By Kukla Vera

Celebrating a partnership of morethan 50 years, the School of Pharmacyand Allergan, Dean R. Pete Vanderveenhosted a luncheon on March 19 inIrvine. Guests of honor were USC LifeTrustee Gavin Herbert—a founder ofAllergan and chairman emeritus of thecompany’s Board of Trustees—andPharmacy Dean Emeritus John A.Biles.

Based in Irvine, Allergan is a multi-specialty health care company focusedon discovering, developing and com-mercializing innovative pharmaceuticals,biologics and medical devices.

The luncheon recognized the gener-ous support of Allergan to USC’s fel-lowship program and offered a rareopportunity to reflect on the role thecompany has played in the School.Herbert is a former chairman of the

School’s Board of Councilors.At the event, Vanderveen said, “Long

before I arrived at USC, Allergan wasplaying an important leadership andgenerous support role to the School,and we deeply appreciate it.”

Allergan’s support of the School ofPharmacy includes the naming of twoprofessorships, the Gavin S. HerbertProfessorship in PharmaceuticalSciences, currently held by SarahHamm-Alvarez, and the John A. BilesProfessorship in PharmaceuticalSciences, held by Wei-Chiang Shen.Additionally, Allergan named theHerbert Hall of Administration at theSchool and has supported a thriving fel-lowship program with funding at$820,000 for the current academic yearalone.

“There would not be an Allergan

USC Pharmacy celebrates 50-year partnership with Allergan

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 11 APRIL 4, 2008

By Jon Nalick

Due to construction delays, LAC+USC Medical Center officials have pushedback the scheduled opening of—and transfer of patients to—the LAC+USCReplacement Facility from June to September at the earliest.

Carolyn Rhee, project director of the replacement facility, said the current lackof medical gas certification and continuing challenges to stabilize the air balanc-ing system necessitated the postponement.

“Construction completion is difficult,” she said, especially in projects of suchconsiderable magnitude. “But we’re moving forward.”

To prepare for the move, hospital and project officials already have trainedmore than 3,000 people in orientation classes on a broad range of topics includ-ing employee parking and changes in patient-care delivery at the new site.

Rhee said hospital staff has assembled, and continues to work on, a compre-hensive plan to ensure a smooth transition when the time comes, adding, “Thesafety of the patients and staff is key.”

LAC+USC Replacement Facility opening delayedBy Meghan Lewit

Keck School of Medicineresearchers received a $1.6 million,grant from the National Institutes ofHealth to study the function and reg-ulation of the lacrimal gland—a mois-ture-producing gland in the orbitalcavity of the eye. Chuanqing “Chuck”Ding, assistant professor of research,Department of Cell and Neurobiologyat the Keck School, is lead-ing the research.

Lacrimal fluid, the majorcomponent in tears, acts asa lubricant for the ocularsurface. It also plays criticalroles in protecting thehealth of the ocular surfaceand maintaining normalfunction of the eye.However, the exact func-tion of the lacrimal duct system drain-ing the gland is still unclear.

“It’s a poorly investigated field. Fora long time, many investigatorsassumed that the lacrimal duct systemwas nothing more than a transportsystem, or a pipeline, for lacrimal flu-ids, and researchers didn’t really paymuch attention to it,” Ding said.“Recent data now suggest that theseducts play a major role in the secretionand modification of lacrimal fluids.”

Using a number of novel tech-niques, such as microperfusion andlive cell imaging, researchers will be

able to observe—with a state-of-the-art multi-photon confocal micro-scope—the functional changes oflacrimal duct cells marked with fluo-rescent dyes. Janos Peti-Peterdi, asso-ciate professor, Department ofPhysiology and Biophysics, is collabo-rating with Ding.

“It’s a groundbreaking technique forstudying the lacrimal duct system,”

said Joel Schechter, professor,Department of Cell andNeurobiology, another collabo-rator. “It’s never been done.”

Other investigators partici-pating in this project areAustin Mircheff, professor, andYan-ru Wang, senior researchassociate, both in theDepartment of Physiology andBiophysics.

The research may lead to new ther-apies for dry eye, a chronic conditionthat affects millions of people.

“The ultimate goal is to find theunderlying mechanisms that controllacrimal fluid production,” said Ding.“It’s truly a unique project and has thepotential to revolutionize our thinkingof the lacrimal function and dry eyeand finding new therapeuticapproaches.”

A person with dry eye syndromeexperiences constant pain and a grittysensation that, untreated, can lead toscarring of the cornea and vision loss.

