardiovascular risk. She was nominated by Dr. Rita Valentino from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Dr. Wood is a tenured associate professor of pharmacology, physiology and neuroscience at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She completed her PhD in the department of pharmacology at the University of Michigan, under the guidance of Dr. James H. Woods. Her lab’s research program uses behavioral models to identify novel neurobiological substrates that underlie individual differences in susceptibility to stress-related disorders in both males and females. Given that stress exposure has been linked to diverse medical and psychiatric illnesses, her work has direct implications for public health and the development of personalized medicine for stress-related diseases. Additionally, her lab investigates how stress exposure can lead to comorbidity between psychiatric disorders and cardiovascular disease risk, focusing on how stress and therapeutics impact the whole organism. The ultimate goal of Dr. Wood’s research is to identify novel anxiolytic and antidepressant targets specific to stress-related disorders.
An ASPET member since 2005, she has been an active member of the Division for Behavioral Pharmacology most recently serving the division as secretary/treasurer. Additionally, she currently is an associate editor for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Division for Behavioral Pharmacology Annual Division Meeting during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Monday, April 6, 2020 from 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm.
P.B. Dews Lifetime Achievement Award for Research in Behavioral Pharmacology
Linda A. Dykstra, PhD
The ASPET Division for Behavioral Pharmacology is pleased to award Dr. Linda A. Dykstra from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the 2020 P.B. Dews Lifetime Achievement Award for Research in Behavioral Pharmacology. This award was established to recognize outstanding lifetime achievements in research, teaching, and professional service in the field of Behavioral Pharmacology and to honor Peter Dews for his seminal contributions to the development of behavioral pharmacology as a discipline.
Dr. Dykstra is being recognized for her innovative, outstanding lifetime achievements in behavioral pharmacology research and her strong commitment to the teaching and mentoring of younger scientists. She was nominated by Dr. Michael Nader from Wake Forest University.
Dr. Dykstra received her PhD in psychology/psychopharmacology from the University of Chicago and did postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina (UNC). She has remained at UNC her entire career where she served as dean of the graduate school and is currently the William Rand Kenan Jr Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology and a professor of psychology and pharmacology. Dr. Dykstra’s research focused on the behavioral effects of opioid analgesics, using a wide range of animal models including measures of antinociception, drug discrimination, schedule-controlled responding and conditioned place preference.
An ASPET member since 1978, she has served in leadership roles in the Division for Behavioral Pharmacology and the Division for Neuropharmacology.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Division for Behavioral Pharmacology Annual Division Meeting during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Monday, April 6, 2020 from 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm.
Dr. Dykstra will deliver the P.B. Dews Lifetime Achievement Award for Research in Behavioral Pharmacology Lecture tentatively titled “Dews ‘55: Lessons Learned; Insights Shared” also scheduled on Monday, April 6, 2020 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology Early Career Award
Sarah Lindsey, PhD
The ASPET Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology is pleased to award Dr. Sarah Lindsey from Tulane University the 2020 Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology Early Career Award. The award was established to recognize and honor individuals working in cardiovascular science.
Dr. Lindsey is being recognized for her fundamental contributions to our understanding of estrogen receptor pharmacology in the cardiovascular system.
Dr. Lindsey received her PhD in Pharmacology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and completed her postdoctoral training at the Hypertension & Vascular Research Center at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She currently is an Associate Professor with tenure and holds the Barbara S. Beckman Professorship in the Department of Pharmacology at Tulane University. She is also a faculty member in the Tulane Brain Institute, the Tulane Hypertension and Renal Center of Excellence, and the Tulane Department of Physiology.
An ASPET member since 2003, she has served ASPET in many roles, most recently on the program committee and as secretary/treasurer for the Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology.
The award will be presented at the Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology’s afternoon programming on Monday, April 6 during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA. Dr. Lindsey will give a talk tentatively titled "Eliciting Estrogen’s Protective Vascular Effects."
