The Molinoff Endowed Chair
The professorship was established in 2001 by the gift of Perry Molinoff, MD, and honors his contributions to neuroscience and his leadership in pharmaceutical research and development in both industry and academia.
Dr. Molinoff ’s research on signal transduction has had significant clinical relevance for diseases ranging from heart failure, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. At the Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Molinoff served as the A.N. Richards Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology from 1981 to 1994. During his tenure, the Department rose into the top ten for NIH funding.
From 1995 to 2003, Dr. Molinoff held leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Palatin Technologies, leading the development of therapies in multiple disease areas. He returned to Penn in2 003 and served as the Vice Provost for Research until 2006. In that position, Dr. Molinoff played a central role in advancing the University’s research enterprise.
Dr. Molinoff is currently Professor of Pharmacology at the Perelman School of Medicine and serves on the boards of both public and private companies.
Current Chairholder
Trevor M. Penning, PhD
Trevor M. Penning, PhD is the Molinoff Professor, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at the Perelman School of Medicine. CEET is a P30 Environmental Health Sciences Core Center funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science. The CEET's mission is to elucidate the links between environmental exposures and human disease and translate its findings into action to improve public health.
Dr. Penning is internationally recognized for his research on hormonal and chemical carcinogenesis. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars, a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, a founding Director of Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs at the Perelman School, and the former Chair of the Graduate Research, Education, and Training group of the Association of American Medical Colleges. He is the recipient of the National Postdoctoral Association Distinguished Service Award.