Distinguished Professor Marilyn Morris appointed to NIH review board

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Marilyn Morris, PhD, University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, was elected to serve as a member of the Xenobiotic and Nutrient Disposition and Action Study Section at the National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review.

Study sections review grant applications submitted to the NIH and survey the status of research in their fields. Members are chosen for their achievements in their discipline, as well as the quality of their publications in scientific journals.

Morris, a UB faculty member since 1985 and vice chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, will serve a four-year term from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2020.

“The NIH depends on the expertise of outstanding scientists such as Dr. Morris for fair and knowledgeable reviews of grant applications,” says James O’Donnell, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

“Her selection as a member of this study section attests to her many accomplishments in pharmaceutical sciences research.  Her willingness to devote her effort to this important task is much appreciated, especially in light of all her contributions to the teaching, research and service missions of the school.”

Morris’ research focuses on the influence of the movement of drugs throughout, as well as their effect on, the body.

Her current work focuses on how gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), a psychoactive drug that is often abused recreationally, is transported within the body, and on devising treatments for overdose. Morris is also examining new breast cancer therapies that target drug-resistant cancer cells.

Morris has received numerous awards and fellowships, including being elected a fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, for which she also served as past president. She has published more than 150 journal articles.

She holds a doctorate in pharmaceutics from UB, a master’s degree in pharmacology from the University of Ottawa and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Manitoba.