Honorary Doctor Lynne Taylor is looking forward to returning to Uppsala

“After reading the email announcing that I have been awarded an honorary doctorate of pharmacy in Sweden, I immediately had to read it again because I wasn’t completely sure that I had read it correctly. This is a complete surprise, and above all a great honor,” states Lynne Taylor, Professor of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics and new honorary doctorate at Uppsala University's Faculty of Pharmacy.

In her laboratory at Purdue University in Indiana (US), Lynne Taylor leads a highly successful research program that develops new approaches to map interactions between drug molecules and excipients and assess the performance of formulations. The team's scientific progress is of constant benefit to industrial drug development and a source of inspiration for countless researchers.

“This past decade, our research group has been privileged to collaborate in various ways and exchange experiences with Professor Taylor. In addition to being an exceptionally talented researcher, she is also a very important role model when it comes to inclusion and diversity within the academic world, which added to her many other qualities makes Lynne Taylor the perfect choice for an honorary doctorate,” says Christel Bergström, Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics.

The trip to Sweden and the January winter conferment ceremony will not be Professor Taylor's first visit to our northern latitudes. From 1998-2003, the AstraZeneca site in Mölndal served as one of Lynne Taylor's early career stops, and during this period she also found time to attend a conference in Uppsala.

“I really enjoyed my years at AstraZeneca and am very excited to revisit Sweden and hopefully spend time with some of my Swedish friends. I also have colorful memories of Uppsala, especially participating in an amazing dinner at your magnificent castle. So, in addition to having the opportunity to practice my very rusty Swedish skills, I am looking forward to visit your beautiful city again,” says Lynne Taylor.

Also joining the winter conferment ceremony is Dag Larsson, Senior expert policy at Lif, the research-based pharmaceutical industry, who is also awarded an honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Pharmacy. The faculty has called professors Anja Sandström and Christel Bergström to the honorable assignment of hosting the new honorary doctors' visit to Uppsala.

“I hope that Lynne Taylor throughout her stay in Uppsala will experience that she has a second academic home at our faculty and share our aspiration for a continued, developed collaboration. But above all, I wish for Professor Taylor to feel the pride and joy of this highly deserved recognition of an exceptional scientific work and exemplary leadership,” says Christel Bergström.

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: M Wallerstedt, D Naylor, Purdue Uni.