Pfizer executive receives University of Alberta 2021 distinguished alumni award

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A Pfizer executive is the recipient of the University of Alberta’s distinguished alumni award for his work in clinical pharmacology.

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Brian Corrigan earned a PhD in the U of A’s faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences in 1996, and three years later he joined Pfizer. Since then, he has developed models to analyze clinical trials and develop correct doses, and supervises early-stage trials being developed for ailments ranging from neuropathic pain and Alzheimer’s to COVID-19.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Corrigan said it’s very special to be named a distinguished alumnus.

“My wife and I, we grew up in Alberta, went to school, we did a graduate school here and this is where we consider home even though we haven’t lived here for 25 years,” said Corrigan, who now lives in the United States.

“To be recognized by fellow Albertans for some of the work that I’ve been part of for the last 25 years, it really means a lot to us.

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One of the reasons Corrigan became interested in pharmaceutical sciences was the role of a pharmacist in the community.

“You’re helping serve patients, both in the hospitals and outside the hospitals, giving care and in the new role, providing medicines, vaccinations, etc.,” he said.

After spending time in Japan teaching with his wife, Corrigan said they realized the importance of medicine development, leading him to work in the field of clinical pharmacology. Over the last 25 years, he has worked on various projects related to neuroscience and Alzheimer’s.

“In my role, I head up the global clinical pharmacology organization and we oversee current sort studies of early development clinical pharmacology across all therapeutic areas for Pfizer and for the medicines that we develop,” he said.

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Most recently, Corrigan and his colleagues have been working on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics for the virus.

“We were very happy that we could play an important part in that in the history of COVID,” he said, adding he never imagined going into the field that he would play a role in a pandemic.

Over the past few decades, Corrigan has seen new technologies and mechanisms in his field, including the mRNA vaccines used for COVID-19, as well as monoclonal antibodies which can be used to help fight the virus.

“We see therapeutic proteins, we see gene therapies emerging now where we can actually go in and treat the underlying cause of a genetic disorder,” he said.

“I think it’s a really exciting time for medicines development and there’s so much happening. And the science has really evolved to allow us to do things that we couldn’t even think (about) when I joined the faculty of pharmacy.”

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Before the award ceremony Wednesday evening, Corrigan gave a lunch hour talk to students at the faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.

Advice Corrigan would give to students is that it’s important to get solid scientific training, be open to change, and learn how to communicate effectively.

“Medicines development is a team sport,” he said. “Really some of those skills that are really important are those scientists’ ability to be able to communicate those very important ideas to people that might not necessarily be as familiar with them.”

The distinguished alumni award is the U of A alumni association’s highest honour, recognizing the outstanding lifetime achievements of alumni.

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