Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Message from the Chair

As the Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Temple University School of Pharmacy, I welcome you to discover our faculty, our science and associated research centers, and our graduate and professional programs.

Pharmaceutical Sciences is a broad and dynamic area of scientific inquiry centered on discovering, developing, understanding, improving, and delivering drugs, biologics, and therapeutics to gain knowledge and improve patient care. By nature, pharmaceutical sciences is a field that is highly interdisciplinary.

Indeed, our faculty have research collaborations and affiliative appointments with other faculty at Temple University in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, College of Science and Technology, and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. In addition, our faculty collaborate with other researchers in institutions outside of Temple University and around the world such as the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, prestigious international universities, as well as large and small pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. 

Our research programs are funded through federal, state, and foundation grants and contracts and investigate pharmaceutical topics from multiple perspectives starting with basic discovery science, theoretical modeling, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, drug delivery, and ending with applied therapeutics. Recent research topics include cancer, central nervous system disorders, metabolic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary disease, formulations, microbes, and infectious disorders. Every day, the faculty at the Temple University School of Pharmacy are making advancements to improve the life of patients and reduce the burden of disease.

In addition to our important research mission, the faculty of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences are responsible for curriculum development, teaching, and mentoring in our graduate Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs. Our faculty and graduate students also contribute to the foundational science courses in our Doctor of Pharmacy program, including Chemistry, Immunology, Pharmacogenomics, Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmaceutics.

As mentors, we foster inclusion and encourage the aspirations of our students while nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, pharmacy, and Temple University undergraduates work in the laboratories on original research with our outstanding faculty. Our students author publications; present original research at local, regional, national, and international conferences; win travel and research awards; and obtain industry internships. 

I am proud to introduce our faculty and staff below and to celebrate their accomplishments as well as those of our students. You are welcome to come and visit us here in Philadelphia. Come see what all the excitement is about at Temple University School of Pharmacy!

Ellen

 

 

 

 

 

Ellen Walker, PhD
Chair
Professor
215-707-6770
ellen.walker@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Pharmacology
• Neurology
• Psychology
• Chemical Dependency

Publications

PharmD Courses
• P164 Pharmacology I
• P265 Pharmacology II
• P389 Substance Use Research Elective

Graduate Courses
• 8129 Bioethics in Research (with Swati Nagar, PhD)
• 8402 Pharmacodynamics 
• 8404 Pharmaceutical Sciences Literature Review on Experimental Design
• 8000 Topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• 8464 Abuses of Drugs and Chemicals
• 8134 Neuroscience of Pain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magid Abou-Gharbia, PhD, FRSC
Laura H. Carnell Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
215-707-4949
magid.abougharbia@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Synthesis
• Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Drug Discovery
• Drug Design

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlos Barrero, MD
Assistant Professor
215-707-9229
carlos.barrero@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Proteomics
• Metabolomics
• Diabetes
• COPD
• HIV

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin E. Blass, PhD
Associate Professor
215-707-2218
benjamin.blass@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Drug Discovery
• Drug Design

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Borenstein, PhD, RPh
Interim Dean
215-707-2976
michael.borenstein@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Method Development
• Pharmacokinetics
• Sample Preparation
• Chromatography
• Liquid Chromatography
• Mass Spectrometry
• Analytical Method Development
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Chromatographic Method Development
• Analytical Chemistry Instrumentation

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel Canney, PhD, RPh
Associate Professor, Medicinal Chemistry
215-707-6924
daniel.canney@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Organic Synthesis
• Structure-Activity Relationship Studies
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Neurotransmitter
• Neurobiology
• Receptors

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne Childers, PhD
Professor
Associate Director, Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research
215-707-1079
wayne.childers@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Drug Discovery
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Organic Synthesis
• Synthetic Organic Chemistry
• Drug Design

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reza Fassihi, PhD
Professor
215-707-7670
reza.fassihi@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Design, development, evaluation (in-vitro and in-vivo), optimization and scale-up operations of oral dosage forms, osmotic pumps, tampered resistant systems, controlled and modified release drug delivery (CR), dispersed systems, topical products, gels, parenteral and advanced delivery systems

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patrick Glassman, PhD
Assistant Professor
patrick.glassman@temple.edu

Research Interests
• pharmacology
• mechanism-based PK/PD modeling of biologics
• protein engineering
• development of targeted drug delivery systems

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marc Ilies, PhD
Professor
215-707-1749
marc.ilies@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Material Sciences
• Pharmaceutics

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kenneth Korzekwa, PhD
Professor
215-707-7892
kenneth.korzekwa@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Drug Metabolism
• Pharmacokinetics

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Lebo, PhD, RPh
Professor
Director of CGMP Services
215-707-5895
david.lebo@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Formulation Development
• Dosage Form Development
• Pharmaceutical Formulation
• Pharmaceutics
• Pharmaceutical Research and Development
• Dissolution
• Solubility
• Encapsulation
• Pharmaceutical Industry

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salim Merali, PhD
Laura H. Carnell Professor
Associate Dean of Research
215-707-9228
salim.merali@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Cell Culture
• Cloning
• Mouse Breeding
• Apoptosis
• Liquid Chromatography
• Metabolomics
• Pulmonology
• Proteins
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacy

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swati Nagar, PhD
Professor & Director, Graduate Studies
215-707-9110
swati.nagar@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Pharmacokinetics
• Drug Metabolism
• Pharmacokinetic Modeling

Publications

PharmD Courses
• P262 Pharmacokinetics (with Ken Korzekwa, PhD)
• P389 Research Elective

Graduate Courses
• 8127 Pharmacokinetics (dual level with P262 above) (with Ken Korzekwa, PhD)
• 8008 Principles of Pharmacokinetics (with Ken Korzekwa, PhD)
• 8125 Journal Club (with Jayanth Panyam, PhD)
• 8129 Bioethics in Research (with Ellen Walker, PhD)

 

 

 

 

 

 

R. Kyle Palmer, PhD
Adjunct Professor 
roy.palmer001@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Pharmacology
• Chemosensory biology and ingestive behaviors
• High throughput screening and drug discovery
• Lead optimization
• Behavioral pharmacology
• Metabolic diseases
• Immunopharmacology

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oscar Perez-Leal, MD
Assistant Professor
215-707-9229
oscar.perez@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Cloning
• PCR
• Yeast and Mammalian cells
• RNA-Protein Interaction Studies
• Protein-Protein Interaction
• Protein Identification by Mass Spectrometry
• Plasmodium
• Molecular Biology
• CRISPR
• Biosensors

Publications

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ho Lun Wong, PhD, BScPharm
Professor
215-707-8173
ho-lun.wong@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Nanotechnology

Publications

 

Joanne Xue, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
215-707-8173
joannex@temple.edu

Research Interests
• Nanotechnology

Publications

 

Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Cohen
Laboratory Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
215-707-8384
aecohen@temple.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dennis Colussi
Research Associate, Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research
215-707-1294
dennis.colussi@temple.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almira Cutler
Administrative Specialist
215-707-4948
almira.cutler@temple.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophon Din
Administrative Assistant, Office of Graduate Studies
215-707-4972
sophon.din@temple.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

John C. Gordon, PhD
Manager, Screening Center, Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research
215-707-4654
john.gordon0001@temple.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

George Morton
Research Scientist, Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research
215-707-5854
george.morton0001@temple.edu