Registration open for Feb. 19 Westwood Lecture on advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing

An exterior shot of Westwood, the Purdue president’s residence.

Westwood residence (Purdue University photo)

Registration is open for faculty to attend the Westwood Lecture Series on Feb. 19.

Two leading Purdue researchers will discuss the university’s growing role in the next revolution of pharmaceutical manufacturing from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Westwood, the Purdue president’s residence.

Alina Alexeenko

Alina Alexeenko, the Reilly Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering, and Elizabeth Topp, a professor of industrial and molecular pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering, will present their Westwood Lecture titled “Onshoring Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Towards the Next Revolution.”

The Westwood Lecture Series is an opportunity for Purdue faculty and staff members engaged in the research topic to interact with colleagues on scholarly work. The program is aimed at enhancing the intellectual vibrancy of the West Lafayette campus.

Space is limited to the first 50 faculty who register online.

Elizabeth Topp

“Onshoring Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Towards the Next Revolution”

Alina Alexeenko

Reilly Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering

Elizabeth Topp

Professor of industrial and molecular pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy

Professor of chemical engineering, College of Engineering

Abstract. Onshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing plays an important role in ensuring that all U.S. citizens have reliable access to critical medicines. Additionally, it presents a unique opportunity to control costs through the adoption of innovative manufacturing technologies — often referred to as the “next revolution” in pharma. In this presentation, Alexeenko and Topp will highlight Purdue’s expanding leadership and contributions to this transformative movement. 

Bios. Alexeenko’s research is centered on computational and experimental studies of rarefied gas flow phenomena occurring in both high-altitude flight and in emerging technologies such as microelectromechanical systems for space communications and micropropulsion and in vacuum manufacturing processes. She is the co-founder and co-director of LyoHUB, a university-industry center that improves freeze-drying technology to make food, pharmaceuticals and biotech products safer and more affordable. Alexeenko earned a PhD in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science in applied mathematics and Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Novosibirsk State University, Russia.

Topp’s research focuses on the chemical and physical stability of protein drugs, with particular emphasis on chemical degradation reactions in the amorphous solid state. She is the director of the William D. and Sherry L. Young Institute for Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals, which aims to revolutionize pharmaceutical manufacturing while making medicines more accessible, affordable and widely available. Topp earned a PhD in pharmaceutics from the University of Michigan, a Master of Science in chemical and biochemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware.

Upcoming spring 2025 Westwood Lecture Series events

March 11: Libai Huang, professor of chemistry and director of the Quantum Photonics Integrated Design Center in the College of Science, will present “Capturing the Motion of Electrons in Quantum Materials.”

Huang leads a pioneering research program focused on directly imaging energy and charge transport with femtosecond time resolution and nanometer spatial resolution using ultrafast microscopy.

April 8: Majid Kazemian, associate professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and computer science in the College of Science, will present “Drug Discovery: From In Silico Insights to In Vivo Validation.”

Kazemian’s research focuses on gene regulation in viral-associated cancers, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

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