Board of Trustees Appoints New Roth Chair

Editor's note: This article was written prior to University of the Sciences' merger with and into Saint Joseph's University and does not reflect the current, combined institution. References to programs, offices, colleges, employees, etc., may be historical information.

University of the Sciences’ Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Associate Professor of biology Bela Peethambaran, PhD, as the Abraham and Edythe Roth Chair in Pharmacognosy/Natural Products.

During her decade-long career at USciences, Dr. Peethambaran has dedicated her time to research in addition to teaching. Her research integrates several disciplines including biology, cell biology, biotechnology, and pharmacognosy to investigate the different genes that regulate biosynthesis of natural products in plants. Specifically, her team looks to identify novel, natural products and investigate their various applications.

In addition to her work, Dr. Peethambaran has been honored several times including in 2015 when she was presented the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, and in 2018, when she earned the Faculty Award of Merit.

The Abraham and Edythe Roth Chair in Pharmacognosy/Natural Products was established in 1995 by Edythe Roth in memory of her husband Abraham. The chair position supports research into natural products and their therapeutic benefits in treating diseases. This research focus furthers the Misher College of Arts and Sciences and University of the Sciences’ mission.