Hovik Gukasyan
In 1999, Dr. Gukasyan received a BS in Chemistry (and minor in Biology) from the University of Southern California. In 2004, he received a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from USC School of Pharmacy under the supervision of Prof. Vincent H.L. Lee. His thesis addressed ophthalmic electro-physiology and transport, with a focus on oxidative stress during disease and endogenous antioxidants. Numerous publications can be attributed to Dr. Gukasyan, including peer reviewed papers, book chapters, abstracts as posters, invited talks and a patents.
With 18 years of pharmaceutical industry experience (Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc., Allergan plc, AbbVie Inc), Dr. Gukasyan is currently an Associate Professor at USC. His primary responsibility is in undergraduate education, with an area of research in the development, characterization and applications of novel drug carrier systems. He has supported over 80 drug discovery and early development programs with successful results on the market, e.g. DIQUAS®, VYZULTA®, and LORBRENA®.
Dr. Gukasyan is an Adjunct Professor at KGI Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, and also taught at UCSD School of Engineering (courses include biopharmaceutics, regulatory sciences, and medical devices), and supported experiential training IPPE/APPE. He has also served on the PhD thesis committee of graduate students at the University of Arizona School of Pharmacy. PhRMA Undergraduate Fellow and working for Health Champion. He has been a winner of the Pfizer Global R&D Achievement Award and has twice won the Worldwide R&D W.E. Upjohn Prizes Award.
Areas of biotech expertise in molecular drug delivery and targeting, rational design of prodrugs, transmembrane transporters, ocular therapeutics, and digital sciences. He is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, American Chemical Society, Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society, and a reviewer for journals like Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Life Sciences, Neuroscience Methods, Biochemical Pharmacology, and Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.