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Dr. William Atkins has been named the first Sid Nelson Endowed Professor in Medicinal Chemistry. Bill joined the Med Chem faculty in 1991. His research focuses on the biochemical nature of detoxification enzymes and on drug metabolism, with emphasis on biophysical mechanisms. He has been awarded several NIH grants for his research on enzyme systems. His lab also focuses on characterization of nanoparticles for drug delivery and targeted therapy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am honored to receive this professorship, which is really a tribute to Sid\u2019s life and work,\u201d said Bill with typical modesty. \u201cI hope our work in the lab will be a credit to his legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sid Nelson was Dean Emeritus of the School of Pharmacy, and a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. He passed away suddenly in December 2011. The Sid Nelson Memorial Fund, an expression of both grief and regard for Sid, was built with contributions from family, friends, colleagues, together with donations from private industry. The memorial fund later became the Nelson Endowed Professorship; Bill, who was a colleague and co-author with Sid over the years, is its inaugural recipient.<\/p>\n
Allan Rettie, Professor and Chairman of Medicinal Chemistry, said: \u201cThis is the first named Professorship in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. That\u2019s an exciting development for us, and Bill is a most worthy recipient.\u201d<\/p>\n
School of Pharmacy Dean Tom Baillie said of Bill, \u201cHe possesses the devotion to research and education that were the hallmarks of Sid\u2019s career.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s high praise indeed, and we, his colleagues in Med Chem, couldn\u2019t agree more. Congratulations, Bill!<\/p>\n
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