WSU Chemistry hosts Johnson-Pfizer Symposium

By Lisa Anga

Last spring, alumni from across the country returned to campus to celebrate the career of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Carl Johnson and the hiring of Professor Hien Nguyen as the Johnson-Pfizer Endowed Chair during the annual Johnson-Pfizer Symposium.

Attendees viewed presentations from alumni of the Johnson Lab, including Dr. Brian Johns, chief scientific officer at HemoShear Therapeutics; Professor Elke Schoffers from Western Michigan University; Dr. Chris Senanayake, CEO of AstaTech Inc.; Dr. John Kadow, senior director of medicinal chemistry at ViiV Healthcare; and Dr. Judy Westrick, director of the Lumigen Instrument Center at Wayne State University.

The event also included a presentation by Dr. Jeff Kohrt, senior principal scientist at Pfizer. Following the symposium, alumni, faculty and students gathered for a reception, where many fond memories of the Wayne State chemistry department were shared. Thank you to everyone who participated in this exciting event. To be included in future alumni events, please update your profile at alumni.wayne.edu/connect/update.