Temple University School of Pharmacy (TUSP) is the home of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, the first academic drug discovery center in the PA-NJ-DE tristate area, but it took significant steps to create this flourishing institution.
Much of the early work that formed the foundation for today’s successful center was led by founding director Dr. Magid Abou-Gharbia, a well known and respected leader in the pharmaceutical industry who joined Temple University School of Pharmacy in 2008. He established an independent research laboratory at Temple University School of Pharmacy using $200,000 in seed money provided by Temple University. This was then incororated into a fully integrated academic drug discovery center with the support of a donation in 2009 from Sharon '80 and Lonnie '80 Moulder, for whom the center is named.
Dr. Abou-Gharbia then spearheaded an effort to gain institutional support for drug discovery research at Temple University School of Pharmacy. This effort culminated in the implementation of the Temple University Drug Discovery Initiative (2010-2015) by Temple University’s president and the Board of Trustees. This initiative provided more than $8.2 million in funding to support the acquisition of specialized equipment necessary to conduct advanced drug discovery research, renovate existing facilities to support the eventual growth of the center, and provided support for new pharmaceutical sciences faculty members with the necessary expertise. The initiative also provided funds to support the research of TUSP junior faculty members interested in pursuing drug discovery and collaborations with similarly motivated researchers across Temple University.
The success of this effort can be seen in the number of externally funded programs, publications, awarded patents and out-licensed intellectual property that were realized as a result of the Temple University Drug Discovery Initiative. These successes were key drivers in the decision by Lonnie and Sharon Moulder to provide an additional endowment in 2014.
Today the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research remains the only fully integrated academic drug discovery center in the tristate region. Over its 16 year history, the center has established a track record of success by pursuing quality research, embracing entrepreneurial objectives, and educating the next generation of scientists.