Credit:
Temple University
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the American Philosophical Society hall, the Board of Directors of City Trusts of Philadelphia honored the three recipients of the 2026 John Scott Award for their contributions to the “comfort, welfare and happiness of mankind.” American Chemical Society member Magid Abou-Gharbia of Temple University was among the winners, recognized for his work in developing drugs for depression, pain relief, and cancer. Other winners were Nina Jablonski of Pennsylvania State University, whose work has transformed our understanding of race, and Daniel Skovronsky of Eli Lilly and Company, who pioneered a first-of-its-kind diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease.
These awardees join a list of other scientific pioneers including Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, and even 1929 ACS president Irving Langmuir and 1976 ACS president Glenn T. Seaborg. After receiving his PhD in chemistry at Pennsylvania State University, Abou-Gharbia worked at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where he led the discovery of drugs such as Effexor and Pristiq, common antidepressants; Dezocine, a painkiller; and Torisel, used to treat kidney cancer. Today, in his role as founding director at the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research at Temple University, he’s working on advancing drug candidates for opioid addiction.
