Horace H. Loh

Pharmacology, Medical School, 2010-2018

Regents Professor Horace H. Loh, Frederick and Alice Stark Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, is regarded as an outstanding scholar who has attained national and international prominence for his research on the scientific basis of addiction to morphine and related substances and for the treatment of opiate addiction. For more than 30 years, his research has had a major impact on the understanding of how opioid drugs work on a cellular and molecular level. He discovered the effectiveness of dynorphine in treating narcotic addiction and as a non-addictive analgesic agent. He has published over 580-refereed manuscripts, which have been cited over 15,000 times. Since joining the University of Minnesota in 1989, Professor Loh's grant support totals $47,395,656. He has received many awards for his pioneering work and significant contributions in his field including the International Narcotics Research Conference Founders' Lecture Award (INRC) for his life-long substantial contribution to narcotic addiction research and his scientific integrity and vision; the Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (this is the highest and most important award in the field of drug addiction and dependence research); and the Otto Krayer Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He was one of three scientists to receive the first Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He received the Senior Scientist Award from the NIH numerous times. He has received several honorary professorships and distinguished lectureships from major universities in the U.S. and abroad. Professor Loh was also among the first four inductees in the Academic Health Center's Academy for Excellence in Health Research at the University of Minnesota. He is described as "totally dedicated to the scientific and professional communities within the University, nationally, and internationally." He has served as chair or member of countless review committees, search committees, and advisory committees such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the NIH, as scientific consultant to the U.S. Army Research and Development Command within the Department of Defense and as consultant to the Federal Drug Administration. Professor Loh has been a member of editorial boards of prestigious journals in Pharmacology such as the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Current Opinions in Pharmacology. He is one of the founders and served as first president of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America in 1984. The Society now has over 5,000 members worldwide. Internationally, he is recognized for shaping the development of pharmacology and neuroscience in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. One of his letters state "Dr. Loh, through his advisory capacity, has directly and indirectly set the course of scientific research in Taiwan for years to come." A much sought after speaker, he has presented approximately 200 invited lectures nationally and internationally since 1980. Described as an outstanding teacher and mentor, Professor Loh's philosophy is that he wants his students and his advisees to be more successful in their careers than he has been in his. He has mentored more than 30 Ph.D. students and over 100 post-doctoral fellows, many who have gone on to successful careers as directors of national institutes, heads of departments, professors, deans, founders of biotechnology firms, leaders in the pharmaceutical industry and scientists. Professor Loh's career is exemplary and we are indeed fortunate to have him as part of our intellectual community.