Lacrimal gland study awarded $1.6 million

From left, USC Life Trustee Gavin S. Herbert, Dean Emeritus John A. Biles and School

of Pharmacy Dean R. Pete Vanderveen.

Chuanqing Ding

See ALLERGAN, page 4

To better serve students, campus eateries recently extended their hours to as lateas 6 p.m. for hot meals and 8 p.m. for lighter fare and coffee.

Einstein Bros. Bagels in Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute is now open 6 a.m. to 6p.m. on weekdays, except Fridays when it closes at 5 p.m. The Plaza Marketplacefood court is now serving hot meals from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the attached cafeserving Starbucks coffee and pastries is now open until 8 p.m.

Responding to a student survey, administrators at the Keck School of Medicineand the Schools of Pharmacy and Dentistry requested the change to bolster serv-ice to all USC students who live, study and train on the Health SciencesCampus—and students say they’ve already noticed the changes.

Pamela Lincoln, a second-year pharmacy student, said the expanded hours saveher from the inconvenience of having to leave campus for a hot cup of coffee.

“It’s helpful because this is the only place I study. Before I would have to drive15 minutes,” to reach a suitable coffee shop, she said.

Sondra Hernandez, HSC Food Service manager, said the new hours will con-tinue until May 19. Then, Einstein’s and the Plaza Marketplace will close at 3p.m. and the cafe will close at 5 p.m. However, the businesses will return to thenew, expanded schedule after summer if it is popular with student patrons.

HSC serves up longer hours for hot food and coffee

HSC Weekly is published for the faculty, staff, students and community of the Universityof Southern California’s Health Sciences Campus. It is written and produced by theHealth Sciences Public Relations and Marketing staff. Comments, suggestions andstory ideas are welcome via the contact points listed above. Permission to reprint articleswith attribution is freely given.

Assoc. Senior Vice Pres., Health SciencesPublic Relations and Marketing: Jane BrustExecutive Director of Communicationsand Marketing: Ina FriedEditor: Jon Nalick

Senior Vice President, UniversityRelations: Martha HarrisContributors: Eva Blaauw, Jennifer Chan,Veronica Jauriqui, Meghan Lewit, KatieNeith, Kukla Vera and Jon Weiner

Phone: 323-442-2830 Fax: 323-442-2832 Email: hscwkly@usc.edu Web: uscnews.usc.edu/hscweekly/ Next Issue: April 11

Keck School of Medicine neurosur-geon Michael L. J. Apuzzo was recentlynamed a 2008 University DistinguishedAlumnus of Boston University, anhonor awarded in previous years toluminaries including the Rev. MartinLuther King Jr. and former Secretary ofDefense William Cohen.

Apuzzo, the Edwin M. Todd/TrentH. Wells Professor of NeurologicalSurgery, Radiation Oncology, Biologyand Physics at the Keck School, isinternationally known for his work onminimally invasive techniques, cellularand molecular neurosurgery, functionalrestoration, and nanotechnology.

He is editor of the leading interna-tional neurosurgical journals NEURO-SURGERY and Operative NEURO-SURGERY as well as the Internet jour-nal NEUROSURGERY-Online.

Alan Yu, associate professor of medi-cine and physiology and biophysics, hasbeen chosen as co-editor of The Kidney,the seminal two-volume text coveringall aspects of nephrology.

Yu said he is especially honored to bechosen for the post, in part because thesole previous editor was neurologistBarry M. Brenner.

“He was my mentor at Harvard andis one of the foremost and well-recog-nized nephrologists in the country,maybe the world,” Yu said.

The 2,250-page book has been trans-lated into multiple languages and isknown internationally as the key refer-ence in nephrology. Yu joins a rotating

group of five editors who are nowworking on the ninth edition of thetop-selling book, to be published in2009 by Saunders Elsevier.

The nonprofit Space Foundation willhonor the Keck School of MedicineAtherosclerosis Research Unit and itsdirector Howard N. Hodis, professor ofmedicine and preventive medicine, onApril 10 for helping develop softwareto improve the diagnosis of heart dis-ease.

In cooperation with NASA, theSpace Foundation inducted the USCteam into the 2008 Space TechnologyHall of Fame for its work onArterioVision, software used with astandard ultrasound to measure precise-ly the thickness of the two inner layersof the carotid artery, known as thecarotid intima media thickness.

Doing so allows doctors to determinethe age and health of a patient’s arteriesand better predict and minimize his orher risk for heart disease.

