Dr. Cecil B. Pickett most recently served as the President of Research and Development at Biogen Idec. Dr. Pickett earned his B.S. in biology from California State University at Hayward and his Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He previously served as Senior Vice President and President of Schering-Plough Research Institute, the pharmaceutical research arm of Schering-Plough Corporation. Dr. Pickett came to Schering-Plough Research Institute from Merck Research Laboratories, Montreal, Canada, and West Point, Pa., where he served as Senior Vice President of Basic Research. During his 15-years at Merck & Co., Dr. Pickett held various positions of increasing responsibility, including research fellow, biochemical regulation; associate director, department of molecular pharmacology and biochemistry; director, department of molecular pharmacology and biochemistry; executive director of research at the Merck Frosst Center for Therapeutic Research, Montreal; and vice president of the Center.
Dr. Pickett is an expert in drug development. During his career he has overseen all aspects of the internal research and collaboration with partners aimed at developing, manufacturing, and marketing advanced drug therapies and has played an integral role in bringing several large and small molecule candidates into clinical development.
Dr. Pickett has published extensively in leading research journals and has been a frequent speaker at scientific symposia and conferences. He has received several major academic awards, appointments and fellowships and serves on a number of scientific committees and editorial boards of medical journals and research organizations. His awards and honors include the UCLA Alumni Association Award for Scholarly Achievement and Academic Distinction; the first Robert A. Scala Award and Lectureship in Toxicology of Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; and the CIIT Centers for Health Research Founders’ Award. Dr. Pickett served as a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Science Board, the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health and The National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1993 and is also a member of The American Society for Cell Biology, American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, American Association for Cancer Research, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.