Paul M. Vanhoutte Distinguished Lectureship in Vascular Pharmacology
Jan Danser, PhD
The ASPET Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology is pleased to award Dr. Jan Danser from Erasmus Medical Center the 2020 Paul M. Vanhoutte Distinguished Lectureship in Vascular Pharmacology. This award was established to honor Dr. Vanhoutte’s lifelong scientific contributions to our better understanding and appreciation of the importance of endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle function in health and disease and for his mentoring of countless prominent endothelial and vascular biologists and pharmacologists.
Dr. Danser is being recognized for his seminal discoveries on the roles of prorenin/renin in vascular and cardiac pathophysiology, the targeting of this system by novel therapeutics, and his outstanding mentorship of young scientists. He was nominated by Dr. Rhian Touyz from the University of Glasgow.
Dr. Danser received his PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam and is currently a professor of pharmacology at the Erasmus Medical Center. As a cardiovascular pharmacologist, he has made seminal contributions in the field of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and its role in hypertension and heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. As a trainee of Prof. Vanhoutte, Dr. Danser developed an interest in vascular pharmacology and today he is a world-renowned vascular pharmacologist, conducting cutting edge, clinically relevant research. His research focuses on the local function of the RAS. He has also defined novel mechanisms of regulation of prorenin and it’s signaling and has identified new functions for prorenin as a regulator of cell metabolism. Many of Dr. Danser’s pre-clinical discoveries have impacted clinical research highlighting the translational relevance of his work.
The Paul M. Vanhoutte Distinguished Lectureship in Vascular Pharmacology and award presentation will be held on Monday, April 6, 2020 during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA. Dr. Danser will give a lecture tentatively titled ‘Angiotensinogen siRNA: A New Tool to Combat Hypertension.’”
Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development
Jonathan Baell, PhD
The ASPET Division for Drug Discovery and Development is pleased to award Dr. Jonathan Baell from Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University the 2020 Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development. This award was established to recognize outstanding investigators that have made significant contributions in drug discovery, translational, and/or drug development science.
Dr. Baell is being recognized for his sustained impact in the field of medicinal chemistry. His seminal work in design of electronic filters to identify “chemically nuisance” compounds (Pan Assay Interference Compounds or ‘PAINS’) substantially enables the curation of undevelopable NCE’s, benefiting both academic and industrial drug discovery. He was nominated by Dr. Arthur Christopoulos from Monash University.
Dr. Baell received his PhD from the University of Melbourne, Parkville. He currently is a Larkins Fellow, Director of the Australian Translational Medicinal Chemistry Facility, and Research Theme Leader of fragment library design for the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre at Monash University. A prestigious NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, his 2010 PAINS publication in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry has already been cited more than 1600 times. His concept of PAINS has changed the landscape of how drug discovery scientists view and treat assay-active compounds, influencing both ACS publishing policy and Global HTS library design.
This award will be presented at the Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development Lecture during the ASPET Annual Meeting at EB 2020 in San Diego, CA, on Monday, April 6, 2020 at 4:00 pm. Dr. Baell will give a lecture tentatively titled “Hypnos, Medussa and Shapeshifters: Whether from HTS or an in silico screen, whether a natural product or FDA-approved drug, is your bioactive compound really what you think it is?”
Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition
Kathleen M. Giacomini, PhD
The ASPET Division for Drug Metabolism and Disposition is pleased to award Dr. Kathleen M. Giacomini from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) the 2020 Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition . This award was established to honor the fundamental contributions of Bernard B. Brodie in the field of drug metabolism and disposition. It recognizes outstanding original research contributions in drug metabolism and disposition, particularly those having a major impact on future research in the field.
Dr. Giacomini is being recognized for her seminal contributions to the pharmacogenomics and characterization of drug transporters both in vitro and in vivo, as well as her collegial interactions through the NIH-funded Pharmacogenomics of Drug Transporters project and the co-founding of the International Transporter Consortium. She was nominated by her former graduate student, Dr. Joanne Wang from the University of Washington.
