Dr. V. Craig Jordan
(1947–2024)
Dr. V. Craig Jordan was an ASPET member for 44 years. Jordan, CMG, OBE, DSc, PhD, FMedSci, FBPhS, FASPET, passed away on June 9 at the age of 77. Considered the “Father of Tamoxifen,” Dr. Jordan was a science researcher and professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Recognized for his work in breast cancer research, he held American and British citizenship status.
After coming to the United States in 1980, Dr. Jordan joined ASPET. He was named an ASPET Fellow in 2021. He also received the ASPET Award for Experimental Therapeutics (1993), the Louis S. Goodman and Alfred Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology (2012) and the Reynold Spector Awards in Clinical Pharmacology (2019).
Dr. Jordan was recently named the 2023 Sir Henry Wellcome Gold Medal recipient, the highest award from the British Pharmacological Society that recognizes outstanding achievement and leadership in pharmacology and therapeutics.
Dr. Jordan received numerous awards during his 50-year career for his revolutionary research in women’s health, most notably breast cancer. Dr. Jordan joined the British Pharmacological Society in 1976 and was selected as an inaugural Fellow in 2004. In addition to the Sir Henry Wellcome Gold Medal award, he was recognized by the British Pharmacological Society with the Gaddum Memorial Award (1993) and the Sir James Black Award for contributions to Drug Discover (2015).
Jordan was a Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2009), the National Academy of Medicine (2017), an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (2008) and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2009). He was a Dallas/Fort Worth Living Legend, Chair of Cancer Research, Professor of Breast Medical Oncology, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Chief, Section of Basic Science Research and Pharmacology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Morris Faiman
(1933–2024)
Dr. Morris Faiman was a member of ASPET for over 50 years, joining in 1972. He received his Master of Science and PhD from the University of Minnesota and began his career in 1965 as a Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Kansas. Dr. Faiman had the privilege of teaching thousands of students over the years and continued his tenure until 2024. In addition to teaching, he also conducted research at the Life Span Institute where he was a recognized leader in the fields of pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacology. His research programs focused on the development of drugs to treat alcohol abuse and drug addiction, and he holds several patents related to his research. Image credit: Lawrence Journal-World
Dr. James Halpert
(1949–2024)
Dr. James Halpert served as President of ASPET in 2010 as well as Secretary/Treasurer on the ASPET Council, editor of the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition, and had been an ASPET member since 1985. In 2010 Dr. Halpert was the recipient of ASPET’s prestigious Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and in 2019 he was named an ASPET Fellow.
Dr. Halpert joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arizona in 1983, beginning his independent research on the structural basis of cytochrome P450 selectivity. In 1998, he joined the University of Texas Medical Branch as professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. There, Dr. Halpert built a chemical biology program, serve as director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center and the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, and assisted with the development of a center for addiction research.
In 2014 He joined the University of Connecticut School of Medicine as dean and professor of pharmaceutical sciences. After his retirement, he served as an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona. Image credit: UConn Today