Graduate School-New Brunswick | Celgene recognizes Rutgers graduate students in biotechnology

Celgene recognizes Rutgers graduate students in biotechnology

(from left to right) David Stirling, Chief Scientific Officer, Celgene Corporation;
Angela Baker, Celgene Catherine Pegram Fellow, Rutgers University;
Lynn Lewis, Catherine Pegram's daughter;
Sol Barer, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Celgene Corporation;
David Wang, Celgene Drug Discovery Fellow, Rutgers University;
Jolie Cizewski, Acting Dean, Graduate School-New Brunswick, Rutgers University.

On November 7, 2008 Celgene Corporation of Summit New Jersey recognized the first Rutgers University-Celgene Biotechnology Fellowship recipients. These fellowships are part of an initiative of Dr. Sol Barer, Chairman and CEO of Celgene announced in May 2006 to members of Bio-NJ. The first Rutgers-Celgene fellowship honors the contributions of Catherine Pegram, one of the founding scientists of Celgene. The other is awarded to a graduate student with exceptional promise for contributions to drug discovery. The fellowship recipients were introduced to leaders of the Celgene drug discovery research teams, including a short tour of the facilities, and were recognized at a luncheon hosted by Dr. Barer. Family and friends of Catherine Pegram were also in attendance.

The Catherine Pegram Fellow is Ms. Angela Baker, a student in the Toxicology Ph.D. program at Rutgers University. Angela Baker received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Fisk University in 1996 and her Master of Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2005. Before beginning her master’s program, Angela worked as an Environmental Health Specialist for the State of Missouri, where she worked with underserved populations on issues involving the linkage of toxicants with neurodegenerative diseases. This experience generated an interest in how the environment contributes to the development of these diseases at the molecular level, and what strategies (pharmacological and preventive) can be developed to reduce their impact on human populations. Angela’s background, training and experience give her an unusual perspective for her doctoral studies. Already familiar with how families and populations afflicted with diseases such as Parkinson’s, ALS and Alzheimers are forced to deal with their diseases, she has developed a keen interest in pharmacotherapy and stem cell approaches to treatment. The environment at Rutgers University is superb for developing these interests. Her maturity and high level of commitment should give her an excellent foundation for a career in neurotoxicology and neuroscience.

The Celgene Drug Discovery Fellow is Mr. David Wang, a student in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ph.D. program at Rutgers. As an undergraduate at Cornell, David made important contributions in the field of epoxide polymerization catalysis. Epoxides are readily available molecules that could potentially be used to make polymers with highly desirable properties for a range of bio-medical and other applications. David will be working with Rutgers chemistry and pharmaceutical science faculty members on carbon-carbon (C-C) reductive elimination, a key step by which transition metals catalyze C-C bond formation (or C-C coupling). The formation of C-C bonds is the most fundamentally important process in the synthesis of organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals. Transition-metal catalyzed C-C coupling has revolutionized the synthesis of new pharmaceuticals and drug candidates.

To learn more about the biotechnology fellowship initiative you are welcome to contact Dr. Jolie A. Cizewski, Acting Dean, Graduate School-New Brunswick at Rutgers University, by phone (732-932-2720) or email or to visit our Biotechnology webpage.