On Thursday, October 3, the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy will celebrate its third endowed professorship in as many years. Dr. Aliasger Salem, associate professor and head of the Division of Pharmaceutics and Translational Therapeutics, is being nominated for the Lyle and Sharon Bighley Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Dr. Lyle Bighley graduated from the UI College of Pharmacy with an MS in 1963 and a PhD in 1966. He was also an assistant professor and later promoted to an associate professor in the college from 1969-1977.

Salem’s research group focuses on applying nanotechnology in drug delivery and cancer vaccines, training the body’s immune system to attack tumors. Salem’s group targets two of the most common cancers – melanoma and prostate cancer.

Ideas for such novel drug delivery approaches stem from Salem’s diverse research experiences. He holds an undergraduate degree in applied chemistry and a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Nottingham, U.K. He was drawn to immunotherapy during a postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, prior to joining the College of Pharmacy in 2004.

On Friday, October 4, the college will celebrate a number of additional awardees during their annual recognition dinner. Additional information on the awards and honorees is available here.