AAPS Announces 2009 Research Award Winners

Grantees Honored as Pharmaceutical Science’s Finest

At the Opening Session of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists’ (AAPS) 2009 Annual Meeting and Exposition, AAPS President Patrick P. DeLuca, Ph.D. presented the following ground-breaking researchers with awards commemorating their contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences:

AAPS Distinguished Pharmaceutical Scientist Award – Sponsored by AstraZeneca
Michael J. Pikal, Ph.D., is Professor and Distinguished Chair in Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Connecticut. His current research activities include the solid state chemistry of pharmaceuticals, particularly the stability of amorphous materials, characterization of solids by calorimetry, and the science and technology of freeze drying with a focus on optimization of formulation and process for labile proteins. He is an AAPS Fellow, and received the AAPS Research Achievement Award in Pharmaceutical Technologies in 2001, and the Criofarma award in Freeze Drying in 2006.

AAPS Research Achievement Award in Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Research - Sponsored by Cetero Research
Mark J. Ratain, Ph.D., is Leon O. Jacobson Professor of Medicine, Chairman of the Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, and Associate Director for Clinical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, at The University of Chicago. Dr. Ratain’s research focuses on the development of new oncology drugs and diagnostics, and he is an international leader in Phase I clinical trials, pharmacogenetics, and clinical trial methodology.

David J. W. Grant Research Award in Physical Pharmacy - Sponsored by Abbott
Stephen R. Byrn, Ph.D., is Charles B. Jordan Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy at Purdue University, as well as Chief Science Officer and President of Improved Pharma, a company dedicated to accelerating drugs to Proof of Concept. He has received several awards for his research and entrepreneurial activities, and is an AAPS Fellow. He founded Purdue’s graduate programs in regulatory and quality compliance, he co-founded the Purdue-Kilimanjaro School of Pharmacy graduate certificate program in industrial pharmacy and manufacturing in Moshi, Tanzania, co-founded SSCI, Inc. (Solid State Chemical Information), a cGMP research and information company, and is technical founder of Andara, now owned by Neurometrix, Inc.

AAPS Research Achievement Award in Manufacturing, Science and Engineering – Sponsored by Pfizer
Dale Eric Wurster, Ph.D. has been on the faculty at the University of Iowa since 1982, and has been the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Iowa Graduate College since 2002. He is an AAPS Fellow whose research interests include: adsorption-desorption thermodynamics, determination of adsorbent surface composition, isoperibol and isothermal solution calorimetry, and compression calorimetry. He is the author and co-author of over 170 peer-reviewed abstracts and research articles, and he has served as major professor for 27 Ph.D. graduates.

Dr. Rainer Hoffman Product through Science Award – Sponsored by Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AG
Eugene R. Cooper, Ph.D. has spent more than a decade at Procter and Gamble conducting research on the delivery of chemicals and drugs into and across the skin. He developed an understanding of the pathways for skin transport, a unique (and safe) enhancer system for rendering skin more permeable, a model for predicting maximum skin transport based on molecular properties, and he established the thermodynamic principles for guaranteeing maximum delivery of drugs across the skin. In 1994, Dr. Cooper was asked to lead the research and development for a new venture, NanoSystems, to develop and commercialize the nanotechnology, which is currently employed in a number of important drug products.

New Investigator Grant Award in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technologies – Sponsored by Pfizer
Yoon Yeo, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy at Purdue University. Her research focuses on the development of novel dosage forms and biocompatible materials for delivery of macromolecular therapeutics. Her group develops polymeric nanoparticles for intracellular drug/gene delivery, inhalable microparticles for local therapy of pulmonary diseases, and in-situ crosslinkable hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. She has published 30 peer-reviewed articles, four book chapters, and six U.S. patents (pending and awarded).

AAPS New Investigator Grant in Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Drug Metabolism - Sponsored by Biogen Idec
Swati Nagar, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor at Temple University. Her research focuses predominantly on Phase II xenobiotic conjugation; colorectal cancer chemoprevention is a key research area in her lab. She is also interested in metabolic drug-drug interactions in gastroparesis patients. Her lab evaluates interactions among co-administered drugs in patients with diabetic as well as non-diabetic gastroparesis.

Additional Researchers to be Recognized by AAPS

AAPS Lipid-based Drug Delivery Outstanding Research Award – Sponsored by Gattefossé

• Christopher J.H. Porter, Ph.D., Monash University

AAPS Journal Manuscript Award – Sponsored Hoffman LaRoche Inc.

• Vladimir P. Torchilin, Ph.D., Northeastern University

AAPS Pharmaceutical Research Meritorious Manuscript Award – Sponsored by Pfizer

• Gary M. Pollack, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• J. Cory Kalvass, Abbott Laboratories

AAPS Outstanding Manuscript Award in Analysis and Pharmaceutical Quality – Sponsored by the AAPS Analysis and Pharmaceutical Quality Section

• Kyung H. Gahm, Ph.D., Amgen
• Helming Tan, M.Sc., Amgen
• Jodi Liu, M.Sc., Amgen
• Wesley Barnhart, M.Sc., Amgen
• John Eschelbach, Ph.D., Amgen
• Steve Notari, M.Sc. Amgen
• Samuel Thomas, M.Sc., Amgen
• David Semin, Ph.D., Amgen
• Janet Cheetham, Ph.D., Amgen

AAPS Outstanding Manuscript Award in Modeling and Simulation – Sponsored by Projections Research

• Dhaval K. Shah, B.Pharma, M.S. (University of Buffalo, The State University of New York [SUNY])
• Beom Soo Shin, Ph.D. (Catholic University of Daego)
• Jean Veith, (Roswell Park Cancer Institute)
• Karoly Toth, Ph.D. (Roswell Park Cancer Institute)
• Ralph J. Bernacki, Ph.D. (Roswell Park Cancer Institute)
• Joseph P. Balthasar, Ph.D. (University of Buffalo, SUNY)

AAPS Postdoctoral Fellow Award – Sponsored by FMC Corp.

• Chandrasekar Durairaj, Ph.D., University of Colorado
• Christina Kriegel, Ph.D., Northeastern University

About AAPS
The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a professional, scientific society of approximately 12,000 members employed in academia, industry, government and other research institutes worldwide. Founded in 1986, AAPS provides a dynamic international forum for the exchange of knowledge among scientists to enhance their contributions to health. AAPS offers timely scientific programs, on-going education, information resources, and opportunities for networking and professional development. To learn more about AAPS, please visit aapspharmaceutica.com