AMSPC News

In Memoriam: Richard Eisenberg

Karen Gottlieb — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:34:10 GMT

Richard Eisenberg (1942-2025)

Richard Eisenberg, a foundational figure at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Medical School, passed away. He was one of ten founding faculty members and served as the head of the Department of Pharmacology for 29 years. A pioneer in educational technology, Eisenberg developed educational software programs and established a small business to distribute them. Beyond his academic career, he was deeply involved in the Duluth community, holding leadership positions such as president of Temple Israel in Duluth and president of a community mental health agency. A professor emeritus, he was a respected leader in his professional field and a dedicated community member.

Richard Eisenberg was a key figure in developing pharmacology education at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). He was a member of the Subcommittee for Drugs Acting on the Central Nervous System, group within the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), which was responsible for creating pharmacology knowledge objectives for medical students. This work was part of a larger effort to standardize and improve pharmacology education, ensuring future physicians had a strong foundational understanding of drug actions and their appropriate use.

He was a co-editor of the "Knowledge Objectives in Medical Pharmacology", a crucial document sponsored by the AMSPC. This document was designed to provide guidance to faculty members on the essential pharmacology concepts and content that should be taught to medical students, and the updated version is still being used today. His involvement helped shape the curriculum and educational standards for pharmacology in medical schools, ensuring a consistent and comprehensive foundation for future physicians.

In Memoriam: David Manglesdorf (1958-2025)

Karen Gottlieb — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:26:18 GMT

David J. Mangelsdorf, Ph.D., Chair and Professor of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, a visionary scientist who pioneered the once-obscure realm of orphan nuclear receptors (a class of proteins involved in gene regulation) and uncovered key cellular signaling pathways, died Aug. 3 at the age of 67.

His discoveries over the course of 30 years at UT Southwestern were instrumental in advancing the understanding of diabetes, obesity, cancer, alcohol intoxication, and parasitic infections.

An Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dr. Mangelsdorf was also elected to both the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) – rare and distinguished honors that reflect his prolific impact on basic science and clinical applications such as drug development and treatment strategies. His publications remain among the most cited in the field of molecular pharmacology.

“Dr. Mangelsdorf’s passing is an immense and painful loss for his family and friends, our institution, and the broader field of biomedical science,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern. “His work exemplified the spirit of scientific innovation and collaboration at UT Southwestern, and his legacy will live on through the investigators he mentored and the lives improved by his discoveries.”

A cherished member of the UT Southwestern faculty, Dr. Mangelsdorf was best known as “Davo” to his colleagues. His friendly and curious nature fostered significant multidisciplinary studies spanning biochemistry, endocrinology, metabolism, neurology, and infectious diseases.

Full Obituary

In Memoriam: Kenneth E. Moore

Karen Gottlieb — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:05:19 GMT

Kenneth E. Moore, 90, died Jan. 9, 2024, at his home in Ogden, Utah.

Ken was a pioneer in the field of pharmacology and was one of the first professors in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Michigan State University, which he chaired for 14 years. His groundbreaking neuropsychopharmacology research was supported continuously from 1962-2000 by grants from the National Institutes of Health and won him numerous awards, accolades and invitations to speak. He authored or co-authored 277 original research articles, 42 book chapters or review articles and one of the first psychopharmacology textbooks, “Introduction to Psychopharmacology” in 1971. He enjoyed mentoring many undergraduate and graduate students and young scientists.

Ken was born in Edmonton, Alberta, to Jack Moore and Emily “Ivy” (Tarbox) Moore. As a young man, he enjoyed the outdoors and he passed on his love of music, camping, hiking and skiing to his children.

Ken was a running back for the Edmonton Wildcats and played in the 1952 Canadian Junior Football Championship game. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pharmacy from the University of Alberta and his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Michigan. Ken began his academic career as an associate professor in the medical school at Dartmouth College before joining the faculty at MSU in 1966. In 1974, he spent a year as a visiting scholar at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England.

Ken was a devoted sports fan, having held season tickets to MSU football and hockey games for many years. Topping his list of favorite teams were the Detroit Lions and Detroit Red Wings. He enjoyed playing squash and served as a referee for youth hockey. But his favorite game was golf, and he enjoyed many rounds at the Forest Akers golf course in East Lansing. In 2014, he made the generous gift of a stone bridge over a water hazard on the 18th hole of the West Course to be used by walking golfers like himself.

He was married for 70 years to Barry Moore and together they traveled the world and shared many adventures. Always prepared with a quick one-liner, often to the chagrin of his children, Ken was outgoing and loved to meet people and had friends around the globe. Ken and Barry moved to Ogden, Utah, in 2019 to be near family. There, he was able to continue his love of gardening and bird watching as he settled into old age.

Ken is survived by his wife, Barry; son, Grant Moore; daughter Sandi Booth and her husband, Stan; daughter Lynn Moore and her partner Greg DeRuiter; grandchildren Shane Moore, Matthew Moore, Helena Gryzenia, Ashley Booth Morton and Hana Garcia as well as Daniel DeRuiter and David DeRuiter; and five great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Dennis Moore, sister Ivy May Flarup and son-in-law George Gryzenia.

No service will be held, and the family suggests that those wishing to honor Ken’s memory make a donation to the Moore Distinguished Alumnus Lectureship fund at Michigan State University via givingto.msu.edu or to Planned Parenthood.

View Kenneth E. Moore's obituary

IU School of Medicine names new chair to lead Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Karen Gottlieb — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 21:05:12 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana University School of Medicine has named Timothy W. Corson, PhD, as the new chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Corson is currently the Merrill Grayson Senior Professor in Ophthalmology and Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research in the Department of Ophthalmology at IU School of Medicine. He also holds appointments in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Since joining IU School of Medicine in 2010, Corson has demonstrated world-class research in his laboratory, and a devotion to mentorship through his work with students—ranging in age from high school, undergraduate, medical students and residents, as well as faculty. He directs the Basic Science Research in Ophthalmology elective for upper-year medical students, and also has co-led summer research programs at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center for high school and undergraduate students from populations underrepresented in medicine.

“Dr. Corson is a collaborative and transformational leader, well-funded researcher and dedicated educator,” said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of IU School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of University Clinical Affairs for IU. “His vision aligns with the School of Medicine’s interdisciplinary and aspirational approach to education and research. I’m confident he will advance us to further excellence across all of our missions.”

