This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
The Washtenaw County American Heart Association of Ann Arbor, Mich., has presented Roger Newton ’72 with its 2005 Coeur d’Or Award. The honor recognizes his professional and personal commitment to the AHA’s mission of reducing death and disability caused by heart disease and stroke.
The award cited Newton’s significant role in the discovery of the cholesterol-reducing drug Lipitor. Newton also has served as chairman of the Washtenaw AHA’s Heart Walk the last several years.
“It is an honor for me to be representing people I’ve collaborated with and their efforts toward medical advances,” he says.
In November, Newton received Lafayette’s George Washington Kidd, Class of 1836 Award, given for career distinction. He is senior vice president of Pfizer Global Research and Development as well as director of Esperion Therapeutics, a division of Pfizer that he co-founded as a biopharmaceutical firm.
“[My research] is what gets me out of bed in the morning, and it’s what gets me excited about going to work,” he says. “It’s expanding the knowledge of science, but finding therapeutic applications as well.”
Newton is an adjunct associate professor in pharmacology at University of Michigan Medical School. He has co-authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed professional articles and chapters.
A biology graduate, Newton says his work with Shyamal K. Majumdar, Kreider Professor of Biology, has influenced his scientific approach throughout his career. One of Majumdar’s first research students, Newton completed an honors thesis with the professor’s guidance.
“He was a very strong leader and mentor for me,” he says. “He helped me to be disciplined in my science and go about it in an unbiased and results-driven manner.”