Initially developed at NASA’s JetPropulsion Laboratories in the 1990s,ArterioVision is derived from the videoimaging communication software usedto process pictures from NASA space-craft imagery. The AtherosclerosisResearch Unit tested and adapted it fordiagnostic medical use.

Hodis and the AtherosclerosisResearch Unit will be honored inColorado Springs at the 24th NationalSpace Symposium, an annual gatheringof the global space community.

ETCETERA

Salerni Collegium

celebrated its 50th

anniversary on

March 8 at the

Salerni/Medical

Faculty Wives and

Friends annual

scholarship dinner

in Los Angeles. Left,

George Stoneman

accepts an award

for his dedication to

and efforts on

behalf of Salerni

Collegium from

president John

Gonzalez.

By Carl Marziali

Fasting for two days protects healthy cells against chemotherapy, according to astudy appearing online the week of March 31 in PNAS Early Edition.

Mice given a high dose of chemotherapy after fasting continued to thrive. Thesame dose killed half the normally fed mice and caused lasting weight and energyloss in the survivors.

The chemotherapy worked as intended on cancer, extending the lifespan ofmice injected with aggressive human tumors, reported a group led by Valter Longoof the USC Davis School of Gerontology and USC College.

Longo has been studying aging at the cellular level for 15 years and has pub-lished in the nation’s leading scientific journals. He is the Albert L. and MadelyneG. Hanson Family Trust Associate Professor at the USC Davis School with jointappointments as associate professor of biological sciences at USC College and inthe USC/Norris Cancer Center.

Test tube experiments with human cells confirmed the differential resistance ofnormal and cancer cells to chemotherapy after a short period of starvation.

Making chemotherapy more selective has been a top cancer research goal fordecades. Oncologists could control cancers much better, and even cure some, ifchemotherapy was not so toxic to the rest of the body.

Experts described the study as one of a kind.“This is a very important paper. It defines a novel concept in cancer biology,”

said cancer researcher Pinchas Cohen, professor and chief of pediatric endocrinol-ogy at UCLA.

“In theory, it opens up new treatment approaches that will allow higher doses of

Study suggests new way to fight cancer

See CHEMO, page 3

Leslie Bernstein, Professor Emeritusat the Keck School of Medicine, hasreceived distinct honors as the first bio-statistician/epidemiologist and the firstwoman to be awarded the AmericanAssociation for Cancer Research(AACR) Prevent Cancer FoundationAward for Excellence in CancerPrevention.

She was honored for her distin-guished research career in cancer epi-demiology and prevention, spanningnearly 25 years of discovery. Bernstein is

internationally recognized as a preemi-nent researcher and scholar whose workhas vast implications on the quality oflife of cancer survivors.

The award has been given annuallyfor the past six years to a scientist forseminal contributions to the field ofcancer prevention research in basic,translational, clinical, epidemiological orbehavioral science.

An active member of AACR since1995, Bernstein has served in variouscapacities, including as an editorial

board member of CancerEpidemiology, Biomarkers andPrevention, as a participantin Women in CancerResearch activities, and as amember of several commit-tees.

Bernstein received theaward at the Sixth AnnualAACR InternationalConference on Frontiers inCancer Prevention Research inPhiladelphia, where she also gave anaward lecture, “Breast CancerPrevention: Learning from the Past,Mentoring the Future.”

Bernstein is also one of two recipientsof the 2007 Komen Brinker Award forScientific Distinction, the highest awardof merit from the Susan G. Komen forthe Cure organization.

The Brinker Award for ScientificDistinction was established in 1992 to

honor the efforts ofacknowledged pioneers intwo critically importantcomponents of the fight toend breast cancer: clinicalwork and basic research.

Bernstein received theaward for her clinical workas a pioneer in research onthe link between physicalactivity and breast cancer, as

well as her leadership in efforts tounderstand patterns in breast cancerincidence, including the troubling risein risk among new immigrants toCalifornia.

She was recognized formally for heraward-winning efforts during the 30thannual San Antonio Breast CancerSymposium, a major international gath-ering of breast cancer researchers, clini-cians and patient advocacy organiza-tions, held in San Antonio.

Keck School Professor Emeritus Leslie Bernstein honored for distinguished career

Leslie Bernstein

By Carl Marziali

Major discoveries in nanotechnology over the past five years com-pel an accelerated search for medical applications, said organizers ofa national conference held at USC March 20-21.