The major focus of Corson’s lab at IU is neovascular eye diseases. Through his work, he has identified two novel protein targets for blocking neovascularization in eye diseases like wet age-related macular degeneration and has discovered novel lead therapeutic compounds covered by multiple patent applications. His research program has resulted in more than 80 papers and 11 patents during his career and has been supported by more than $7.2 million in grant funding.

For the past five years, Corson has served as the leader of laboratory research in the Department of Ophthalmology. In this role he has helped lead the department in recruiting top new talent and mentoring existing faculty—with support of chair David Wallace, MD, MPH, this has more than quadrupled the department’s NIH funding between 2019 and 2021.

“I am honored by the opportunity to lead the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and am excited to take on this new challenge,” said Corson. “Pharmacology and toxicology is a unique field given its central role in all aspects of medicine. The outstanding faculty with the department reflect the major strategic areas of IU School of Medicine research. I’m eager to work with the faculty to continue to forge new collaborations to advance our leading-edge research and education here at the school.”

Corson is a 1999 graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honors Bachelor of Science (HonBSc) in molecular genetics and molecular biology. He earned his Master of Science (MSc) in neuroscience/pharmacology and a PhD in molecular genetics, also from the University of Toronto, and later pursued chemical biology research as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Jean-François St-Denis Fellow in Cancer Research at Yale University.

Corson will officially assume his new role April 1, 2023.

Sharing recruitment data

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:41:04 GMT

Dear Colleagues,

At our previous meeting, there was a strong consensus to develop a database with de-identified data on current ranges of salaries and start-up packages offered to new recruits at Assistant, Associate and Full Prof. levels. While the AAMC data are available, many in our group felt that the chairs having our own database is desirable as a good reference point. There was good discussion on whether this is approriate or not. It was also shared that this is not a new thought because the Neuroscience chairs group already has such a database. In the interest of AMSPC growing in service, I would like to revisit this topic here and hear your thoughts. If anyone is opposed to this idea, please provide your reasons. If most of us agree that this is beneficial to us as a group, I would like to move forward with logistics of collecting data anonymously and maintaining a private database accessible exclusively by the AMSPC members.

Thanks,

Bina

Lee Zou Named New Chair of Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology

Karen Gottlieb — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 19:25:14 GMT

Lee Zou, PhD, has been named the new chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. He will begin his new role on Feb. 1, 2023. Colin Duckett, PhD, Vice Dean for Basic Science and Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, has served as interim chair of the department since September 2020.

Dr. Zou comes to Duke from Harvard Medical School, where he is a Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Scientific Co-Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. He is also the James and Patricia Poitras Endowed Chair of Cancer Research, and a co-leader of the Cancer Cell Biology Program of the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.

Dr. Zou’s research is focused on understanding how DNA damage and DNA replication problems are detected by the ATM and ATR checkpoint pathways in human cells. Work by Dr. Zou and his colleagues has elucidated the mechanisms that activate the ATR checkpoint and the functions of ATR in cancer cells, providing new opportunities for cancer therapy.

Dr. Zou obtained his PhD training at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and his postdoctoral training as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Associate/Postdoctoral Fellow at Baylor College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Zou has earned recognition with numerous honors and awards, including the National Cancer Institute’s Outstanding Investigator Award, the Kraft Prize for Translational Research, and the Breakthrough Award from the Department of Defense. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he serves on the editorial boards of Molecular Cell, Molecular and Cellular Biology, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Cancer Research.

Venetia Zachariou, PhD, Appointed Chair, Pharmacology & Physiology | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Karen Gottlieb — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 19:23:14 GMT

Venetia (Vanna) Zachariou, PhD, has accepted the position of chair of pharmacology & experimental therapeutics and physiology & biophysics, effective Dec. 1, 2022, replacing David Farb, PhD, who announced his intention to step down last year, and William Lehman, PhD, who was appointed ad interim chair upon David Atkinson’s announcement last year. The name of the combined department will be chosen after discussions with the faculty, students and other stakeholders.

Zachariou is professor of neuroscience and pharmacological sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She studies signal transduction and epigenetic mechanisms of neurological disorders and their treatment using genetic mouse models, genomic assays and brain biochemistry. Current projects investigate transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of chronic pain with emphasis on the identification and validation of novel treatments for the management of peripheral neuropathy and other chronic pain conditions. Another line of research in her laboratory investigates the role of G protein signal transduction complexes in drug addiction, opioid analgesia and physical dependence. By understanding intracellular adaptations to peripheral nerve injury and/or prolonged opioid exposure she aims develop novel therapeutics for chronic pain conditions and pain/addiction comorbidities. Her team has identified several intracellular pathways that control the perception and the maintenance of chronic pain states. They also have developed novel interventions in epigenetic pathways that allow transitioning to non-opioid analgesics while preventing the development of physical dependence.

Zachariou received her BSc in pharmacy from the University of Patras, Greece, and her PhD in pharmacology from the Medical College of Georgia. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of psychiatry at Yale University and a junior faculty position at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, she established her laboratory at the University of Crete School of Medicine. In 2012, she joined the departments of neuroscience and pharmacological sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York as an associate professor (with tenure since 2016), and as full professor (since 2018).

Zachariou is a member of the editorial boards of Biological Psychiatry, Molecular Pain, Science Signaling, Neurobiology of Pain, section editor for European Journal of Neuroscience, and member of the NIH MCNP study section. She is a Fellow in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and Chair elect for the ASPET Neuropharmacology Division.

In Memoriam: Henry Bourne

Karen Gottlieb — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:24:37 GMT

Henry Bourne (1940-2023)

Henry Bourne, MD, a long-time researcher at UC San Francisco who chronicled its rise to prominence in the 1970s, has died at the age of 83. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Bourne made significant contributions to understanding how cells send their signals to one another. But he is equally remembered for the curiosity and passion that he brought into the laboratory and the campus research community.

Bourne not only recruited promising students, post-docs, and faculty members to UCSF, particularly when he was department chair, but also gave his fellow scientists the encouragement they needed to persist and even thrive through the difficulties they would inevitably face. “It was impossible not to get swept up in his infectious enthusiasm,” said Orion Weiner, PhD, a professor in the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute who was mentored by Bourne from 1995-2001. “He helped us believe that even very ambitious projects were possible, and with his creativity and insight, they usually were.”

