Lilly And Howard University Partner On Summer Medical Scientific Fellowship

INDIANAPOLIS

,

July 12, 2016

/PRNewswire/ -- Lilly

USA

, LLC will partner with

Howard University

this summer on an inaugural Minority Fellowship program for post-graduate minority professionals embarking on careers in science or medicine. The fellowship aims to increase collaboration and address the lack of minorities in the pharmaceutical industry by providing training to future healthcare professionals.

The program—a component of the larger Medical Scientific Fellowship—is open to physicians, doctorate, and scientific-degreed post-graduates interested in the drug development process. Participants will spend a year of training at Lilly (NYSE: LLY) to gain knowledge on the complexities of drug development, the regulatory environment, and the roles that scientists and healthcare providers play in this multifaceted process. They will also have the chance to work on special projects on topics of interest, such as health disparities.

"Lilly is working to meet the needs of diverse populations by embedding diversity within our culture and weaving it into every aspect of our business—from how we hire employees to our clinical trials," said

Yolanda Johnson-Moton

, director of external relations for Lilly's U.S. Medical Division. "This program offers the opportunity for us to leverage Lilly's longstanding commitment to education, diversity and collaborative relationships."

Howard University

continues its commitment to "truth and service" by partnering with Lilly on this program, added

Daphne Bernard

, Pharm.D., Interim Dean of

Howard University's

College of Pharmacy. "A cadre of highly skilled young healthcare professionals will receive advanced training, covering the full scope of the drug manufacturing process. They will hone their research and clinical skills while learning about the regulatory processes involved in drug development. This knowledge will position the fellows to better address efforts to reduce health disparities."

This unique fellowship marks the first collaboration for Lilly and

Howard University

. The first class of fellows includes recent Howard graduates. The school is based in

Washington, D.C.

, and Lilly

USA

is the U.S. affiliate of

Indianapolis

-based Eli Lilly and Company.