Presentation is a part of the UGA fall 2024 Signature Lecture Series
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 University of Georgia College of Pharmacy’s annual Chu Lectureship on September 18 at 11 am in the David and Jane Chu Auditorium, Room 101 of the Pharmacy South Building. A welcome reception will precede the program at 10:30 am. The event is free and open to the public.
This program is a part of the University of Georgia’s fall 2024 Signature Lecture Series, which features speakers noted nationally and internationally for their broad, multidisciplinary appeal and compelling bodies of work. Along with scientists, such as Dr. Villalobos, other speakers will include renowned researchers, preeminent philosophers, and influential leaders in government, higher education, and other fields.
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 2 studies and is in the same class as 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 provides support for doctoral students to conduct dissertation research outside 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 at the College of Pharmacy. “Her experience in neuroscience and passion for drug discovery are helping to create and advance the next generation of breakthrough medicines. The selection of her presentation to be a part of the UGA Signature Lecture Series demonstrates the prestige she will bring to the UGA campus.”
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.
Registration is required for the presentation. See here to register. The event also will be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person; a link will be sent to registrants prior to the program. For more information, contact Dawn Burden at the UGA College of Pharmacy.