Bourne arrived at UCSF in 1969 armed with a medical degree, research experience at the National Institutes of Health, and several years of experience as a journalist. With a knack both for exploring the molecular communication between cells and for communicating his findings with colleagues at UCSF and beyond, he quickly earned the admiration of his peers and students. He was welcomed into the faculty of the School of Medicine in 1971.

“He was fascinated by the ways that the cells in our tissues talk to each other and control each other’s behavior in response to various changes in their environment,” said colleague David Morgan, PhD, vice dean for research at UCSF’s School of Medicine. “But he was bigger than his science and brought an unforgettable spirit to our campus. No matter the topic, he spoke his mind – without filters – about the issues he was passionate about, often in colorful language.”

Bourne’s research interests began with influential studies on G-protein coupled signaling and, as his career progressed, he moved into studies on cellular pathfinding in the body, or chemotaxis. Over nearly 40 years as a researcher, Bourne authored more than 150 primary journal articles and 95 book chapters, and earned 17 awards from professional organizations, including induction into the National Academy of Sciences in 1994 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1996. He chaired the UCSF Department of Pharmacology from 1983-1994.

Bourne was also happy to share his non-scientific interests with his colleagues. After musing about scientists and their relationship with literature, he posted signs around several research buildings inviting people to join him in a book club. “Over 30 people showed up to read Ulysses together,” recalled Dyche Mullins, PhD, professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, who met Bourne when he was considering whether to join the University as a post-doc. “Grad students and post-docs and professors came and attended for weeks, all people who felt like they needed something outside of science to sustain them.”

After shuttering his lab in 2005 and becoming an emeritus faculty member in 2008, Bourne returned to his first love – writing – and published several books, including a 2009 memoir of his life in science, Ambition and Delight, and a 2017 institutional history of UCSF, Paths to Innovation, which chronicled UCSF’s ascent from a regional medical institution to an internationally recognized leader in biomedical research. “It’s a book that describes how very important discoveries were made over a period of eight years, in the 1970s, within a diameter of 150 yards, by four different people, three of whom won Nobel prizes,” Bourne said in 2011 upon the book’s publication.

Those scientific luminaries – J. Michael Bishop, MD, Harold Varmus, MD, Herbert Boyer, PhD, and Stanley Prusiner, MD – inspired a young Bourne to carry out a lifetime of innovation in the sciences. And Bourne, in turn, spent his later years advocating for change in the education of young scientists. He penned articles, narrated a video, and dedicated his final book, Follow the Money, to these ideas, which centered on setting up young PhDs for success in academia – primarily by refocusing graduate programs on preparing students for scientific careers. “He took his role as elder statesman seriously,” said Mullins. “He had seen the way the University operated for the last 30 years and had strong opinions on what worked or didn’t, always meant in the spirit of keeping UCSF an innovative and dynamic and top-notch institution.”

Bourne, who died on April 15, leaves behind two sons, Michael and Randy, and a daughter, Margaret, as well as five grandchildren.

In Memoriam: Salvatore Enna

Karen Gottlieb — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:23:49 GMT

Salvatore J. Enna (1944 - 2023)

December 19, 1944 - June 15, 2023
Mission Hills, Kansas - Salvatore Joseph Enna, Ph.D. died peacefully in his sleep at his Mission Hills home on June 15, 2023. Sam was born in Kansas City, Missouri on December 19, 1944 to Faye and Veto Enna, the second of five children. As an eight year old, Sam began throwing papers with his father for the Kansas City Star's newspaper routes. As a young adult Sam held multiple odd jobs, among them Elephant Train driver at the Kansas City Zoo, and a member of the night time clean up crew at Leawood Country Club.
Sam attended Catholic grade schools, Rockhurst High School, and Rockhurst College. Sam was known for his quick wit, and put it to good use when he studied for his Masters and PhD degrees in Pharmacology at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. While still a student, he met Colleen Nestor on a blind date on July 4,1965 at the Starlight Theatre. They married at Visitation Church on July 26, l969.
Sam's career in pharmacology began with postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas in Dallas, in 1970. With their infant daughter Anne Elizabeth, born in 1972, the family headed to Basle, Switzerland for Sam's studies at Hoffman La Roche Drug Company.
At a meeting in Strasbourg, France, Sam met Doctor Solomon Snyder and was invited to join his research team at Johns Hopkins University in 1974. Not long after arriving in Baltimore, Matthew Joseph joined our family.
After completing his postdoctoral studies, Sam accepted an appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Texas, Houston in 1976. In Houston, Sam and Colleen welcomed their third child, Katharine in 1983. While at UT Houston, Sam won countless teaching awards, and rose to the position of Full Professor.
Our family moved to Baltimore in 1986, at the invitation of Doctor Solomon Snyder, his Johns Hopkins mentor, who asked Sam to lead the research team at Nova Pharmaceutical.
In 1993, the family returned to Kansas City. Sam became the Chairman of Pharmacology at the University of Kansas. After nearly thirty years on the faculty, Sam accepted Emeritus status.
Sam continued his work with Elsevier Publishing Company, editing several journals up to the day of his passing. A special thank you to Lynn Lecount and Jennifer McNichols who worked tirelessly with Sam for years on the Elsevier journals.
Sam was spirited and generous, a bigger than life personality. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He is survived by his wife Colleen, his three children Anne (Tim Hedrick ), Matthew, and Katie (Adam Hobson) and two very special grandchildren Sloan and Madeleine Hobson. Sam's parents, and his brother Frank predeceased him. He is survived by three siblings, John, Nina, and Stephanie.
For all of his accomplishments, Sam said on numerous occasions that his greatest achievement was his wife and three children. Thanks to Sam's success as a scientist, Colleen and Sam met and dined with scientists around the globe. Sam always stressed to his children the importance of a good education. His children listened. And, they watched this voracious
reader consume classic literature as well as science.
The evening before he passed, Sam placed a book that he had edited on the kitchen island. The book is: "Bioactive Lipid Mediators in Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology". A pharmacologist to the end.
It has been decided that the upcoming International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology meeting in Glasgow, Scotland will be honoring Sam's leadership legacy.
A memorial service will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 on Friday, June 23, at Muehlebach Funeral Home at 6800 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri.

Pharmacology Knowledge Objectives

Karen Gottlieb — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 18:40:56 GMT

The updated Pharmacology Knowledge Objectives are now available online!

