Barry Gold, Ph.D., Named Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy

PITTSBURGH, October 13, 2005 — Barry Gold, Ph.D., has been named the chair and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy . As chair, Dr. Gold will spearhead the department’s efforts in research and education.

“Solid leadership in pharmaceutical sciences is critical to the School of Pharmacy’s continued success, and Dr. Gold is the right person to provide that direction,” said Patricia Kroboth, Ph.D., dean of the School of Pharmacy. “His exceptional background gives him the foundation for success in this role.”

Dr. Gold plans to devote a significant amount of attention to providing additional research opportunities to students, including the establishment of a “fast-track” program that will allow them to earn a Ph.D. as well as the Pharm.D. traditionally awarded in the program. Additionally, at the graduate level, faculty will be encouraged to target National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grants for the training of pre- and postdoctoral fellows.

“These initiatives will allow the School of Pharmacy to continue to offer students the highest quality education in preparation for their careers,” Dr. Gold said.

Prior to joining the School of Pharmacy’s faculty, Dr. Gold was the principal investigator on a National Cancer Institute training grant in cancer biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He spent the majority of his career at Nebraska, where he held a variety of positions, including associate director of the medical center’s Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and associate director for basic research in the medical center’s National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center.

Dr. Gold’s research has focused on the areas of chemical carcinogenesis, DNA structure and repair and cancer biology. His research has furthered the development of DNA-specific polymeric materials as well as molecules that deliver damage to DNA, which has aided the development of anticancer agents.

Dr. Gold received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hunter College of the City University of New York and his doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of chemistry at the University of Toronto.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy is ranked among the top schools and colleges of pharmacy in the nation when measured by research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Funding from the NIH is viewed as a benchmark for a school’s research programs because of the competitive and rigorous peer review process required to receive NIH funds.