The conference provided a public showcase for some of the dis-coveries and opportunities discussed earlier in the week during aUSC-hosted workshop on translational nanoscience.

“Advances in engineering and science at the nanoscale now offerthe potential to make very, very small particles, devices, machines—things that could either deliver a therapeutic to the human body orbe inserted into the human body to combat disease,” said StevenMoldin, executive director of USC’s Washington, D.C., Office ofResearch Advancement.

“This is all being driven by technological advances at a pace thatwas unanticipated even five years ago.”

USC was chosen to host the meeting because of its expertise inengineering and fabrication sciences and nanochemistry, Moldinnoted, and because the university already has a BiomedicalNanoscience Initiative, co-chaired by Richard Cote of the KeckSchool of Medicine of USC and Mark Thompson of USC College.

The purpose of the conference was to match basic nanotechnolo-gy research with medical areas having urgent needs, said co-organ-izer James Murday, director of physical sciences development in theD.C. Office of Research Advancement.

“What are some of the major problems facing doctors and clini-cians where they would significantly benefit from some newapproaches to solve problems, and is there anything in the nanoworld that offers hope?” he asked.

As a scientist in the Department of Defense, Murday was one ofthe architects of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. The multi-agency initiative program coordinates more than $1.5 billion inannual research grants.

“The goal (of the conference) was to see where the sweet spotsare—promising opportunities for nano-enabled technologies tomake significant impact to medicine and health. In turn, thoseinsights will provide strategic investment guidance to the fundingcommunities,” Murday said.

He identified three major areas highlighted at the conference: tis-sue regeneration and implants, diagnostics and imaging, and drugsand therapeutics.

The conference included presentations from researchers at leadingresearch centers, including USC, the California Institute ofTechnology, the University of California system, Baylor College ofMedicine, Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, the University ofIllinois and General Electric.

By Kukla Vera

The American Pharmacists Association,the Rho Chi Society and the AmericanSociety of Health-System Pharmacists haverecognized USC students and their peers forexcellence in pharmacy practice among stu-dent pharmacists.

At the American Pharmacists Associa-tion’s meeting in San Diego, USC studentBrandi Chock was one of four studentsnationwide to be awarded the APhA-Academy of Student Pharmacists StudentLeadership Award.

Chock, a 2009 Pharm.D. candidate, is thepresident of the USC chapter of theAPhA/CPhA.

She was recognized at a special dinner inSacramento this month, along with theother national winners and her faculty advi-sor, professor Michael Wincor.

Also at the meeting, USC won four pres-tigious group awards. The 2008-09 ProjectCHANCE Award went to the School ofPharmacy in recognition of student work insafety-net clinics. The school also took theNational Operation Immunization Awardfor efforts to vaccinate and to educateCalifornians about immunization.

Student work also was recognized withthe Region 8 Heartburn AwarenessChallenge Award and the Region 8Operation Diabetes Award. Both honorsrecognize students for their superior effortsto improve the health of the community inthese specific areas.

The Rho Chi Society, the national aca-demic honors society in pharmacy, awardedthe USC Theta Chapter a project proposalaward for its submission, “Mental Healthand Sleep Disorders.” On hand to acceptthe award at the Rho Chi annual meeting inSan Diego was Amy Eng, president of theUSC Rho Chi chapter.

School of Pharmacy professor RonAlkana was named to the Rho Chi AlumniHonor Roll, and Wincor was electedRegion 8 councilor on the organization’snational executive board.

In addition, the American Society ofHealth-System Pharmacists honored USCstudents Christina Phan and and ToddOkamoto with the organization’s AnnualLeadership Award. This award recognizesstudents who are national role models fortheir leadership in professional pharmacyorganizations.

USC School of Pharmacy students win national honors

chemotherapy. It’s a direction that’s worthpursuing in clinical trials in humans.”

Felipe Sierra, director of the Biology ofAging Program at the National Institute onAging, said, “This is not just one more anti-cancer treatment that attacks the cancer cells.To me, that’s an important conceptual differ-ence.”

Sierra was referring to decades of efforts bythousands of researchers working on “targeteddelivery” of drugs to cancer cells.

Study leader Longo focused instead on pro-

tecting all the other cells.Sierra added that progress in cancer care has

made patients more resilient and able to toler-ate fasting, should clinical trials confirm itsusefulness.

“We have passed the stage where patientsarrive at the clinic in an emaciated state. Noteating for two days is not the end of theworld,” Sierra said.