Click the button at the top of the AMSPC website Home page to view and download the latest PDF file.

Member Profiles & Opt In for push notifications

Karen Gottlieb — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:45:15 GMT

We hope all members will take 5-10 minutes and update their profiles, update their group preferences, subscribe to forums and upload a headshot photo. Our new website system, Wild Apricot, is a great because it puts members in complete control of their privacy and communication preferences.

Wild Apricot forums require members to opt in by subscribing to each forum. Subscribing to forums is optional, but you will want to subscribe to forums if you want timely notifications whenever a new topic or response is added:

Welcome to the new AMSPC Website!

Karen Gottlieb — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 18:46:08 GMT

We’re excited to announce that AMSPC has a brand new look - we've updated our logo and re-imagined our website to better represent our society. Our website is now live and includes a host of new features, including these member-only benefits:

Member Profile area - update your personal info and print a membership card
Member Directory - connect & message other AMSPC members
Job Board - members can post positions for public access
Member Resources - access programs from past years, knowledge objectives and more (coming soon)
News / Updates - Sign up to receive instant notifications when news is posted
Mobile App - take AMSPC with you wherever you go!

In Memoriam: William Joseph Cooke, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:49:01 GMT

William Joseph Cooke, PhD

Dr. William J. Cooke died November 4, 2021 after a hard fought battle against cancer. Born in Newark, NJ to William J. and Margaret Eileen Cooke, September 15, 1940. Bill was predeceased by his parents, brother Gregory and sister Dorothy

He graduated from Siena College in Loudonville, NY with a degree in Biology, a Masters of Science degree from The College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, and a PhD in Pharmacology from Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. He did post-doctoral research at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH before receiving a position in the Pharmacology Department at The University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.

Bill and Linda moved to Virginia Beach in 1977 for him to begin a 35 year career at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, where he became chairman of the Pharmacology Department, and Associate Dean for Research. He was an active member of the Bayside Lion’s Club for many years serving as president for 2 terms.

Bill loved working with wood and would spend many satisfying hours in his backyard workshop building beautiful furniture. He always wanted to build a boat and when he completed the wooden sea kayak, he realized the greatest joy was not the paddling but the project itself. Bill loved a good joke but the man could never retell the same joke without saying “what was it again?” He had an infectious laugh and everyone who met him, loved him.

In Memoriam: Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 12:50:12 GMT

Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III, PhD, who had recently retired as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, passed away July 1, 2021, from complications of esophageal cancer.

The son of the late Geraldine (Stack) Moerschbaecher and Joseph M. Moerschbaecher Jr., Joe was born February 12, 1949, in South Bend, Indiana. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Loyola University, Chicago. While still in school, Joe was a research associate in behavioral pharmacology at Abbott Laboratories. He received a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at the American University in Washington, DC, and then worked as a research associate in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. After Joe completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Pharmacology at Georgetown University Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, he joined the faculty as a research assistant professor. LSU Health Sciences Center recruited him, and he joined its faculty as an assistant professor of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics in 1983.

His remarkable nearly four-decade career at LSU Health Sciences Center was filled with visionary leadership and accomplishment. He rose through the ranks as an associate and full professor to lead the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and in 1991, he was also appointed Co-Director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, which he helped found. In 1998, Joe was appointed Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. He led Academic Affairs and the graduate school on both the New Orleans and Shreveport campuses as Shreveport was under LSU Health New Orleans’ administration at that time.

Joe was extensively published in peer-reviewed journals. He also wrote numerous chapters in textbooks. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded him millions of dollars in research grant funding throughout his career. He was an award-winning teacher, continuous NIH study section participant, and a member of almost 40 different LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans committees. Joe also played a key role in founding the LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. He served on the boards of the New Orleans BioInnovation Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center, as well as the Chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents Support Fund Planning Committee. Joe served in multiple capacities for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and from 2010-2012, was the President of the Behavioral Pharmacology Society.

In Memoriam: Joel Griffeth Hardman, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 12:44:23 GMT

Joel Griffeth Hardman, PhD (1933-2019)

HOOKSICK FALLS, N.Y. – Joel Griffeth Hardman, Ph.D., an internationally recognized scientist and educator died June 30, 2019 in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. after a long illness. He was 85 years old.

Joel G. Hardman was born in Colbert, Ga. on Nov. 7, 1933 to Joel Carlton Hardman and Ruby Griffeth Hardman. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1954, and worked as a pharmacist in Athens, Ga. from 1954 to 1960. Joel earned a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Emory University in 1964. He married the love of his life, Georgette Johnson, in 1955.

Joel began his career at Vanderbilt University Medical School in 1964, doing post-doctoral work with Earl Sutherland, MD, who won the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1971. He became full professor in 1972, chairman of pharmacology in 1974, and associate vice-chancellor for health affairs 1990. He was a gifted educator who nurtured the careers of numerous students and young faculty members. Joel served with Dr. Lee Limbird as co-editor-in-chief of the standard reference work in pharmacology, Goodman and Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, for much of the 1990s. He also served as president of the American Society for Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASPET) in 1993-1994. In recognition of Joel’s sustained interest in the training of young scientists, the annual Joel G. Hardman Student-Invited Pharmacology Forum was established in 1998.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Joel pursued a wide range of interests, including bluegrass music, world travel, spy novels, and history. Once an interest was sparked he would plunge into the area whole-heartedly and learn as much as he could about it. He could explain the logic behind the Cold War, the steps in a magic trick, the difference between a lager and porter with as much passion and expertise and he explained hormones’ effects on cellular processes. When he and Georgette moved to rural Williamson County Tennessee in 1983, he cultivated his garden-growing and wood-chopping skills, supplying family and friends with vegetables and firewood throughout the year. With their move to Lovell in 2002, Joel continued to chop down trees and grow garlic, adding snow shoveling and carpentry to his long list of talents. He became active in community service in Lovell, contributing time and expertise to the school board, the historical society, The Brick Church for the Performing Arts, and the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library. Joel spent a life time exploring the world, from the microscopic to the astronomic, and his family, friends, colleagues, and many dogs joined him with much joy and love.