Dr. Giacomini received her PhD in pharmaceutics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. After postdoctoral training at Stanford University, she joined the faculty of Pharmacy at UCSF. She is currently professor of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and co-director of the UCSF-Stanford Center of Excellence in Regulatory Sciences and Innovation. Dr. Giacomini has made outstanding contributions to original research in membrane transporters, pharmacogenomics and regulatory sciences. Her laboratory first cloned and characterized several important human drug transporters and elucidated their roles in renal and hepatic drug disposition. She and her team discovered genetic variants in transporters associated with disposition and response to the anti-diabetic drug, metformin and the anti-gout medication, allopurinol.
Dr. Giacomini has been an ASPET member since 1988 and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.
This award will be presented at the Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition Lecture during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:00 pm. Immediately afterwards, Dr. Giacomini will deliver the Brodie Award Lecture tentatively titled “The Human Solute Carrier Superfamily: What have we learned from genetic variation?”
James R. Gillette Awards from the Division for Drug Metabolism and Disposition
The James R. Gillette Awards are presented each year by the ASPET Division for Drug Metabolism and Disposition for two outstanding papers published in the previous year’s Drug Metabolism and Disposition.
The award recipient in the Pharmacokinetics/Drug Transporters category for 2019 is Takeshi Miyake from the University of Tokyo for the paper titled "Elucidation of N1-methyladenosine as a Potential Surrogate Biomarker for Drug Interaction Studies Involving Renal Organic Cation Transporters."
The award recipient in the Drug Metabolism category for 2019 is Drew R. Neavin for the paper titled "Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms at a Distance from Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) Binding Sites Influence AHR Ligand–Dependent Gene Expression." Dr. Neavin was with the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, when the paper was written. She is now with the Single Cell and Computational Genomics Lab at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
The Gillette awards and short talks based on the papers will be presented at the Division for Drug Metabolism and Disposition Gillette Awards and Junior Investigator Platform Session during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
Division for Pharmacology Education – Pharmacology Educators Travel Awards
Khalil Eldeeb, MD, MSc, PhD
Stanley V. Smith, PhD
Rupa Lalchandani Tuan, PhD
The ASPET Division for Pharmacology Education is pleased to award their 2020 Pharmacology Educator Travel Awards to Drs. Khalil Eldeeb from Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM), Stanley Smith from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Rupa Tuan from the University of California, San Francisco.
The primary goal of these travel awards is to promote participation in the ASPET Annual Meeting by pharmacology educators and to foster career development in pharmacology education. All recipients will attend the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020, April 4-7 in San Diego, CA.
Dr. Eldeeb received his medical degree and his MS in pharmacology from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He earned his PhD in pharmacology at the University of Nottingham, UK. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Wake Forest University School of Medicine among the first cohort of the Postdoctoral Research, Instruction, and Mentoring Experience (PRIME) scholarship. He is currently an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM).
Dr. Eldeeb was selected due to his pharmacology educational innovations, his clear dedication to teaching, and promise for pharmacology educational scholarship as evidenced by the quality of his submitted educational abstract.
Dr. Smith earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). After several NIH fellowships, he returned to UMMC where he currently is an associate professor of pharmacology and course director of medical pharmacology, dental pharmacology, and fundamental pharmacology. He was elected to the Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence and was twice named M-2 All-Star Professor by the Evers Society, a student-based organization that recognizes excellent educators. Dr. Smith is most proud of the Department of the Year Award given to his department for the first time in over a decade by the Evers Society. He would like to dedicate the award to his mentor, the late Dr. Robert B. Koch, Professor of Biochemistry.
Dr. Smith was selected for the senior educator award due to his lifelong commitment and leadership in pharmacology education as well as his dedication to students. The committee also recognized his years of mentorship to diverse junior colleagues and his contributions to educational scholarship as evidenced by the quality of his submitted educational abstract.
