Magid Abou-Gharbia

Magid Abou-Gharbia (born December 1, 1949) is an medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical researcher who has worked in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia. He is a Laura H. Carnell Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Temple University School of Pharmacy and was the founding director of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research. Before joining Temple, he spent 26 years at Wyeth, where he held senior research and management positions in drug discovery. His research and leadership have been associated with the development of pharmaceutical compounds, including candidates that resulted in marketed drugs.

Early life and education Abou-Gharbia studied pharmacy at Cairo University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1971 and a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1974. He subsequently attended the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1979. He then completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Temple University, School of Pharmacy and College of Science and Technology.

Industrial and academic career Abou-Gharbia joined Wyeth Research in 1982 and remained with the company for 26 years. He progressed through a series of research and management positions before becoming senior vice president and head of Chemical and Screening Sciences. In that role, he directed discovery chemistry and screening research involving scientists at several research sites in the United States and internationally. His work at Wyeth included medicinal chemistry and drug-discovery programs across multiple therapeutic areas. through its Heroes of Chemistry program.

In 2008, Abou-Gharbia joined the Temple University School of Pharmacy as a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and helped establish the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research. The center was formally dedicated in 2009 following a gift from Lonnie and Sharon Moulder. Abou-Gharbia served as its founding director from 2008 to 2020 and was also associate dean for research at the School of Pharmacy from 2009 to 2019. He was appointed Laura H. Carnell Professor in 2013.

Abou-Gharbia has also held academic and advisory appointments at institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern University, the University of Ferrara and King's College London. At Temple, his teaching has included medicinal chemistry and courses in drug discovery, and his academic service has included research, tenure and promotion, faculty recruitment, accreditation and university governance committees.

Abou-Gharbia has also been involved in efforts to promote biomedical research capacity outside the United States, including the establishment of the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) in 2012, an initiative developed to advance biomedical research and scientific collaboration in Qatar. Personal life Abou-Gharbia is married to Dr. Lamaat Shalaby and they have three children Neveen, Shereen and Kareem. PA Bio Innovation and Educator Researcher of the Year Award (2014) American Chemical Society (ACS) Heroes of Chemistry for Discovery of Effexor (2014), (Pfizer team) American Institute of Chemists Chemical Pioneer Award (2007) New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame Award (2004) Procter Medal (2003) ACS-Philadelphia Section Award (1997) Wyeth Exceptional Achievement Award (1992)