October 22, 2015
Dr. Leslie Benet was named the winner of the North American Scientific Achievement Award in Honor of Ronald W. Estabrook

The International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX) announced that Professor Leslie Benet, PhD, is the winner of its most prestigious award presented to an outstanding scientist in the North American Region­–the North American Scientific Achievement Award in Honor of Ronald W. Estabrook.  Dr. Benet, BSPharm’60, MS’62, DSc (hc)’11, currently serves as Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.

In addition to receiving an honorary degree from the University of Michigan in 2011, Benet has received honorary doctorates from seven other academic institutions. Dr. Benet has published over 500 scientific articles and book chapters, holds 11 patents, and served as editor of seven books. He is listed among the most highly cited pharmacologists worldwide.

While pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Dr. Benet worked under Ara Paul, PhD, Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Pharmacognosy.  “Dr. Benet and his colleagues introduced the concept of ‘drug clearance,’ which is key to understanding the most effective doses for patients,” explains Dr. Paul. “This has transformed the quantitative assessment of drug disposition and permits the prediction of drug dosing. He is widely recognized as one of the, if not the, most distinguished scholars in this field. He continues this research in pharmacokinetics and recently introduced the Biopharmaceutics of Drug Disposition Classification System. This system allow for predicting routes of elimination of new drugs and drug-drug interactions,” continues Dr. Paul.  

“We are proud of Dr. Benet’s many distinguished accomplishments and awards recognizing him, the ISSX is but the latest of many. He and many of our alumni account for the high regard in which our College is held,” says Dr. Paul. “It takes alumni, faculty, and students of distinction to continue to uphold the heritage of quality for which we are known.”