The UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences hosted this year’s Vertex Day on May 7, honoring PhD in Pharmacological Sciences students Kiki Chen and Lila P. Halbers as the 2025 Vertex Scholars.
Vertex Day is an annual collaboration between Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences that has existed for over 15 years. The event recognizes the students who have been chosen as the year’s Vertex Scholars and features presentations from faculty and Vertex scientists.
Distinguished Professor Dr. Stephen Hanessian provided welcoming remarks for the event. Dr. Brian Paegel, UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Associate Dean of Research, introduced the Vertex Scholars, and Sabine Hadida (Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Senior Vice President and San Diego Site Head) presented the students with their awards.
Kiki Chen earned her BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from UCI. In the Alachkar Lab, she researches primary cilia in brain function using genetic mouse models, behavioral assays, and molecular tools. Her research aims to understand how ciliary signaling shapes neural circuits involved in cognition and behavior and how its disruption may contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders. Her recent work integrates circuit-mapping, metabolomics, and G-protein signaling to uncover region- and cell-type-specific roles of cilia in adult brain plasticity.
“I’m honored to be named a Vertex Scholar. This opportunity to share my research on brain signaling and psychiatric disorders with professionals in the biotech industry is incredibly motivating,” Chen shared. “I’m especially grateful to Vertex for supporting young scientists and creating spaces where academic research and therapeutic innovation can intersect.”
Prior to joining the PhD in Pharmacological Sciences program at UCI, Lila P. Halbers earned her BA in Chemistry from UC Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences from USC, where she researched evaluating adjunct therapies for Parkinson’s disease. Currently, as a researcher in the Prescher Lab, she develops tools to study cellular processes and disease pathology, with an emphasis on creating a platform for tracking RNA dynamics.
“Receiving the Vertex Scholar recognition is incredibly meaningful to me,” said Halbers. “It’s a privilege to showcase the exciting work happening in the RNA group and our lab, and to connect with professionals who are leading advances in therapeutic innovation. The continued collaboration with Vertex is invaluable in supporting our research. It was also a fun surprise to see how small the scientific world can be — several Vertex team members had previously worked in the labs of collaborators whose projects I was presenting.”
The Vertex Day event featured “A Renaissance in Steroid Drug Discovery and Development,” a presentation by Dr. Glenn Micalizio, Susan and Henry Samueli Endowed Chair in Integrative Health and professor in the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and “Development of Selective NaV1.8 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Pain,” a presentation by Sandie Lechner (Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Vice President, Pain Research). The day also included a career panel featuring Vertex Pharmaceuticals scientists Alex White (Senior Research Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry), Anne Phan (Senior Research Scientist, Molecular & Cell Biology), Lily Feng (Research Scientist, High Throughput Biology), and Melissa Strong (Senior Research Scientist, Pharmacology), and moderated by A.J. Roecker (Executive Director, Medicinal Chemistry). Founding Dean Jan Hirsch provided closing remarks.
“We are deeply appreciative of Vertex Pharmaceuticals for their ongoing commitment to supporting our doctoral candidates,” expressed Sonia Batra, the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Director of Development. “Kiki Chen and Lila P. Halbers are exceptional students who truly merit this recognition.”
You can see photos from this year’s Vertex Day here.