Dr. Tuan received a BS in psychobiology and a minor in education studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned a PhD in physiology and pharmacology from Georgetown University and then moved to Stanford University as a Neurosciences Institute interdisciplinary postdoctoral scholar. She taught in the undergraduate, graduate, and medical schools at Georgetown, George Mason University, Notre Dame de Namur University and online through Georgetown’s Online Master of Science in Nursing Program. Her current position at the University of California, San Francisco is fully dedicated to teaching and coordinating pharmacology in the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry.
Dr. Tuan was selected due to her pharmacology educational innovations, her clear dedication to teaching, and her promise for pharmacology educational scholarship as evidenced by the quality of her submitted educational abstract.
The awards will be presented at the ASPET Division for Pharmacology Education’s Annual Division Meeting during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm.
Division for Molecular Pharmacology – Early Career Award
Chia-Hsin (Lori) Chan, PhD
The ASPET Division for Molecular Pharmacology is pleased to award Dr. Chia-Hsin (Lori) Chan from Stony Brook University the division’s 2020 Molecular Pharmacology Early Career Award. The award was established this year to recognize scholarly achievements of junior investigators early in their independent careers. Dr. Chan was nominated by Dr. Stella Tsirka also from Stony Brook University.
Dr. Chan is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University. She earned her PhD at National Taiwan University, then undertook postdoctoral studies at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Her lab is studying how cancer cells evolve to escape the attack of conventional cancer therapies, and how these drug-resistant cancer cells spread and metastasize to other parts of the human body. She focuses on delineating the roles of cancer-associated ubiquitin ligases in cancer stem cell regulation, metabolic reprogramming, and immune responses. Dr. Chan has made numerous original findings, many of which were published in high-profile journals. Her work has led to an US patent for novel anti-cancer therapeutics. She has been an ASPET member since 2014.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Division for Molecular Pharmacology mixer during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the San Diego Marriott Marquis.
Division for Neuropharmacology Early Career Award
Erin S. Calipari, PhD
The ASPET Division for Neuropharmacology is pleased to award Dr. Erin Calipari from Vanderbilt University the 2020 Division for Neuropharmacology Early Career Award. The annual award honors a young independent investigator working in neuropharmacology.
Dr. Calipari is being recognized for her innovative and collaborative approaches to research and mentoring that balances use of technology with deep background knowledge to ask and answer questions related to the basic mechanisms of learning, memory, reward processing and motivation, and their dysregulation by disease. She was nominated by Dr. Sara Jones from Wake Forest School of Medicine.
Dr. Calipari earned a PhD in neuroscience from Wake Forest School of Medicine and was a postdoctoral fellow at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She currently is an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the department of pharmacology, the department of molecular physiology and biophysics, and the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the medical center. The work in Dr. Calipari’s lab is multidisciplinary and uses cutting edge techniques to outline the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that underlie both adaptive and maladaptive processes in reward, motivation, and associative learning. She has been an ASPET member since 2012
The award will be presented at the Division for Neuropharmacology Early Career Award Lecture and Postdoctoral Fellow Showcase at the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Dr. Calipari will give a lecture tentatively titled “Divergent Molecular Adaptations in the Striatum Control the Transition to Addiction in Males and Females.”
Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology – Early Career Awards
Christian A. Fernandez, PhD
Blythe D. Shepard, PhD
The ASPET Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology is pleased to award their 2020 Early Career Awards to Drs. Christian Fernandez from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and Blythe Shepard from Georgetown University. These awards recognize excellence in translational and clinical pharmacology research that comes from early career scientists.
