Peterson named one of first two Eminent Scholars
Professor major player in fight against cancer
The Kansas Bioscience Authority has announced the designation of Blake Peterson, Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, as one of its first two KBA Eminent Scholars. The designation carries with it a $5 million, 10-year grant from the authority, to be matched by KU.
Peterson joined the faculty this semester as a professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, part of KU's nationally third-ranked School of Pharmacy.
Blake Peterson
He had been at Pennsylvania State University since 1998, and will play a key role in KU's efforts to obtain National Cancer Institute designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research has led to groundbreaking discoveries in novel drug delivery, particularly with delivery across membrane barriers.
"The bioscience authority is a catalyst for bioscience research, technology transfer and jobs throughout Kansas," said Chancellor Robert Hemenway. "One of the best ways to accomplish that mission is to invest in exceptional researchers who have an entrepreneurial spirit. Dr. Peterson fits that description perfectly."
At Penn State, Peterson's research was funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health and the Dreyfus Foundation. His research will be housed in the new wing of KU's Structural Biology Center. The facility is scheduled for completion this summer.
"The Eminent Scholar designation underscores KU's strengths in basic biosciences research, especially cancer research," Hemenway said. "Work in this area can result in new discoveries, economic growth and, best of all, better lives for Kansans."
The 2004 state statute that created the KBA authorized investment in Eminent Scholars and Rising Star Scholars.
The criteria emphasized professional distinction, a high level of research activity, and the potential for commercialization of that research.
Peterson, who recently was also appointed as a Regents Distinguished Professor, received a bachelor's from the University of Nevada-Reno and a doctorate from UCLA, both in chemistry. He spent two years as a research assistant at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and three years at Harvard as a Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Research Foundation post-doctoral fellow.
He was an American Cancer Society Research Scholar in 2003 and a Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Award recipient in 2004.
The KBA also announced the designation of a second Eminent Scholar. Juergen Richt will join Kansas State University later this year as a professor in its School of Veterinary Medicine.
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