School Of Pharmacy Graduate and Board of Visitors Member Passes Away

Sally Van Doren, PharmD, president and chief executive officer at BioSoteria, Inc., died on December 19, in Cuzco, Peru.

By Malissa Carroll
January 11, 2013

A former graduate of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and talented entrepreneur, Sally Van Doren passed away on December 19, 2012, during a trip to Machu Picchu in Peru. Van Doren was born in Baltimore, Md., and received her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the School in 1985. She later moved to California, where she completed a residency in clinical pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Sally was a beloved and dedicated member of the School of Pharmacy community,” says Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FAAPS, FCP, professor and dean. “She not only gave of her time as a member of our Board of Visitors, traveling from San Francisco twice a year to attend our meetings, but she was also a generous donor both personally and through her company. She could be counted on for thoughtful advice and guidance and truly wanted the best for her alma mater, our School of Pharmacy.”

Van Doren began her career in pharmacy at Syntex Corporation in Palo Alto, Calif., where she accepted a position in medical affairs and pharmacovigilance. However, eager to travel the world, she left Syntex Corporation to accept a three-year assignment at a major medical center in Saudi Arabia where she led development of pharmacy protocols and teaching. Following the end of her assignment, Van Doren returned to California and accepted a new position at Gilead Sciences.

In 2007, Van Doren established a small consulting business that later evolved into BioSoteria, Inc., a drug safety and risk management organization dedicated to helping pharmaceutical companies maximize their products’ benefit-risk profiles. As president and chief executive officer, Van Doren helped the company establish its reputation as an exceptional source for the reporting of safety and adverse events in large and small companies, both national and international. In 2011, BioSoteria, Inc. was acquired by the Dohmen Company.

Throughout her career, Van Doren remained committed to giving back to her community. She served as a member of the Board of Visitors for the School of Pharmacy and as a community advisory board member on the Alliance Health Project in San Francisco, and recently established a foundation dedicated to support for at-risk teens.

Van Doren also established the Doris Nuessle McCaig Scholarship Endowment at the School of Pharmacy in memory of her aunt to provide scholarship support for students who have financial need. Her family has asked that donations in Van Doren’s memory be made to this scholarship fund. For information on making a memorial donation, please contact the School’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at 410-706-5893.

Local services will be held on Thursday, January 31, from 2:00-4:00pm and 7:00-9:00pm, at Witzke Funeral Home, located at 4112 Old Columbia Pike in Ellicott City. A private memorial service for family members will be held on Friday, February 1, at 11:00am at Glen Haven Cemetery, located in Glen Burnie, MD.

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