Description of Events:

The past months have brought a sea of change to many of our daily lives as the impact of the continued spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19] has altered how we work, where we work and how we recreate, as communities around the world attempt to slow its spread and flatten the curve. To provide some actionable information to our DVC members, we are going to present a series of noontime Lunch & Learn seminars by Dr. Dennis M. Gross.

Dr. Gross is the Chapter Secretary and a longtime ISPE member having worked at Merck for 29 years. Currently, Dennis is the CEO of the Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute and also Adjunct Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Jefferson University, and Adjunct Professor of Basic Sciences at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

Over three sessions Dr. Gross will present information to fill the knowledge gaps. The sessions will address:

Immunology 101 for the Non-Biologist (scheduled for April 9)
- o What is the immune system?
- o What is immunology?
- o How does immunity work?
- o What is an immune response?
Vaccines (scheduled for April 22)
- o History
- o Case studies
- o Manufacturing case studies
- o Clinical testing of vaccines: How is it done
- o Future of vaccines
Anti-Viral Agents (scheduled for May 7)
- o History
- o Classes of drugs
- o Yes, Clorox® can kill viruses like Covid-19 on your countertop but it is still a bad idea to gargle with it.
- o Futures

Speaker:

Dennis Gross, MS, PhD, SSYB, SFC

CEO & Treasurer, PA Drug Discovery Institute at The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County

Dr. Dennis Gross received his B.A and M.S. in Biology from the California State University and his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He did his postdoctoral training in Hematopharmacology at Tulane University School of Medicine before joining the Merck Research Labs where he worked for 29 years retiring as Senior Director and Head of West Point Business Operations with overall responsibilities for capital planning and facilities in Pennsylvania, California and Massachusetts. He was also responsible for capital lab and office projects and operations oversight at Merck research lab sites in Canada, Japan, Italy and the UK. During his tenure at Merck, he also served as Adjunct Professor of Global Logistics in the School of Business and Industry of Florida A&M University and Adjunct Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University. After retiring from Merck, he served for 9 years as the Associate Dean for the Jefferson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Associate Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University. Dr. Gross is currently the CEO of the Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute engaged in programs in workforce development, STEM education and business development. He continues as adjunct faculty in the Jefferson College of Biomedical Sciences and the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Jefferson University. He is also Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and Medicinal Chemistry in the Blumberg Institute, Adjunct Professor of Basic Sciences at The Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Corporate Faculty at Harrisburg University of Science & Technology. He has published more than 120 scientific publications and is a member of the American Association for Pharmaceutical Scientists, American Chemical Society, History of Science Society, International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sigma Xi and the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association. He is also the co-editor of the journal Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship and associate editor for the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology. He has been a member of ISPE since 1996 and a recipient of the Buz Lange Award and recently the Joseph Phillips Life Time Achievement Award.

ISPE-DVC "Lunch and Learn" Webinars (A Series of 3 Different Upcoming Events)