AAPS announces the recipients of the 2023 Awards Program
The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is proud to congratulate the recipients of the 2023 Awards Program, recognizing research and leadership in pharmaceutical science.
AAPS Awards celebrate scientists who are role models in the pharmaceutical science community. Each year, scientists volunteering through the AAPS Awards Committee review nomination submissions and select individuals whose scholarship, leadership and service exemplify the highest personal and professional achievement.
AAPS 2023 Awards Committee Chair and Regents Professor and Director at Texas A&M University School of Medicine (TX, USA) Doodipala Samba Reddy, Ph.D., R.Ph., FAAPS, commented:
We are delighted to unveil the distinguished recipients of this year’s AAPS Awards, whose exceptional contributions have brought about a transformative impact in the pharmaceutical community. Their unwavering dedication to advancing pharmaceutical academia, research, industry, and regulatory fields has set unprecedented standards of excellence in healthcare. These exceptional individuals embody the spirit of ingenuity, marked by ground-breaking discoveries and revolutionary innovations that have significantly influenced patient care and the development of new drugs and products. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to this year’s awards recipients and wish them continued success in their endeavors to further advance our thriving pharmaceutical community.’
The recipients of the 2023 AAPS Awards are:
Distinguished Scientist Award
Mansoor Khan, R.Ph., Ph.D., FAAPS, Regents Professor, Vice Dean and Director of the Formulations Design and Development Core Laboratory at the Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, is recognized for his wide-ranging and international impact on the pharmaceutical sciences. His work is broad, spanning education, R&D and other areas. He also works closely with regulatory authorities.
One Award Committee member said: “You find his fingerprints everywhere”.
Global Leader Award
Allen Templeton, Ph.D., FAAPS, Vice President, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck Research Laboratories (NJ, USA), is recognized for the international impact of his science, and the bridge he has formed by his work in the industry and instruction in academia.
According to one of his nominations, Dr. Templeton’s “impact on human health in developing numerous lifesaving medicines, his significant service and leadership roles in the profession, and his demonstrable contributions toward global outreach make him fully qualified of receiving the AAPS Global Leader Award. Dr. Templeton is a global leader by every definition.”
Distinguished Service Award
Vivian Gray is recognized for her long history of service to AAPS, which includes assisting in the development of several programs such as the AAPS course, ‘Dissolution of Solid Oral Dosage Forms’ and leading the formation of the AAPS In Vitro Release and Dissolution Testing (IVRDT) Community.
Emerging Leader Award
Raman Bahal, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut (CT, USA), is described as a ‘rising star’ in the pharmaceutical sciences community, receiving tenure at the University of Connecticut after only four years.
“Dr. Bahal is an exceptionally gifted organic chemist with particular skill in synthesizing peptides and nucleic acid analogs”, wrote one supporter in their nomination. “He is a leader in nucleic acid-based chemistry and its delivery strategies. He has a reputation, both nationally and internationally, as an outstanding pharmaceutical chemist.”
Outstanding Manuscript Awards
Twomey JD and Zhang B. Cancer Immunotherapy Update: FSA-Approved Checkpoint Inhibitors and Companion Diagnostics. The AAPS Journal, 23 doi:10.1208/s12248-021-00574-0 (2021).
Mirzaeei S, Taghe S, Asare-Addo K, Nokhodchi A. Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Single-Layered and Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan/Eudragit RL 100 Multi-layered Electrospun Nanofibers as an Ocular Matrix for the controlled Release of Ofloxacin: an In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation. AAPS PharmSciTech 22 doi:10.1208/s12249-021-02051-5 (2021).
Wang C, Rosbottom I Turner TD et al. Molecular, Solid-State and Surface Structures of the Conformational Polymorphic Forms of Ritonavir in Relation to their Psycochemical Properties’. Pharm. Res. 38, 971-990 (2021).
Alice E. Till Advancement of Women in Pharmaceutical Sciences Recognition
Former AAPS President Diane J. Burgess, Ph.D., FAAPS, Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutics, University of Connecticut, is recognized for an extraordinary career as a scientist, both as a researcher who has authored many publications, and as a leader. She is a former president of both AAPS and the Controlled Release Society. Dr. Burgess is credited by her supporters with using her platform to develop women and the organizations they work in, allowing her to train and mentor women as researchers, instructors and leaders.
Student Chapter Awards
The University of Texas AAPS Student Chapter is recognized for making a significant impact on graduate student researchers at the school through numerous activities, including a welcome event, a Design of Experiments Workshop, a presentation by Dr. Kerry Empey of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy (PA, USA), and several events with researchers from around the world.
The University of Toronto AAPS Student Chapter is recognized for efforts to provide mentoring opportunities for students, as exemplified by the launch of the chapter’s first mentoring program. The program connected approximately ten graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with guidance and advice from alumni mentors currently working in either academia or industry.
Best Abstract Award
This year, 72 of the hundreds of poster abstracts submitted to PharmaSci 360 before the early submission deadline were recognized with the Best Abstract Award. These posters will be presented by their authors at the 2023 PharmaSci 360, Oct 22-25, in Orlando, FL. Currently, early poster abstracts can be viewed in the PharmSci 360 program.
Best Poster Award
The most scientifically impactful posters that will be presented at PharmSci 360 will be announced in August.
Award recipients will be recognized at the 2023 PharmSci 360 on October 22, at the Orange County Convention Center (FL, USA). For more information about this event or to register, visit www.aaps.org/pharmsci360.
About AAPS
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a non-profit association of more than 7,000 scientists and professionals employed in academia, industry, regulatory and other research related to the pharmaceutical sciences worldwide. Its mission is to advance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and therapies that improve global health, which members pursue through four peer-reviewed journals and a variety of events in person and online.
