If you peer into any classroom at St. John’s University, you’ll
find hundreds of dedicated faculty who bring a wealth of knowledge
and passion to what they do each and every day.
Zhe-Sheng Chen, Ph.D. M.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology in
the College of Pharmacy
and Allied Health Professions, is one such example. After
joining the University in 2004, Professor Chen took his interests
in cancer pharmacology research beyond the classroom, and with the
help of the College, opened the University’s first cancer
pharmacology laboratory.
“My interest in building a cancer pharmacology lab first surfaced
at the cancer center I worked for at Fox Chase Cancer Center in
Philadelphia, nothing came to fruition,” explains Dr. Chen. “But I
knew this research would become instrumental in the treatment of
cancer so I continued to pursue the idea once I joined the faculty
at St. Johns.”
Winner of two faculty recognition awards, Professor Chen is most
proud of his ongoing efforts to help students succeed in
pharmaceutical science careers.
“I always aspire to pass down everything I know so the next
generation of pharmaceutical scientists can become leaders in the
field,” says Dr. Chen. “I believe it’s my responsibility as an
educator, not only to provide them with the credentials to work
within the field, but also to help them build a foundation for a
successful future.”
Encouraging students to publish in peer reviewed journals, working
with them as a faculty mentor and creating opportunities for them
to present their research nationwide – these practices result in
almost every one of Dr. Chen’s students graduating with a position
at a top pharmaceutical company or an acceptance at a renowned
research institution.
Says Dr. Chen, “My students have presented at the conference in
National Institute of Health in Washington, DC, have published in a
record number of journals and have used federal funding to pursue
their research. All of these combined give them an immense
advantage in the field. Plus it’s something we can all be proud
of.”