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Adventures in
Pharmacology ASPET is pleased to present the second in a series of special editions of our quarterly news magazine, The Pharmacologist. This special compilation issue highlights feature articles written by ASPET member and science writer Dr. Rebecca J. Anderson. In each issue of The Pharmacologist, Rebecca focuses on science stories that take us on an adventure in pharmacology. The eight feature articles included in this collection take us around the world. We travel from the Pacific Northwest, where researchers harvest bark from yew trees (Taxol: Barking Up the Right Tree, June 2016), to Sub-Saharan Africa, where much needed drugs are being developed to treat patients suffering from river blindness (Ivermectin and River Blindness: The Chip Shot Heard Around the World, March 2016). Rebecca’s stories often provide a historical perspective, with articles touching on treating mental illness (Chlorpromazine and the Dawn of Antipsychotics, September 2016), as well as typhus patients during World War II (Typhus: War and Deception in 1940’s Poland, March 2017). Her stories also cover current events that impact our daily lives, such as the story dealing with pharmacy compounding (The Perils and Promise of Pharmacy Compounding, June 2017). No matter what topic, Rebecca’s articles are always compelling and informative, providing us with stories of real-life pharmacology heroes and heroines who have made a difference both in the profession and in people’s lives.
Dr. Rebecca J. Anderson Rebecca J. Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Coe College and a PhD in pharmacology from Georgetown University. She conducted postdoctoral research under an MRC fellowship at the University of Toronto. Early in her career, she conducted basic research in pharmacology and toxicology and held faculty positions at the George Washington University Medical Center and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In parallel with her academic appointments, she served as a reviewer on several study sections of the National Institutes of Health and as a member of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee. Subsequently, she held positions of increasing responsibility for preclinical drug research at Parke Davis & Company and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and for clinical drug development at Miravant Pharmaceuticals, Kendle, Covance, and Amgen. Among her research accomplishments, she served on the teams that developed gabapentin (Neurontin®) and nevirapine (Viramune®). She belongs to Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Xi honor societies, as well as several professional societies including ASPET. Dr. Anderson currently works as a freelance medical writer and is the author of two books, Career Opportunities in Clinical Drug Research and Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS. Her writing has been recognized by the American Medical Writers Association, the Lambda Literary Review, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
The Pharmacologist • Special Edition