Joel is survived by his wife, Georgette Hardman, of Shushan, N.Y.; children, Pam Hardman of Bellingham, Wash., Fran Goldstone (Jeff) of Cambridge, N.Y., Mary George Hardman of Troy, N.Y., Joel Hardman (Laurie Puchner) of Edwardsville, Ill.; grandchildren, Jacob Goldstone, Gregory Goldstone, Luke Puchner-Hardman, Maggie Puchner-Hardman, Emelissa Vandenbosch, Alice Hardman.

In Memoriam: Louis S. Harris, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 12:51:20 GMT

Louis S. Harris, PhD

Louis S. Harris, Ph.D., who served on the faculty of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine for 44 years, died on June 10, 2019.

During his tenure, Harris helped lead the rise of the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology into national prominence. He served as department chair for two decades and also served as associate vice president for health sciences at VCU, and oversaw National Institutes of Health grants focused on research in drug abuse from the earliest days of his time at VCU.

A man of science, he had nearly 300 journal publications to his credit, and his findings have shaped our understanding of opioid and cannabinoid pharmacology as well as pain management. Dr. Harris leaves a proud legacy of national prominence in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, where it has been most recently ranked 16th nationally in federal funding. This ranking reflects VCU’s strengths in neurosciences and addictions, where we rank 11th in funding from the NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and 16th in funding from the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Dr. Harris always espoused an inspirational vision, and his and his family’s generosity will be felt at VCU for generations through endowed funds that support programs, faculty and students on both campuses. When you look around you, you’ll see his long-lasting influence and his compassion for his community. A patron of the arts, he purchased many creative works from VCU Arts students that are displayed around campus for our inspiration and enjoyment.

“First and foremost, Lou was an outstanding personal friend,” said Dr. Bill Dewey, chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and longtime friend and colleague of Harris. “He was also true friend’ to this university through his leadership in research, administration and philanthropy. He will be greatly missed.”

In Memoriam: Raymond W. Ruddon, MD, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 12:33:53 GMT

Raymond W. Ruddon, MD, PhD, of Ann Arbor passed away on April 26, 2019. He was Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Ray was born to Raymond and Kathryn Ruddon on December 23, 1936 in Detroit. He received his B.S. from the University of Detroit in 1958, and Ph.D. in 1964 and M.D. in 1967 from the University of Michigan.

He joined the U-M faculty as an instructor of pharmacology in 1964 and rose through the ranks to professor in 1974. From 1976 to 1981 Ray served on the staff of the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, then returned to Michigan to chair the Department of Pharmacology. From 1986-90, he was associate director for basic science research at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ray served as director of the Eppley Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska from 1990-97, then was named corporate vice president for science and technology at Johnson & Johnson. He returned to Michigan again in 2004 as professor of pharmacology and senior associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Medical School. Ray authored more than 100 scientific papers and five books, including the widely used oncology text, Cancer Biology.

Ray was also a poet and has self-published 4 volumes of poetry. At Ray’s side for 56 years was his loving wife Lynne Matthews Ruddon, who preceded him in death in 2017. The two met as graduate students and married in 1961. Ray and Lynne’s unwavering commitment to cancer research and improving human health led to the creation of the Raymond and Lynne Ruddon Collegiate Professorship in Cancer Biology and Pharmacology in 2017. Ray was an avid classical music lover, book collector and U of M Wolverines fan. He loved spending time at his summer cottage at Portage Lake, which was in his family since childhood.

Ray is survived by his dear friend and loving companion Adella Blain and his three daughters: Kathryn Therese Ruddon and husband Matthew Moore, Jennifer Ruddon Kircher and husband Andrew Kircher, and Marjorie Ruddon Gurnik and husband Gordon Gurnik. He has five grandchildren: Lindsey Kircher, Kristen Kircher, Natalie Gurnik, Holly Gurnik, Annika Moore and Ian Moore, who all fondly called him “Hat.”

In Memoriam: Paul Talalay, MD

Karen Gottlieb — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:32:21 GMT

Paul Talalay, MD

Dr. Paul Talalay, a noted molecular pharmacologist who headed a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine research team that isolated a chemical found in broccoli that helped boost its cancer-fighting abilities, died Sunday of congestive heart failure at his Roland Park Place home. He was 95.

Dr. Talalay, who was born in Berlin, Germany, to Soviet Jewish parents, was the son of Joseph Talalay, an engineer and inventor, and his wife, Sophie Brosterman Talalay, a homemaker. Shortly after the rise of Adolf Hitler, Dr. Talalay and his family fled Germany in 1933 using purchased Haitian passports, family members said, moved to Belgium, France and then England, and settled near London.

He was a graduate of The Bedford School in Bedford, England, where while a student he learned to speak English. In 1940, he immigrated to New York with his family and later settled with them in New Haven, Conn. He was a 1944 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned a degree in molecular biophysics. He began medical school at the University of Chicago, where he conducted research in the laboratory of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Charles B. Huggins, a prostate cancer researcher, which sparked his lifelong interest in cancer.

Dr. Talalay left Chicago after two years and entered Yale University Medical School, from which he graduated in 1948, and for the next two years, was a house officer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He returned to the University of Chicago in 1950, “where his early work on the mechanism of cancer earned him a lifetime research grant from the American Cancer Society, at the time, the largest research grant the society had ever awarded to an individual,” his son, Antony “Tony” Talalay, of Lutherville, wrote in a biographical profile of his father. Three years later, he entered Cambridge University for postgraduate work, where while working in the laboratory, he met his future wife, the former Dr. Pamela Samuels, a biochemist, “and they bonded over their interest in protective enzymes,” his son wrote. They married in 1953.

Dr. Talalay came to Baltimore from the University of Chicago in 1963, when he was appointed professor of pharmacology and chairman of the department of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, which later became the laboratory for molecular pharmacology at Hopkins.

It was in 1992 that Dr. Talalay and the team of his researchers that he headed isolated a chemical, sulforphane, that is found in broccoli and similar Brassica family of vegetables, which in addition to broccoli include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage and kohlrabi, that can fight cancer.

Welcome new AMSPC President, Kent Vrana

Karen Gottlieb — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 17:45:57 GMT

There have been quite a few changes at the Association of Medical School Pharmacology Chairs (AMSPC) this past year.

1) First let me introduce myself as the incoming president. I am Kent Vrana, Chair of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania (Sweetest Place on Earth). In 2004, I succeeded Elliot Vesell the founding chair of the department and former president of this organization. Many thanks to Mike Frohman (Stony Brook University) for so ably leading the organization these past two years. Mike now will become immediate past president. I look forward to working with all the members of the organization and our constituencies these next two years.