“This could have applicability in maybe amajority of patients,” said David Quinn, apracticing oncologist and medical director ofUSC Norris Hospital and Clinics.

CHEMO: New approach aims to protect healthy cellsContinued from page 2

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Conference focuses on nanotech medicine

HSC NEWSMAKERS Complete listing at: www.usc.edu/uscnews/usc_in_the_news/

A Mar. 31 Bloomberg articlequoted USC/Norris cancerresearcher David Quinn in anarticle about a USC-led studywhich found that short-termstarvation techniques may helpshield healthy cells from thedamaging side effects ofchemotherapy. Stories also ranin the New Scientist and AFP.

On Mar. 31, CW News citeda USC study that found chil-dren who eat three hot dogs aweek are nine times more likelyto develop leukemia.

A Mar. 31 Seattle Post-Intelligencer highlightedresearch led by heart researcher

Amytis Towfighi which foundevidence linking excess abdom-inal fat to an increased rate ofstroke among females.

A Mar. 25 New York Timesarticle quoted child obesityresearcher Donna Spruijt-Metzabout a new study finding thatadolescents who eat breakfastare more likely to exercise andless likely to be overweight.

A Mar. 25 Press-Telegramarticle quoted CHLA pediatri-cian Mark Sklansky and car-diovascular surgeon VaughnStarnes in an article about agirl brought to the U.S. forheart surgery at CHLA.

KCBS-TV Channel 2 newsalso reported the story.

A Mar. 25 New York Timesarticle featured a study by USCresearchers and several otherinstitutions that identified all1,116 unique proteins found inhuman saliva glands. Reutersran a similar article.

A Mar. 25 Medical NewsToday article featuredresearchers at CHLA discover-ing a way to dramaticallyenhance the growth of stemcells from umbilical cord bloodafter transplantation.

Calendar of EventsMonday, Apr. 7

NOON. Fellows’ Core CurriculumConference. “Edema & Diuretics,”Miroslaw Smogorzewski, USC. GNH Drs.Dining Rm. A & B. Info: (323) 226-7307

NOON. “Pathogenesis of Systemic LupusErythematosus: Chance Favors SusceptibleHosts,” Shu Man Fu, Univ. of Virginia.GNH 6441. Info: (323) 442-1946

4 P.M. “Dyslipidemia in Transplant Patients:Research in Progress,” Jacob Ahdoot, USC.GNH 10-340. Info: (323) 226-7307

Tuesday, Apr. 8

9 A.M. Neurology Grand Rounds. “OpticalIntrinsic Signal Imaging of Seizures andCortical Spreading Depression,” JamesChen, UCLA. ZNI 112. Info: (323) 442-7686

11 A.M. “Newer Therapies in Diabetes:Mechanisms and Clinical Applications,Jane Weinreb, UCLA. HMR 100. Info:(323) 442-2806

NOON. Cancer Ctr. Grand Rounds. “Rolesof the Transcription Factor LRF inHematopoieses,” Takahiro Maeda, City ofHope. NOR 7409. Info: (323) 865-0801

2:30 P.M. Translational Science Symposium.

“Immunological Challenges in ClinicalTransplantation,” Various speakers. KAMB21. Info: (323) 361-8681Tuesday, Apr. 8

4 p.m. KSOM faculty and staff are invitedto a Town Hall meeting. Dean Carmen A.Puliafito will present an update of activitiesand strategic directions for the Keck Schoolof Medicine. Info: (323) 442-2830

Wednesday, Apr. 9

7 A.M. Medicine Grand Rounds.“Endocarditis,” John Fan, USC. GNH1645. Info: (323) 226-7556

NOON. Renal Grand Rounds. “Genetic andInherited Renal Disorders: DiabeticNephropathy,” Sharon G. Adler, UCLA.GNH 6441. Info: (323) 226-7307

NOON. USC Ctr. for Excellence inResearch. “Beyond the Genome:Implications of Genetic Research for ourUnderstanding of Ourselves,” CarolPrescott, USC. UPC: CUB 329. Info:(213) 740-6709

4 P.M. USC Ctr. for Excellence in Research.“Securing External Funding for Research inCrime, Justice and Related Issues,” LeoraRosen, USC. UPC: CUB 329. Info: (213)740-6709

Thursday, Apr. 10

9 A.M. USC Childhood Obesity ResearchCtr. Symposium. “Childhood Obesity:Genes, Brains, and Behavior,” Gary Taubes,author of Good Calories, Bad Calories.NRT Aresty Aud. Info: (323) 442-4101

