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Dr. Anabella Villalobos To Be Featured Speaker At College of Pharmacy Chu Lectureship Dr. Anabella Villalobos, Senior Vice President and Head of Biotherapeutics and Medicinal Sciences (BTMS) at Biogen in Cambridge, MA, will be the featured speaker at the UGA College of Pharmacy’s annual Chu Lectureship on September 18 at 11 am in the David and Jane Chu Auditorium, located in the College’s Pharmacy South Building.
Dr. Villalobos, who is internationally recognized for her leadership in drug discovery and medicinal sciences, will present, “Therapeutic Modalities for Neurological and Rare Diseases.” Before joining Biogen, Dr. Villalobos was the Vice President of Medicinal Synthesis Technologies and Neuroscience Medicinal Chemistry at Pfizer. There, she designed Icopezil, a drug that advanced to Phase Two clinical trial, eventually leading to the creation of Aricept, the front-line treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Villalobos is a 2023 inductee into the American Chemical Society Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame.
Dr. Villalobos obtained her BS in Chemistry at the University of Panama and her PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Kansas. During her time at the University of Kansas, she was a Fulbright-Hays fellow, which is a study abroad program that provides support for doctoral students to conduct dissertation research outside of the U.S. She also was a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University in synthetic organic chemistry for two years.
“Dr. Villalobos is a world-class medicinal chemist, a proven leader in drug discovery, and a champion of scientific innovation,” said Dr. Michael Bartlett, Associate Dean for Science Education, Research, and Technology and University Professor. “Her experience in neuroscience and passion for drug discovery are helping to create and advance the next generation of breakthrough medicines.”
The College of Pharmacy’s Chu Lectureship honors the outstanding accomplishments of Distinguished Research Professor and Professor Emeritus Dr. David Chu, who has spent his career researching new drugs for treating viral infections and cancer. Immediately following Dr. Villalobos’ presentation and follow-up question and answer period, Dr. Chu will be introduced to the participants. A reception will precede the program.
Registration is required for the presentation, which is free of charge. See here to register. The event also will be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. For more information, contact Dawn Burden at the UGA College of Pharmacy.