2) After many years of service as secretary, David Taylor (East Carolina University) has stepped down and Alvin Terry (Medical College of Georgia) has assumed that role.

3) The remainder of the leadership team remains the same.

Treasurer: David Busija (Tulane University)
Councillors: Kathy Cunningham (University of Texas Medical Branch), Rick Neubig (Michigan State University) and Jill Siegfried (University of Minnesota)

4) We will hold an election for a new slate of councilors in the coming months.

5) We just completed a successful annual meeting in Kauai, Hawaii. A brief summary of the meeting will appear in the March 2019 issue of ASPET’s The Pharmacologist. Detailed minutes will be posted here on the AMSPC website in the coming weeks.

6) Mark your calendars for the 2020 meeting (January 24-28, 2020) in Nassau, Bahamas at the British Colonial Hilton. We hope to see you there.

7) A number of new initiatives in medical education are upcoming, so stay tuned.

In Memoriam: Gavril Pasternak, MD, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 11:37:27 GMT

Gavril Pasternak, MD, PhD

The Memorial Sloan Kettering community mourns the loss of Gavril Pasternak, MD, PhD, who dedicated his career as a physician and scientist to improving pain management for cancer patients. Educated at the Johns Hopkins University, he graduated from its MD-PhD program where he carried out seminal studies characterizing the first opioid receptor and contributed to the discovery of endogenous opioids. He joined the MSK faculty in 1979 and held appointments in both the Department of Neurology and the Sloan Kettering Institute. He was the incumbent of the Anne Burnett Tandy Chair in Neurology. Gav’s research focused on defining and understanding novel targets of opioid action, including the development of new medications with fewer side effects. He published more than 400 papers. In addition to serving as a generous mentor, Gav was known for his love of lacrosse and for founding New York City’s first youth lacrosse league.

In Memoriam: William C. Buss, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 11:45:32 GMT

William C. Buss, PhD

Will was a beloved colleague, research scholar, dedicated educator and compassionate mentor. Bill joined the Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine in 1973, where he taught medical pharmacology and conducted research on the immunosuppressant effects of cyclosporine. Bill rose up through the ranks to professor and served as chair of the Pharmacology Department for 10 years.

Even after his retirement from active participation in research in 1997, he continued his teaching commitments until just two months before his passing. His passion for sharing his knowledge of pharmacology will be remembered by the multitude of medical students who had the privilege of attending his lectures over his 45-year career.

Bill’s life was also filled with the robust pursuit and enjoyment of his varied interests. In retirement, he rekindled his love of art and enjoyed working with pastels to capture the beauty of the Sandia Mountains. Bill’s work won regional and national recognition and was shown locally at the Matrix Fine Art Gallery in Albuquerque.

Bill was a voracious reader and wanderer, traveling all over England, France, Greece, Italy, Nepal, Russia and Turkey. Bill was also a well-known oenophile, who freely shared his knowledge of wine and wine making. In collaboration with friends, Bill established Primrose Vineyards at his Corrales property, where he proudly shared his award-winning chardonnay wines with guests.

While Bill had many passions in life, both the education of our medical students and protection of our wild spaces were very important to him. To honor his life, donations on his behalf can be sent to the School of Medicine White Coat Campaign or to the WildEarth Guardians.

In Memoriam: Attallah Kappas, MD

Karen Gottlieb — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 11:38:54 GMT

Attallah Kappas, MD, professor emeritus at The Rockefeller University and physician-in-chief emeritus at The Rockefeller University Hospital, died December 18, 2018 at the age of 92. Kappas was a leading authority in diseases related to liver function and metabolism and in the development of diagnostics and treatments for those conditions. Among the diseases that Kappas studied was porphyrias, a group of often-hereditary disorders that result when substances called porphyrins build up in the body. One of the best-known porphyrins is heme, a component of the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin. Porphyrias most commonly affect the nervous system and the skin, depending on their subtype, and can be chronic or acute.

One of Kappas’ most far-ranging and lasting contributions was in research uncovering the molecular mechanisms that instigate jaundice in newborn babies. Jaundice, which affects more than half of all babies to some degree, is caused by high levels of a bilirubin, a yellow pigment in the blood that is normally metabolized by the liver. If the condition goes untreated, it can cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system.

Bilirubin forms naturally when heme breaks down. Kappas conducted extensive research on heme degradation and heme oxygenase, the enzyme that controls this process. Currently, neonatal jaundice is treated by exposing babies to intense light, which breaks down bilirubin, but the treatment can be time-consuming and may not be available in developing areas that lack electricity. To that end, Kappas worked on the development of a compound called tin mesoporphyrin (SnMP), which inhibits heme oxygenase. SnMP is now being investigated in clinical trials in the United States and a number of other countries. Kappas also studied how drugs are metabolized by the liver and conducted research on illnesses caused by exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment, including lead poisoning.

Kappas, who was the Sherman Fairchild Professor Emeritus, was born in Union City, New Jersey, in 1926. Drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, he went on to receive his A.B. from Columbia University in 1947 and his M.D. with honors from the University of Chicago School of Medicine in 1950. He was an American Cancer Society Research Fellow at the Sloan Kettering Institute and later completed a residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, part of Harvard Medical School.

After the completion of his medical training in 1957, he served 10 years on the faculty at the University of Chicago, where he was head of the section of metabolism and arthritis and also a Commonwealth Fund Fellow and visiting scientist at the Courtauld Institute of Biochemistry at Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London. He was a guest investigator and John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow at Rockefeller in 1966, then joined the Rockefeller faculty the following year.

Kappas was physician-in-chief of Rockefeller’s hospital from 1974 to 1991 and served as a Rockefeller vice president from 1983 to 1991. He also had affiliations with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and the Karolinska Institute.

Kappas received a number of prestigious awards over the years, including a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Special Award in Clinical Pharmacology (1973), a Distinguished Service Award in Medical Science from the University of Chicago (1975), the ASPET Award for Distinguished Research in Experimental Therapeutics from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (1978), the American College of Physicians Award for Outstanding Contributions to Internal Medicine (1991), and the Professional Achievement Citation, also from the University of Chicago (1995). In 1989, he received the inaugural NIH Award for Excellence in Clinical Research.

