Interview with Philip Portoghese

Abstract

Dr. Portoghese begins part one of his interview with a review of his education at Columbia University and then the University of Maryland. He briefly discusses his military service in the Korean War, his Master’s work at Columbia, and then his move to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for doctoral work on cancer research. He then relates his recruitment to the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1961 and his changing research interests in analgesic receptors. Dr. Portoghese then discusses his childhood interest in chemistry, relating several personal anecdotes, and how this led to his interest in pharmacy. He shares his recollections of the College of Pharmacy when he first arrived at the University in 1961, Lawrence Weaver’s tenure as dean, changes in the field of medicinal chemistry, and changes in the structure of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry over the course of his career at the University.

In part two of his interview, Dr. Portoghese offers his impressions of the creation of the Academic Health Center and the College of Pharmacy’s move to Weaver-Densford Hall. He discusses relations between the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and the Pharmacology Department, changes in concepts of intellectual property at the University, Dr. Robert Vince’s development of Ziagen, his own research on analgesic receptors, his continuous funding by the NIH, corporate interest in biochemical mechanisms, his development of different compounds as research tools, and industry support for drug research. He then discusses his time as chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, administrative support for the Department, and his time as editor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. He ends his interview with the major technological innovations that have revolutionized the way research in medicinal chemistry is performed.