Dr. Fernandez is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a member of the Center for Pharmacogenetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He received his PhD from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, and he completed his postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The research in his laboratory focuses on the pharmacogenomics of adverse drug reactions of agents used in the treatment of leukemia. The overarching goal of his studies is to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of common drug-mediated toxicities that lead to poor treatment outcome by integrating genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and experimental validations using genetic and pharmacological models. The studies in the Fernandez lab are clinically relevant, highly translational, and aim to improve leukemia survival by mitigating toxicities and ensuring that patients can benefit from the therapeutic effect of modern combination chemotherapy. Dr. Fernandez award talk is titled “The pharmacogenomics of asparaginase-mediated toxicities in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients.”
Dr. Shepard is an assistant professor at Georgetown University. She received a PhD in cellular and microbial biology from The Catholic University of America and did a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her predoctoral studies in hepatic protein trafficking and her postdoctoral studies in sensory receptor biology and renal physiology have framed the research interests of the Shepard Laboratory. Dr. Shepard’s laboratory is focused on the functional roles of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in both the kidney and liver. She determined that one such receptor, Olfr1393, is expressed in the renal proximal tubule where it contributes to glucose handling in health and disease (type I and type II diabetes). She has also identified a number of understudied sensory receptors including olfactory, taste, and orphan GPCRs in the liver. Efforts are currently underway to determine their ligand profiles and localization. The ultimate goal of Dr. Shepard’s laboratory is to uncover novel functions for this highly druggable class of receptors in order advance our understanding of physiology and facilitate drug discovery. Dr. Shepard’s award talk is titled “Orphan sensory receptors are expressed in hepatocytes.”
The awards will be presented at the Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology’s Platform Session and Early Career Faculty Showcase during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Monday, April 6, 2020 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Both awardees will give a lecture.
Division for Toxicology Career Award
Bryan K. Yamamoto, PhD
The ASPET Division for Toxicology is pleased to award Dr. Bryan K. Yamamoto from Indiana University the 2020 ASPET Division for Toxicology Career Award. The award was established to recognize outstanding original research contributions to toxicology by an established investigator.
Dr. Yamamoto is being recognized for his long-standing contributions to the field of toxicology and his service to ASPET. He was nominated by Dr. Branden Stansley from Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Yamamoto received his PhD in neurobiology from Syracuse University and was a postdoctoral fellow in clinical pharmacology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He currently is the chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Robert B. Forney Professor of Toxicology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Research in the Yamamoto laboratory has focused on how drugs of abuse affect the neurochemistry of brain. He has studied how amphetamines and their interaction with stress alter brain function and produce damage to regions of the brain that are critically involved in controlling movement and memory processes. More specifically, he is interested in how oxidative, mitochondrial, inflammatory, and excitatory processes converge to damage the dopamine and serotonin systems in the brain and how antagonism of these processes mitigates their neurodegenerative effects. He has been the primary mentor of more than 35 PhD graduate students and postdocs.
He has been an ASPET member since 1998 and serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Division for Toxicology’s mixer during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm.
Division for Toxicology Early Career Award
Merrie Mosedale, PhD
The ASPET Division for Toxicology is pleased to award Dr. Merrie Mosedale from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy the 2020 Division for Toxicology Early Career Award. The award was established to recognize excellent original research by early career investigators in toxicology.
Dr. Mosedale is being recognized for her excellent achievements in toxicology. She was nominated by Dr. Paul Watkins from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Mosedale received her PhD in biomedical sciences (molecular pharmacology) from the University of California, San Diego and conducted postdoctoral research at the Hammer Institutes for Health Sciences. Since establishing her own research program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Dr. Mosedale has pioneered the use of the Collaborative Cross mouse genetic reference population to identify risk factors and mechanisms associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in humans. She was also the first to demonstrate that hepatocyte-derived exosome number and content changes in response to idiosyncratic DILI drugs prior to overt necrosis and suggest this contributes to an adaptive immune attack. Her work has led to a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of DILI as well as several nonclinical approaches that may allow for the accurate prediction of idiosyncratic DILI liability for new chemical entities. She has been a member of ASPET since 2008.
The award will be presented at the ASPET Division for Toxicology’s mixer during the ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2020 in San Diego, CA on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm.