Lecture Series

Lecture 56: Drug Development Process

Date & Time: Thursday December 13, 2012 – 7:30 PM

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Location: Montgomery Community College (Rockville Campus) – Humanity Building (HU), Conference Room 009 (Get Directions, Campus Map )

Speaker: Esmail Tabibi, PhD
Language: English 
Esmail Tabibi

Synopsis:

Drug development is a long, expensive and risky process. It starts from an idea that sparks in a scientist’s brain (either in academia or industry) and creates a flurry of scientific, financial and sometimes political activities to generate about 5000 compounds, which at the end, just one of them may end up in the market as a drug.This brief presentation will attempt to point out the major issues involved in drug development process and the potential reasons of failure of other 4999 compounds during 12-15 years of this process.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Esmail Tabibi received his B.Sc. in pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy with emphasis on Pharmacology from Tabriz University in Iran. After teaching at Tabriz and Mash-had universities, he moved to University of Maryland at Baltimore to obtain his Ph.D.. Following his graduation, he served as Director of Pharmaceutical R&D at H.G. Pars Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Director R&D and Vice President at MediControl Corporation, Newton, MA, Vice President for Product Development at Micro Vesicular System, Nashua, NH, Assistant Professor of School of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI and Project Officer at the National Cancer Institute with responsibility for develping anti-cancer drugs.
In 2001, he returned to academic as Associate Professor of the Dept of OB/GYN at Eastern Virginia Medical School to develop microbicide and anti-AIDS medications. His current position is at the National Cancer Institute with similar responsibility. Dr. Tabibi has published over 60 peer reviewed articles, many book chapters and has been honored with several patents.
He is founding member of the following non-profit organizations:

  • Ibn Sina Health Foundation of North America
  • AhlulBayte Society in North America
  • Islamic School of Potomac

Currently he serves at the Board of Islamic School of Potomac and Islamic Research and Educational Foundation.

Fee (including dinner): $5 Students, $15 Public

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2012 Student Scholarship Award Ceremony & Lecture 55

IAAP is proud to host 2012 Student Scholarship Award Ceremony.

Date & Time: Thursday November 8, 2012 – 6:45 PM RSVP Here
Location: Montgomery Community College (Faculty Lounge, Campus Center) (Get Directions, Campus Map )

Program Agenda:
  • 6:45 pm: Registration and Socialization
  • 7:15 pm: Opening Remarks, and Welcoming note by Dr. Aram Hessami
  • 7:20 pm: IAAP, and the Scholarship Award Selection Criteria
    Dr. Manouchehr Farkhondeh, President, IAAP
  • 7:35 pm: Dinner
  • 8:10 pm: Lecture by ”Ashkan Emadi, MD, PhD ”, “Targeting Cancer Metabolism: A New Hope Ready for Prime Time”
  • 8:50 pm: Scholarship Awards
    Mr. Hossein Ebneyousef, Chair of Student Scholarship Committee, IAAP
  • 9:30 pm: Musical performance
  • 10:00 pm: Closing Remarks
Speaker: Ashkan Emadi, MD, PhD
Language: English 

Ashkan EmadiSynopsis:

In contrast to normal cells, rapidly dividing cancer cells genetically reprogram their nutritional requirements to match an increased metabolic demand. The two main nutrient sources for growth and survival of cancer cells are glucose, a sugar, and glutamine, an amino acid. The preference for glucose was noted approximately 90 years ago and is now best illustrated by the fact that positron emission tomography (PET) scans are able to detect many new and recurrent cancers. We and others have connected key genes in leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers to glucose and glutamine metabolisms in cancer. After validating the proof-of-concept, we are now exploring the therapeutic potential of targeting several key enzymes in glycolysis, mitochondria and glutamine metabolism for already approved and future anti-neoplastic drugs. This presentation demonstrates a personal journey, several collaborations, failures and successes of studies that are underpinned by rigorous scientific foundations, upon which new ways of treating cancers and in particular, leukemias are being researched.

About the Speaker:

Ashkan Emadi, M.D., Ph.D. is a board certified Hematologist/Oncologist and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center. He previously served as Medical Officer at the Division of Hematology Products (DHP), Office of Hematology and Oncology Products (OHOP), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and as Visiting Scientist at Division of Adult Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Emadi received his medical doctorate (M.D.) from Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 1996 and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2004. He developed novel methodologies for the synthesis of multiple naphthoquinone derivatives exhibiting HIV integrase inhibitory and anti-neoplastic activities. He was granted “Highest Standards of Academic Achievement Award” for this work, and holds the patent on the compounds and their synthesis. Following completion of his Ph.D., he completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Kentucky and the University of Cincinnati, respectively. Dr. Emadi finished his Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Emadi’s translational and clinical research is focused on exploiting cancer metabolism. He works on developing new drugs and novel targets for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors. Dr. Emadi has published in several prestigious journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Blood, Organic Letters, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology and Science Translational Medicine.

Fee (including dinner): $5 Students, $15 Public

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Lecture 54: Life by Design

Date & Time: Thursday October 11, 2012 – 7:30 PM

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Location: Montgomery Community College (Rockville Campus) – Humanity Building (HU), Conference Room 009 (Get Directions, Campus Map )

Speaker: Mitra M. Lore

Mitra Lore

Synopsis:

This talk focuses on designing one’s future for maximum fulfillment. More than half of the college-educated workforce of all ages report that they are unsatisfied by their careers. The majority of recent graduates are uncertain of their future direction. Half of marriages fail, and many of those that remain are less than happy. It often seems that our choices are a very limited set of options over which we have little say.

Based on her first-hand experience with hundreds of career-changers, young people choosing a career for the first time, and people both seeking and finding a more fulfilling personal life, Mitra Lore will present a view that it is possible to realize both achievement-oriented goals while, at the same time, living a life that fosters inner wellbeing.

About the Speaker:

Mitra Mortazavi Lore, born and educated in Tehran, Iran, she moved to Washington DC area in 1979. She is a director of Rockport Institute, a global leader in developing career coaching methodologies for people seeking a high level of personal satisfaction and success in the workplace. Rockport institute was founded by Mitra’s husband, Nicholas Lore, in 1981. Rockport Institute clients include a wide range of individuals; from students choosing their majors, young people choosing career paths, to mid-career changers, entrepreneurs and senior executives.

Mitra, along with her work with Rockport, has created the course “Having it All” which she has been leading to groups since the mid- 90’s. She is the recipient of the National Capital Area Peacemaker Award. Mitra has a BA in political science and is also an artist. Her favorite art form is making steel sculptures.

Fee (including dinner): $5 Students, $15 Public

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