Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Ronald F. Borne, Ph.D.

Professor Ronald F. Borne received a bachelor's of science in chemistry from Loyola University (New Orleans) in 1960. He obtained his master's in organic chemistry in 1962 from Tulane University. Dr. Borne joined the C.J. Patterson, Co., in Kansas City, Mo. as a research chemist. After one year, he decided to continue his graduate studies leading to a doctor of philosophy in medicinal chemistry from the University of Kansas in 1967. In 1967, he joined Mallinckrodt Chemical Works as a research chemist. In 1968, he joined the faculty of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi. Professor Borne retired from full-time service in June 2004.

Dr. Borne has established lasting relationships with students and alumni. He was recognized on several occasions as the Outstanding Teacher in Pharmacy and honored with the University's Outstanding Teacher Award and the University's Faculty Achievement Award. He also was awarded the Mississippi Professor of the Year in 1992. On the national level, he was selected as the 1994 National Rho Chi Lecturer and further recognized in 1996 by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy with the Distinguished Pharmacy Educator Award. Dr. Borne also has contributed chapters to several books used to teach medicinal chemistry.

Professor Borne has published approximately 80 papers in peer reviewed and professional journals. His research and sponsored programs activities have been funded at the national level by several federal agencies including National Institutes of Health agencies (National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke), the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, and private industry (Bristol Myers-Squibb). Early research on non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents resulted in four U.S. patents. Dr. Borne also has served on the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Center for Infectious Disease. In 1988, he recieved an NIH Senior International Fellowship NRSA for research in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland.

His most recent impact on the level of research and learning in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry was the conception and establishment of the Laboratory for Applied Drug Design and Synthesis. This laboratory was equipped primarily using funding from the CDC to establish a world-class facility for combinatorial chemistry/parallel synthesis and molecular modeling.

Professor Borne has served the university in several roles, as Chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and as Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, and subsequently, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research. During this period the growth of external funding on campus almost quadrupled from $18.5 million in FY 1996-97 to $72.6 million in FY 2000-01.