Kappas is survived by his three sons, Nicholas Kappas, Peter Kappas, and Michael Kappas, and many grandchildren.

In Memoriam: Ernest Hodgson, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 11:42:29 GMT

Ernest Hodgson, PhD

Ernest Hodgson, long time resident of Raleigh and Distinguished Professor of Toxicology at North Carolina State University died on October 10, 2018 in Raleigh. He was preceded in death by his wife of 42 years, Mary K. Devlin Hodgson, and is survived by his four children, Mary Elizabeth Hodgson, Audrey Catherine Hodgson Myers, Patricia Emily Devlin Hodgson and Ernest Victor Felix Hodgson as well as four grandchildren, Carl Ernest Larson, Maxwell Patrick Larson, Robert Christopher Myers and Christopher Thomas Myers.

Dr. Hodgson was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at NCSU. He was born July 26, 1932 in Hetton-le-Hole, Durham, England and educated at the King’s College of the University of Durham (now Newcastle University) (B. Sc., with Honors), and Oregon State University (Ph.D.). After a Post- Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Entomology at NCSU in 1961, becoming a William Neal Reynolds Professor in 1977 and the first head of the new Department of Toxicology in 1989. He was well known for his toxicological research and his outreach activities as well as his service to the profession of toxicology. He was also known as the editor and lead author of two well received toxicology textbooks. His work as a lexicographer included the Dictionary of Toxicology and the Dictionary of Agromedicine.

He was recognized for his contributions to toxicology on many occasions. He received the Education Award, the Merit Award (1994) and the Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award (2012) from SOT as well as the Burdick & Jackson Award (1989) and the Sterling Hendricks Award (1997), from the American Chemical Society and the Fred J. DiCarlo Distinguished Service Award from the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX). In 1996 he received the O. Max Gardner Award, an award given by the Consolidated University of North Carolina to the faculty member considered to have made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race in the past year. He served ISSX in a number of capacities, most notably as President in 1998 and 1999.

Dr. Hodgson was one of the organizers of the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute and Agromedicine continued to be a lifelong interest.

In Memoriam: Lowell E. Hokin, MD, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 12:41:18 GMT

Lowell E. Hokin, MD, PhD

Lowell Edward Hokin, M.D. Ph.D., an internationally recognized biochemist, died on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, at age 93. Dr. Hokin was most well known for his discovery, along with Dr. Mabel Hokin, of receptor-stimulated lipid turnover, the “Phosphoinositide Effect,” in the 1950s. This led to the understanding, years later, of how hormones and neurotransmitters produce cell responses. Lowell went on to discover the fundamental biochemical features of sodium-potassium ATPase, the enzyme that controls ion gradients and neuronal activity in living cells, and he served as chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison from 1970 to his retirement to emeritus faculty in 1993.

Lowell was born in 1924 in Peoria, Ill., to Oscar E and Helen Gussie (Manfield), and went to Peoria High School. He started college at the University of Chicago, but soon enlisted in the U.S. Navy V- 12 Program to study medicine at Dartmouth. After the war ended, he continued at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, where he received his M.D., followed by a residency at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Lowell had always intended to pursue science, however, and soon moved to Sheffield, England, where he conducted his doctoral research in biochemistry under Sir Hans Krebs. It was there that he met Mabel Neaverson, a graduate student in a nearby lab, and they continued as both research partners and spouses at McGill University. Lowell obtained his faculty position at the University of Wisconsin in 1957.

He enjoyed classical music and opera, fishing and alpine skiing, BBC television, and reading nonfiction and medicine. Lowell and Mabel had three children, Linda, Catherine and Samuel, and Lowell had another son, Ian, with his later wife Barbara (Gallagher). Lowell met his wife, Dr. Vivian Littlefield, in 2000 and they shared years of adventures and happiness, moving to Parker, Colo. in 2016. Her care and love brought him great comfort in his final days.

He is survived by Vivian; sister, Joyce, and her husband, George Sachs; brother, Eugene, and his wife, Janet; daughter, Linda, and her son, Austen Hinkley; son, Samuel, and his wife, Carla Shedivy, and their children, Natalia and Mitchell; son, Ian; Vivian’s daughter, Virginia Littlefield, and her husband and daughter, Jode and Clarissa Dieterle; Vivian’s son, Darrell Littlefield, and his wife, Sue; Vivian’s brother, Willard “Pete” Moore, sister, Cecile Settle, and their families; stepson, Cregg Reuter, and his wife, Christine; stepdaughter, Vicki Biondi, and her daughters, Maria and Sophia.

In Memoriam: Elliot S. Vesell, MD

Karen Gottlieb — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:31:21 GMT

Elliot S. Vesell, MD

Dr. Elliot Vesell was born in New York City on December 24, 1933 and passed away on July 23, 2018. He attended primary school at the Horace Mann School at Columbia University and went on to graduate high school from Philips Exeter Academy. He attended Harvard College where he majored in American Literature and History, and graduated both Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He then went to Harvard Medical School, graduating Magna Cum Laude as well.

Dr. Vesell did his postdoctoral training at Rockefeller University in New York with several Nobel Prize winners and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, the old Harvard hospital. He then met his late wife, Kristen Peery Vesell, while they were both working at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. They first visited Hershey in 1967 and moved here in 1968 where Dr. Elliot Vesell was the founding Chair of Pharmacology at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where he served as chair for 32 years. He served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Education for 22 years, and was recognized as an Emeritus and Evan Pugh Professor (the University’s highest honor).

Dr. Vesell published more than 350 articles on pharmacogenomics and received many awards and honorary degrees including an honorary degree from both Penn State University and Marburg University in Germany. The genetic codes on the walls of the Penn State Institute for Personalized Medicine represent his genes. He is known as one of the godfathers of pharmacogenomics and devoted his life to the spirit of helping others. He is survived by two daughters, Liane Vesell of Boca Raton, Florida and Hilary Vesell of Hershey, PA

In Memoriam: Edson X. Albuquerque, MD, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 12:47:48 GMT

Edson X. Albuquerque, MD, PhD

Dr. Albuquerque, who was Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, had been longtime Chair of the Department of Pharmacology at UMSOM. Most recently he served as Division Head, Translational Toxicology in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health. He was known to those who worked with him as a preeminent scientist, colleague, friend, and someone who will be greatly missed in and outside the UMSOM. He is survived by his wife, Edna F. R. Pereira, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health at UMSOM, and his children, Felipe, Maria Luiza, and Eric. Throughout his distinguished academic career, Dr. Albuquerque studied the effects of different toxicants, including lead and organophosphorus compounds, nerve agents and insecticides, on neuronal functions in vitro and in vivo. He researched nicotinic and glutamatergic synapses in the central nervous system, which are known to be involved in cognition, learning, and memory, as well as several pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.

