Professor Steven Firestine has been appointed chair of the Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He had served as interim chair since September 2021.

Firestine earned his PhD in medicinal chemistry from Purdue University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in enzymology at Pennsylvania State University.

In 2005, he joined Wayne State University as assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, rising to associate professor in 2010 and full professor in 2016.

Firestine has been granted numerous awards and honors, including Outstanding Graduate Mentor and Faculty Recognition Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

His primary research interest is anti-infective drug discovery, with multiple contributions to the literature in this area through the years.

“Steve has been key to the continued development and excellence of our multidisciplinary Pharmaceutical Sciences department,” said WSU Applebaum Dean Brian Cummings. “On behalf of the entire college, I am delighted to welcome him to his new position as chair.”

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The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is multidisciplinary and provides expertise in the areas of drug discovery, development and evaluation. The department is dedicated to pursuing scholarship that creates new knowledge, learning that disseminates and preserves knowledge, and engagement that exchanges knowledge. Learn more about the department and its application process.

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels — from undergraduates to veteran faculty members — translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students.