Friday, Apr. 11

8 A.M. The Saban Research Inst. ofChildrens Hospital Los AngelesDistinguished Lecturer series. “Imitation inAutism: Findings and Mechanisms,” SallyRogers, UC Davis. CHLA Saban ResearchBldg. Info: (323) 361-8424

NOON. “Medical & Surgical Treatment ofResistant Hypertension,” Mitra Nadim andFred Weaver, USC. GNH 7420. Info:(323) 442-6130

NOON. “Immune Repair Responses inHIV,” Kathleen Rodgers, USC. GNH6441. Info: (323) 226-7504

NOON. Pharmacology and PharmaceuticalSciences Seminar. “Neuroactive SteroidsMediate Alcohol Sensitivity in Rats andHumans: Therapeutic Relevance,” A. LeslieMorrow, Univ. of North Carolina. PSC104. Info: (323) 442-1427

The HSC Calendar is online at www.usc.edu/hsccalendar

Keck School students named AMSA leaders

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Notice: Deadline for calendar submission is 4 p.m. Monday to be considered for thatweek’s issue—although three weeks advance notice of events is recommended. Please note thattimely submission does not guarantee an item will be printed. Send calendar items to HSC Weekly,KAM 400 or fax to (323) 442-2832, or e-mail to eblaauw@usc.edu. Entries must include day, date,time, title of talk, first and last name of speaker, affiliation of speaker, location, and a phone numberfor information.

Three Keck School of Medicine stu-dents have been named to key leader-ship positions in the American MedicalStudent Association (AMSA) for the2008-2009 year.

At the AMSA annual meeting inHouston March 12-16, the organiza-tion elected fourth-year student BrianHurley as its president, and namedthird-year student Rebecca Sadun tothe student office staff as the Directorof Student Programming.

Second-year student Russell Buhrwas named chair of the newly-formedCommittee on Student Life, which willfocus on student wellbeing and advoca-cy, personal and professional develop-ment, medical education quality andaffordability, and fostering a sense of

community among future physicians.Hurley is the first AMSA president

to be elected from Keck School, andwill move to Washington, D.C., towork full-time in the national office fora year before he enters the match thefollowing year.

Sadun will take a year away fromKeck to work full-time in the nationaloffice in Washington, D.C., facilitatingprojects and campaigns and to serve asa resource for local chapters at thenational level.

Run by and for students, theAmerican Medical Student Associationis the oldest and largest organization ofphysicians-in-training and serves as avoice advocating for progressive changein patient and student rights.

without John Biles,” noted Herbert,referring to contributions Biles made tothe company in its early days more thana half century ago.

Dean Emeritus Biles thanked all atthe gathering, especially Herbert for thetremendous support that Allergan pro-vided to the School of Pharmacy overthe past decades.

Vanderveen took the opportunity tonote, “Dean Biles truly stands as one ofour greatest deans. I can only hope tolead as effectively during my tenure asDean Biles did during his.”

Additional attendees at the eventincluded Allergan executives and thefour fellows they are currently mentor-ing through the fellowship program.Allergan hosts more USC fellows thanany other fellowship site and plans toincrease the number of fellows to ninein the 2008-09 academic year.

Attending the event from theAllergan Global Regulatory Affairsgroup were Rick Wilson, senior vicepresident; Marty Solberg, vice presidentand a member of the School ofPharmacy Board of Councilors, who

has spearheaded the fellowship program;and Matt Moran, senior director, whooversees many of the fellows’ activities.

Janet Cheetham, one of the first fel-lows in the program when Biles led theSchool, also attended. Cheetham is cur-rently vice president of clinical opera-tions at Allergan. As Vanderveen men-tioned at the event, “I guess the fellow-ship program works, given Janet’s suc-cess at Allergan.”

Director of the USC fellowship pro-gram, Bill Gong, attended the eventalong with Frances J. Richmond, direc-tor of the School’s regulatory scienceprogram. Many of the fellows areinvolved in regulatory work at Allergan.

Rosemarie Christopher, a member ofthe School’s Board of Councilors whohas been pivotal in the fellowship pro-gram, also attended.

One of the fellows, Lee Ming Boo,said, “The fellowship has given me anopportunity to participate on the regu-latory team tracking a drug from devel-opment to approval.”

Boo received a Pharm.D. from USCin 2004, followed by a research fellow-ship at the school

ALLERGAN: Event highlights longtime ties to USCContinued from page 1