Dr. Albuquerque’s research laid the groundwork for the development of a new class of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease – the so-called “nicotinic allosteric potentiating ligands, of which galantamine is the prototype. Research in his laboratory has aided in the development of treatments for neuropathological conditions that afflict millions of people worldwide.

Dr. Albuquerque had received international recognition for his electrophysiological research on neurotransmitter receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the Order of the Grand Cross and the Rio Branco Award from Brazil, and in the United States, from the NIH the prestigious Jacob Javits Award Neuroscience Research Award and the Otto Krayer Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

In 1974, Dr. Albuquerque accepted the post of Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at UMSOM. He established his laboratory for electrophysiological studies of synaptic transmission and developed the department, which grew from an anonymous department of cell biology to one that is internationally recognized for its excellence and bringing in a very high level of research funding. Prior to joining UMSOM, in 1968, Dr. Albuquerque was offered an Honor Position as a Buswell Fellow at the University of Buffalo. There he established his own laboratory, developed a number of fundamental studies in the field of neuromuscular transmission, and discovered the properties of many toxins which are used as tools for the characterization of the function of nicotinic receptors in the neuromuscular junction.

Dr. Albuquerque was born in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. He earned his medical degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco School of Medicine in 1959, and earned his Ph.D. degree summa cum laude in Physiology and Pharmacology from “Escola Paulista de Medicina” in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1962. Postdoctoral studies followed at Tulane University, supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, at the University of Illinois.

In Memoriam: George M. Brenner, PhD

Karen Gottlieb — Fri, 11 May 2018 12:46:40 GMT

George M. Brenner, PhD

Dr. George Marvin Brenner, 74, died on May 11, 2018 in Richmond, VA surrounded by loving family after an extended illness. He will be remembered for his devotion to family, steadiness and wisdom, and taking on life’s challenges with energy and hard work.

George was born September 19, 1943, in Ottawa, KS. He grew up on the family farm near Princeton, KS where he was active in 4-H. He enrolled at the University of Kansas and received a B.S. degree in Pharmacy in 1966. George received the first Ph.D. degree awarded in Pharmacology and Toxicology at K.U. in 1971.

George met Mary Ann Robinson while they were attending summer school at KU and doing research in the School of Pharmacy. They were married on August 21, 1966. In 1976, the Brenner family moved to Tulsa, OK where George was promoted to Professor at the Center for Health Sciences of Oklahoma State University. He served as Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology for fourteen years. During his tenure, George received numerous teaching awards, and authored a pharmacology textbook. The 5th edition, Brenner and Stevens’ Pharmacology, was published in 2018.

George and Mary Ann returned to Lawrence, KS in 2005 and enjoyed twelve wonderful years there where they were active in several organizations. George was a member of the Lawrence Central Rotary Club. He was active in their community service Projects and served as club treasurer.

In 2017, they moved to Richmond, VA to be closer to their daughter and grandsons. George and Mary Ann traveled frequently to see children and grandchildren, and enjoyed travel together to Mexico, Central America, and Europe.

Enjoying and preserving the natural world was George’s life-long passion, and he was proud to support numerous environmental organizations. While in Tulsa, George served as Chair of the Green Country Sierra Club and was a leader in the Inner-city Outings program for disadvantaged youth. He backpacked in Colorado and the Grand Canyon, and visited numerous state and national parks across the United States. George also enjoyed performing and listening to music throughout his life. He played trumpet in the Princeton school band, University of Kansas band, and local bands in Tulsa and Lawrence.

George is survived by his wife Mary Ann, daughter Sharon Brenner and grandsons Ciaran Jones and Braith Jones, of Richmond, VA, son John Brenner and his wife Dannielle and granddaughters Lexi and Sophia Brenner of San Antonio, TX, as well as his brother James Brenner of Los Angeles, CA, sister Brenda Grasmick of Helena, MT, and many extended family members.

FORMER JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY CHAIR DON COFFEE PASSES AWAY

Karen Gottlieb — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 11:27:29 GMT

Donald Coffey, a distinguished Johns Hopkins professor and prostate cancer expert and deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, died on Thursday. He was 85.

In his more than 50 years at Johns Hopkins, Coffey amassed a long list of accomplishments. Many of the accolades are as unconventional as the man. He chaired the Department of Pharmacology without ever taking a course in pharmacology. With no medical degree, he helped found the Cancer Center in 1973 with its first director, Albert Owens, and then ran it briefly in 1987.

Coffey, who became one of Johns Hopkins' first triple professors, began his career washing glassware for graduate students. He worked at Westinghouse designing radar antennas during the day, and in the evening, he took classes and worked in the urology laboratory. In 1959, he was named the director of the Brady Urological Research Laboratory. After a year of running the lab, he was accepted into the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's graduate program in biochemistry.

"Don touched so many of us in such profound ways that it is hard to imagine life without him," says Kenneth Pienta, director of research for the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins and the Donald S. Coffey Professor of Urology. "We know how fortunate we have been to know him and experience his special and wonderful uniqueness. So we are only really without him in body, but not in soul."

Cincinnati Chair Dr. John Maggio passes away

Karen Gottlieb — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 12:25:45 GMT

John Edward Maggio, Ph.D. passed away on Saturday, April 15th. He was the Flor van Maanen Professor of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a long-time researcher on Alzheimer’s Disease. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Boyce, and their children Alex, Claire, and Jeffrey.

LONGTIME CHAIR DR. JAMES W. FISHER PASSES AWAY

Karen Gottlieb — Wed, 04 May 2016 12:23:11 GMT

It is with great sadness that we inform you that Dr. James W. Fisher, previously Regents Professor and Chairman of Pharmacology at Tulane University School of Medicine until his retirement, died May 1, 2016. Jim was a great leader, scientist, teacher, mentor, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife, Mrs. Maryann Fisher, and many children and grandchildren.

A biography is available here.