Biologics and Biosimilars
Drug Discovery and Clinical Applications

Dr. Xiaodong Feng received his Ph.D. training in Cellular and Molecular Physiology and PharmD training specialized in pharmacy education and clinical pharmacy practice. He started biomedical research career twenty years ago in the Wound Healing Center, School of Medicine at Stony Brook. After three years of fellowship, he continued research and teaching as an Assistant Professor in Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook for another 4 years. Currently he is teaching at California Northstate University College of Medicine as Professor of Pharmacology and Oncology. He also has administrative role as University Vice President and Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Admissions and Outreach at California Northstate University College of Medicine. He has over twenty years of clinical and biomedical research experience in cancer, wound healing, and cardiovascular diseases. He also practices as a clinical pharmacist and oncology pharmacy specialist. His current research interests include drug discovery for anti-angiogenesis therapy and tumor metastasis, and application of pharmacogenomics in patient care. Two US patents on strategies of anti-angiogenesis and cancer treatments have recently been issued for Dr. Feng. Personalizing pharmacotherapy using pharmacogenomics has always been his professional passion. He also edited a text book on clinical application of pharmacogenomics in therapeutics. He has been serving as editorial board members and peer reviewers for several peer reviewed biomedical and pharmaceutical journals.

Hong-Guang Xie, MD, PhD, earned his bachelor’s degree of medicine (MD equivalent), master’s degree of medicine, and doctoral degree of medicine (PhD equivalent) in 1984, 1989, and 1995, respectively, from Central South University Xiangya (formerly Xiang-Yale) School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China, where he was promoted as a lecturer and associate professor of pharmacology in 1989, and 1995, respectively, and subsequently selected as a mentor of graduate students for master’s degree in pharmacology. He was appointed as the first associate director of the Pharmacogenetics Research Institute (currently Institute of Clinical Pharmacology), Central South University, China, as the co-founder of that institute in 1997. As a recipient of the Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) International Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship, Dr. Xie joined Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (Nashville, Tennessee, USA) as a research fellow (postdoc) in 1997 and a research instructor (faculty) in pharmacology in 2002. After that, he joined the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Washington Center at Washington, DC, as staff (a research fellow) in 2008, and the US FDA in 2010 as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow. In December 2011, Dr. Xie joined Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing, Jiangsu, China) as a full professor of pharmacology and a mentor of PhD students and was appointed as chief of General Clinical Research Center (GCRC), Nanjing First Hospital. In 2014, Dr. Xie was awarded as a recipient of the Distinguished Medical Expert of Jiangsu Province, China. In 2015, he joined China Pharmaceutical University (Nanjing, China) jointly as a mentor of the PhD training program for clinical pharmacy.

Dr. Xie is active in the research field of basic and clinical pharmacology, with at least 140 articles (original, review, and commentary) published, many of which published in some leading journals worldwide, such as New England Journal of Medicine, Annual Review of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Advanced Drug Delivery Review, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, British Journal of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Biochemical Pharmacology, Journal of Thrombosis & Haemostasis, Drug Metabolism Review, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, and more. In addition, Dr. Xie has authored up to 10 chapters in books published by Annual Reviews, Springer, Wiley, ASM Press, and CRC Press abroad, as well as the People’s Medical Publishing House, Beijing, China, of which he served as a co-editor and associated editor for 2 books, respectively. Dr. Xie has served on the editorial board of BMC Medical Genomics (associate editor), Pharmacogenomics, UK (2003 – 2011), American Journal of PharmacoGenomics (currently Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy), New Zealand, and Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, China. Dr. Xie has also been invited as a manuscript reviewer by over 40 biomedical and pharmacological journals published predominantly in the North America and Europe.

Ashim Malhotra, Pharm.BS, MS, PhD, FAPE is a pharmacist, an NYU Grossman School of Medicine-trained and extramurally-funded molecular pharmacologist, and a　pharmacy　educator with over fifteen years of academic experience.　　

He　serves as Assistant Dean for Accreditation and Program Development, University Distinguished Teacher, and associate professor at the California　Northstate　University　(CNU)　College of Pharmacy (COP).　He is Director of the　CNU　Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence and also directs the University’s interprofessional education and practice program.　In these roles,　he leads faculty development activities for CNU’s six colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Psychology, Graduate Studies, and Dental Medicine.　　

Malhotra　earned　a　Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 2000, and MS (2003), and PhD (2006) degrees specializing in molecular pharmacology from St. John's University in New York City. He conducted　postdoctoral　work at　the New York University (NYU)　Grossman　School of Medicine.　Elected lifetime Fellow of the American Academy of Pharmacology Educators of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics　in 2020,　his work has been recognized through institutional and national awards.　　

Dr. Malhotra has a rich history of mentoring Pharm.D. and undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows in bench and pedagogy research. For seven continuous years (2014-2021), work conducted by his students was recognized through national awards such as the 2021 and 2019 AACP Walmart Scholar, 2015-2018 American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) travel awards, 2017 First prize winner at the Dolores Shockley ASPET poster competition, among　others.　

He has published over 44 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, more than 80 conference abstracts, presented 32 invited　national　podium sessions, chaired an international conference in pancreatic cancer, edited two books, and garnered $374,000 in research funding with an emphasis on mitochondrial pharmacology and also the scholarship of teaching and learning.　He keeps Pacific Standard Time, enjoys the snowy Sierras,　theatre, poetry,　and reading.　　

Catherine F. Yang, PhD,　Vice President of Academic Affairs,　Interim Dean, College of Medicine　and　Professor of Molecular Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry/Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Yang received　her　Master and PhD from Tufts University followed by postdoctoral training　in　Molecular Pharmacology/Clinical Biochemistry　from Harvard Medical School.　　

Dr. Yang is a Professor of Molecular Pharmacology　and Clinical Biochemistry　at the Department of Basic Science of College of Medicine of California Northstate University (CNU). Before joining CNU　in 2016, Dr. Yang was a Biochemistry　&　Pharmacology Professor at Rowan University　and　held　a　faculty appointment　at　its　Cooper Medical School.　She　has　also held research and faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, the American Health Foundation, Boston Biomedical Research Institute, Tokyo University of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Pennsylvania,　and Zhejiang University of Technology.　Dr. Yang　has　over 25　years of　teaching experience in the areas of medicinal chemistry, molecular　pharmacology　and clinical biochemistry.　

Dr. Yang's research has made strong contributions in elucidating mechanisms of tumor　progression,　in the development of novel cancer drugs.　and antibiotics. She has led research groups studying proteolytic regulatory mechanisms in the advanced stages of prostate cancer, lung cancer,　and leukemia. Her in-depth research on type 2 diabetic metabolic regulation led to a dual function diabetes drug patent. Dr. Yang’s immunological research resulted in an allergy vaccine development that is currently under clinical trials at affiliated clinics.　　

Dr. Yang has published more than　70 research papers, several biotechnology books, and is an　inventor　of　10　patented inventions. She has also secured numerous grants from the NIH, NSF, Research Corporation and New Jersey Health Foundation as well as funding from many　pharmaceutical　corporations and health foundations. She serves on various review boards of federal, private and health foundation funding agencies.