Pfizer Head Awarded Honorary Degree
Annette Doherty, Senior Vice-President, Pfizer Global Research & Development and Director of Pfizer Sandwich Laboratories in Kent has been given an honorary degree by the University of Greenwich.
She was made Honorary Doctor of Science (HonDSc) on Tuesday, July 24 at the university's awards ceremony at Rochester Cathedral, where hundreds of new graduates collected degrees and diplomas.
Professor Patricia Harvey, Director of Resources in the School of Science and Eulogist says: "Dr Annette Doherty is an outstanding leader in the largest company in one of the world’s most risky industries. She is also a gifted scientist with a distinguished and impressive record of achievements in chemistry that includes over 120 scientific manuscripts and reviews, and a role model for women because she successfully combines a fulltime career in science, with family life".
Annette has helped develop drugs to tackle heart disease, gastroenterology, inflammation, pain, allergies and respiratory diseases. Last week it was announced that that the first new oral drug for HIV in ten years, discovered by Pfizer scientists in Kent, has been recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency.
She received her BSc and PhD in chemistry from Imperial College. After winning a NATO fellowship, she spent two years completing her postdoctoral research on natural product synthesis at the University of Ohio.
Annette joined research-based pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a Senior Scientist in the Department of Chemistry. Annette became Director of Cardiovascular Chemistry and then Senior Director of Cardiovascular, Peptides, and Cancer Chemistry.
In 1997 she became Director of Research at the Parke-Davis site in Fresnes, France. She was later promoted to Vice President of Research. Annette also
assumed interim leadership for the Parke-Davis laboratories in Cambridge. After the acquisition of Warner Lambert by Pfizer, Annette was appointed Site Head in Fresnes.
In 2003, Annette became Senior Vice-President, Pfizer Global Research and Development, and Director of the Sandwich Laboratories in Kent. She was appointed Research Site Head & Site Leader, Sandwich Laboratories, Pfizer Global Research and Development earlier this year.
She was Vice-chair, Secretary and Chair of the division of Medicinal Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. Annette was a member of the US based National Institutes of Health BioOrganic and Natural Products study section and Editor-in-Chief of the publication Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry. She acted as the Pharmaceutical Industry representative for a Royal Society of Chemistry review into the state of academic research in UK. Annette has published more than 100 scientific manuscripts and written over 20 reviews.
Her honorary doctorate was presented by Lady Anne-Marie Nelson, ProChancellor of the University of Greenwich. Professor Patricia Harvey from the School of Science was the Eulogist. Annette Doherty wore a gown of blue and gold damask silk and a Tudor-style academic bonnet. Honorary degrees are awarded to individuals of distinction who have made a major contribution to the work of the university, or who have earned prominence for activities associated more widely with education, business, culture, creative work and public service.
A jpeg photo is available on request from the Press Office
For more information:
Nick Davison
Public Relations Unit
University of Greenwich
0208 331 8092