Sharyn Baker, PharmD, PhD, Gertrude Parker Heer Chair in Cancer Research, Professor and Chair of the Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology in theCollege of Pharmacy, and Associate Director of Shared Resources in the Comprehensive Cancer Center received the 2022 Distinguished Scholar Award. The award was announced to a surprised Baker by senior leadership in the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge at a recent College of Pharmacy meeting.
Dr. Baker is pharmacologist and leader in translational cancer therapeutics where she has contributed to the development of safe and effective single-agent and combination drug therapies for adults and children with various forms of cancer. A major portion of her career has focused on development of effective therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in pediatric and adult populations. She was among the first to identify a treatment strategy against tyrosine kinase inhibitors resistance due to somatic mutations, which is a key driver of leukemic cell growth in AML. Baker’s research has led to the initiation of several clinical trials in children and adults, whichhas contributed to the FDA approval of new drugs and drug combinations with improved safety and anti-cancer activity.
"You are having a great impact across the university, enabling Ohio State to movequickly in areas that we haven’t previously been. Your ability to build teams and form consensus on challenging topics has allowed us to do things we couldn’t have imagined being able to do a few years ago. Congratulations to you and your team." said Peter Mohler, PhD Vice president of research at Ohio State and chief scientific officerfor The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles. According to Google Scholar, Baker is among the top two most cited scholars for cancer chemotherapy, top three for acutemyeloid leukemia, and one of two females in top fifty for clinical pharmacology. She has held editorial board appointments with various journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology and mentored over 40 postdoctoral PhD, PharmD and MD researchers.
"This is very exciting. The College of Pharmacy today would not be what it is if Dr.Baker would not have come here in 2015. It has been a wonderful opportunity towork with a fantastic scientist and person, and one whose research has great impacton patients." said Henry J. Mann, PharmD, FCCP, FCCM, FASHP Dean and professor at Ohio StateCollege of Pharmacy
Baker received a PharmD from the University of California at San Francisco, followed by residency and fellowship training in pharmaceutical sciences at the University ofNebraska and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She later completed her PhD from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Her faculty appointments before coming to Ohio State in 2015 included the Universityof Texas, Institute for Drug Development as assistant member and head of thepharmacokinetics section; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as assistant andassociate professor and director of the pharmacology analytical core; and St. JudeChildren’s Research Hospital as associate member and director of thepharmacokinetics shared resource.
"Thank you to Dean Mann and the college for the support and opportunity to build adivision. I’m thankful I get to work with a lot of smart people. When faculty interviewwith me, I tell them this is the best job I’ve ever had. And, it wouldn’t be possible without all the great support! Thank you." said Sharyn Baker 2022 Distinguish Scholar Award
The Distinguished Scholar Award is among the highest annual honors awarded atOhio State. The university-level award honors six faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, conduct research or creative works, that represent exceptional achievements in their fields and garnered distinction for the university. Award recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including past award recipients. Distinguished Scholars receive anhonorarium and a research grant to be used over the next three years.