Abul-Hajj and Hanna Award for Exceptional Graduate Student in Medicinal Chemistry
This $1,000 award recognizes a Medicinal Chemistry graduate student for outstanding contributions in academic research activities and citizenship. This award is named in recognition of Yusuf Abul-Hajj and Patrick Hanna for their long and sustained commitment to the department. Biographical information for both Dr. Abul-Hajj and Dr. Hanna can be found below.
The awardee is presented with the award during a special seminar in the spring, where they also present their ongoing research and scholarship to members of the University community.
2024 Awardee: Tian Lan
Advisor : Dr. Courtney Aldrich
Education : BS Chemical Biology, Sun Yat-sen University
Yusuf Abul-Hajj
Yusuf Abul-Hajj was born in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1940. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1962 and M.Sc. degree in Organic Chemistry in 1964, both from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and his PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1968 from the University of Wisconsin. Following graduation he joined the College of Pharmacy as an assistant professor and rose through the ranks to full professor in 1980. Professor Abul-Hajj chaired the Department of Medicinal Chemistry from 1984 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2005.
For more than 40 years, Professor Abul-Hajj carried out research on the development of steroidal agents for the treatment of breast cancer as well as studying the underlying mechanism(s) involved in the genotoxicity and/or carcinogenicity of estrogens. He served as Senior Editor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry from 1995 to 2012. In 2005 he was awarded the Lawrence & Delores Weaver Medal in recognition of his support to the College of Pharmacy and its students through service, education and research and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Professor Abul-Hajj is now Professor Emeritus in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry.
Patrick Hanna
Patrick Hanna was born in Little River, Kansas in 1940. He received his B.S. in pharmacy in 1963 from Creighton University and his PhD in medicinal chemistry in 1969 from the University of Kansas. Upon graduation he joined the College of Pharmacy and the Medical School at the University of Minnesota as an instructor, and thus began an association with the Department of Medicinal Chemistry that lasted his entire career. Professor Hanna’s numerous activities in graduate education included the development of courses and curricula in the Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology graduate programs, the mentoring of graduate students in both programs, and serving as Director of Graduate Studies in Medicinal Chemistry from 1988 to 1997. He retired in 2012.
Dr. Hannah passed away in 2022, and this award helps to cement his legacy within the department.