The Robert A. Magarian Outstanding Podium Presentation Award

Dr. Robert A. Magarian, professor emeritus of medicinal chemistry and vice chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, retired on June 30, 1996 after 26 years. He had been professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Oklahoma since 1978, having served as associate professor from 1970. Prior to joining the faculty at Oklahoma, he was assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy from 1967 to 1970. He was a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow under Dr. Edward Smissman in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas from 1966 to 1967.

Dr. Magarian attended the University of Mississippi where he earned a B.A. degree in Chemistry and Biology (1956); B.S. in Pharmacy (with highest honors; January, 1960); and a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry (August, 1966). While an undergraduate in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, he was initiated as a member of the Rho Chi National Honor Society (1959); was the recipient of the Rexall Trophy Award (1959); and in 1960 he received three awards: The Merck Award, the Lehn and Fink Gold Medal Award, and Taylor Medal---the highest honor awarded by the University of Mississippi. He practiced as a pharmacist in Illinois from January 1960 to August 1961.

Dr. Magarian's research was directed at finding pure (nonestrogen) estrogen antagonists, which were effective in treating different breast cancers (hormonal and non-hormonal dependent tumors) in both pre- and postmenopausal females. His approach to investigating pure antiestrogens was multidisciplinary, involving: (1) the design and synthesis of new organic compounds; (2) the pharmacological testing of each compound; (3) testing the compounds in tissue culture assays involving breast cancer cells; (4) the use of single crystal x-ray analysis of each molecule to study its structure; and (5) molecular modeling to assist in the design of new agents.

During his career, Dr. Magarian published many articles, abstracts, review articles, and book chapters in the breast cancer area. He has ten U.S. patents on antiestrogenic and antitumor agents (di- and triarylcyclopropyl analogs) synthesized and tested in his laboratory by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Some of his key publications involve: "Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a series of Pure Cyclopropyl Antiestrogens," J. Med. Chem.; "Influence of Novel Tirarylcyclopropyl Analogues on Human Breast Cancer Cells in Culture," Anti-Cancer Drugs; Anticancer research; Breast Cancer & Treatment; "Synthesis and Enantiomeric Separation of an Antitumor Agent," Anti-Cancer Drug Design; Bioorganic Chemistry; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry; "Molecular Structures and Conformational Studies of Triarlycyclopropyl and related Non-Steroidal Antiestrogens," Acta. Cryst; J. Med. Chem.; "The Medicinal Chemistry of Nonsteroidal Antiestrogens: A Review," Current Medicinal Chemistry.

Dr. Magarian is listed in Who's Who in America; Who's Who in the Southwest; American Men and Women of Science, Chemistry; The International Who's Who of Intellectuals (Cambridge, England); and Men of Achievement (Cambridge, England). He was an Associate Editor of the international journal, Current Medicinal Chemistry. His research was supported by Mead Johnson, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute), and the Presbyterian Health Foundation. During his teaching career, Dr. Magarian received numerous teaching awards: the Baldwin Study-Travel Award in 1978 from the University of Oklahoma for teaching excellence, which allowed him to travel to England where he presented two papers at an international chemistry meeting held at Oxford University; the Associated Distinguished Lectureship Award from the University of Oklahoma in 1988; in 1985 the Rho Chi Society's Excellence in Teaching and Research Award; and in 1996, the Rho Chi Society Recognition Award for "Promoting Scholastic Excellence and Imparting Knowledge in Creative and Helpful Ways."

Dr. Magarian is a member of the American Chemical Society, American Association of College of Pharmacy, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key National Honor Society, and the Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. Dr. Magarian became the Executive Director of The Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Inc. in January, 1980, occupying that position in The Kappa Psi Central Office, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma HSC until June 30, 2000.

Dr. Magarian has been writing fiction since his retirement and has published two medical thrillers: The Watchman and 72 Hours, and a detective thriller titled, You’ll Never See Me Again, A Crime to Remember. He is working on his fourth novel, a detective thriller in which he is bringing back his lead detective, Noah McGraw, and his partner, Holly Roark. For additional information please visit his web site: www.robertamagarian.com.

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MALTO Medicinal Chemistry, OK Inc., became a not-for-profit organization in 1982 with Dr. Magarian as its president.

Past Recipients of The Robert A Magarian Outstanding Student Podium Presentation Award

1999: Robert H. Cichewicz, “Dimerization of Resveratrol by the Grapevine Pathogen Botrytis cinerea,” University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA. Advisor: Dr. Samir A. Kouzi.

