Detroit - The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Alpha Chi Chapter of the Rho Chi Society -- the academic honor society in pharmacy -- of Wayne State University's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will host their annual Roland T. Lakey Award Lecture at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8. Philip S. Low, Ph.D., this year's honoree and the Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University, will deliver a presentation titled, "Ligand-Targeted Imaging and Therapeutic Agents for Cancer, Autoimmune and Infectious Diseases." The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the auditorium on the lower level of the college, located at 259 Mack Avenue in Detroit.
"Dr. Low and the many others who have been selected to receive the Roland T. Lakey Award are among the individuals widely acknowledged as pioneers, leaders and scholars in the pharmacy profession. It is important to acknowledge their efforts to improve the practice of pharmacy, medicine, and the health sciences," said Professor Richard Slaughter, associate dean for Pharmacy. "It is particularly fitting that we are hosting this event during National Public Health Week, because the contributions of Lakey Award recipients have had a positive effect on the delivery of health care services, treatments for various health conditions and the health of people around the world."
The director of Purdue University's Center for Drug Discovery, Low is also the founder and chief science officer of two companies, Endocyte Inc. and On Target Laboratories. He has published more than 350 refereed articles and received numerous national and international research awards. A chemist and researcher, Low is known for developing tumor-targeting technologies and therapeutic agents for cancer and inflammatory diseases. His research has resulted in more than 50 executed and pending patents and five innovative investigative drugs targeting kidney, ovarian, breast, lung, brain and endometrial cancers.
"We are delighted that Dr. Low has accepted our invitation to receive the Roland T. Lakey Award and deliver a lecture," said George B. Corcoran, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. "Students, faculty and others interested in learning more about the influence his groundbreaking research has on pharmacy, medicine and chemistry and the development of drugs to treat cancer and other diseases are sure to find Dr. Low's presentation educational, engaging and inspiring."
Since 1963, the Alpha Chi Chapter of the Rho Chi Society has honored the life and legacy of Roland T. Lakey -- the founding dean of Wayne State University's College of Pharmacy -- by recognizing exceptional leaders who have impacted the profession of pharmacy through research or other scholarly contributions in the clinical or basic sciences. Past Roland T. Lakey Award recipients include Nobel Laureate Julius Axelrod and Robert Langer, Laurence Hurley, Richard Silverman, and Rakesh Jain, individuals widely acknowledged as forefathers and seminal contributors to the pharmacy profession.
"This annual award presentation and lecture are important because they provide my fellow Rho Chi members and classmates with the opportunity to interact with and learn from leaders in our field," said Melanie Nickerson, president of the Alpha Chi Chapter. "Exposure to experts like Dr. Low help us connect what we learn in the classroom to the real world. It also expands our view of the impact we can have on the health and well-being of others and serves as an example of how we can improve the delivery, accessibility, affordability and quality of health care through our work as pharmacists and health professionals."
Born in 1883, Roland T. Lakey earned a bachelor's in pharmacy from the University of Buffalo and a master of science from the Detroit Institute of Technology. In 1920, he became an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at Wayne State University. Lakey was named professor and director of the college in 1925. He became dean in 1933 and retired on his 70th birthday in 1953.
For more information about the Roland T. Lakey Award Lecture, contact Rebecca Perez at 313-577-1047.
About the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society by preparing highly skilled health care practitioners and conducting groundbreaking research to improve models of practice and methods of treatment in pharmacy and the health sciences. To learn more, visit cphs.wayne.edu.
About Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 380 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students. For more information, visit wayne.edu.
About the Rho Chi Society
Established in 1912, the Rho Chi Society seeks to advance pharmacy through intellectual leadership. As the academic honor society in pharmacy, it recognizes and rewards intellectual achievement, promotes highest ethical standards, and fosters collaboration. Membership is granted to those who exhibit outstanding academic and professional achievement; members may be elected as professional or graduate students in Pharmacy, as members of faculties of schools and colleges of pharmacy, as alumni who distinguish themselves in the profession, or as honorary members by special action of the Society's Executive Council. To learn more, visit rhochi.org.