2000: Valeria N. Rubin, “Preparation and Selective Estrogen-Like Bone Protective and Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of Hydroxytriarylethylenes Bearing Acidic Side Chains,” University of Georgia. Advisor: Dr. Peter C. Ruenitz.

2001: Theresa L. Johnson, “Inhibition of Lactate Dehydrogenase C: The Design Synthesis, and Testing of Ligands as an Approach to Male Contraception,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: Dr. Mitchell A. Avery.

2002: Kris Virga, “Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of Pantothenate Kinase Inhibitors,” University of Tennessee, Advisor: Dr. Richard E. Lee.

2003: Lindsay Odom, “Alkylation and Cyclization Reactions of Diazoketones: Synthesis of Substituted Azetidines,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: Dr. John M. Rimoldi.

2004: Kerim Babaolu, “Crystal Structure of Dihydropteroate Synthase from Bacillus anthracis: Studies into Mechanism and Starting Point for Novel Inhibitor Design,” University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Advisor: Dr. Richard E. Lee.

2005: Nakul Telang, “Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Isoflavones as Antigiardial Agents,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: Dr. Mitchell Avery.

2006: Tarek Mahfouz, “Computer-aided Inhibitor Discovery of the Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A,” University of Houston, Advisor: Dr. James M. Briggs.

2007: Kirk Hevener, “Structure-Guided Virtual Screening Against Dihydropteroate Synthase Utilizing Pharmacophore Filtering and Fragment-based Constraints,” University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Advisor: Dr. Richard E. Lee.

2008: Yatan Shukla, “Novel Pregnane Glycosides from Hoodia gordonii,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: Dr. Ikhlas A. Khan.

2009: Amir E. Wahba, “Zinc Mediated Reductive N-Alkylation and Amidation of Nitro Arenes with an Application to natural Products,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: Dr. Mark T. Hamann.

2010: Sarah Chijkowski, “The Reaction of the Sesquiterpene Lactone Repin with Various Amine Nucleophiles,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: John M. Rimoldi.

2011: Amanda Waters, “Methodologies for the Structural Assignment of Karlotoxin Polyketides in High-Throughput using Overlaid 2D NMR Techniques,” University of Mississippi, Advisor: Mark T. Hamann.

2012: Fathy Behery, “Tocotrienol Elecrophilic Substitution Products as Breast Cancer Proliferation and Migratio Inhibitory Leads,” University of Louisiana, Monroe, Advisor, Khalid El Sayed.

2013: Min Xiao, “Discovery of 4-Aryl-2-benzoyl-imidazoles as Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor with Potent Antiproliferative Properties,” University of Tennessee, Advisor: Wei Li.

2014: Eric Bow, “Novel Benzofuran and Benzopyran Scaffolds Targeting the Cannabinoid Receptors,” University of Mississippi, University of Mississippi, Advisor: John M. Rimoldi.

2015: Chalada Suebsuwong, “Structure-Based Design of Potent and Selective DLG-OUT RIPK1 Inhibitors,” University of Houston, Advisor: Greg Cuny.

2016: Quinghui Wang, “Structural Optimization of ABI-231 Targeting the Colchicine Site in Tubulin for Advanced Melanoma,” University of Tennessee, Advisor: Wei Li.

2017: Songtao Lin, “Investigation of 20S(OH)D3 Analogs as Potent VDR Agonists and Anti-Inflammatory Agents,” University of Tennessee, Advisor: Wei Li.

2018: Kinsie Arnst, “Targets the colchesine biding site on Tubulin and Overcomes Taxane Resistance” University of Tennessee, Advisor: Wei Li.

2019: Sahar Alahamdi, Anti-inflammatroy Effect of Selective CB2 inverse Agonists in Murine and Human Microglial Cells”, University of Tennessee, Advisor: Bob M. Moore II.

2022: Haowen Zhang, “Optimization and Biological Validation of a Vimentin Binding Peptoid Antagonist in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer stem Cells”, University of Houston, Advisor: Gomika Udugamassoriya.

2023: Kelli Hartman, “Novel Tubulin Inhibitors Overcome Paclitaxel Resistant Prostate Cancer and Cross the Blood Brain Barrier to Treat Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis”, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Advisor: We Li.

2024: Ashton Coker, “Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship Based Design of Human Pantothenate Kinase Inhibitors”, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Advisor: Richard Lee.