Curriculum

A prerequisite for all courses is approval by the course director and the graduate director of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Graduate students outside the pharmacology program must also have approval of the graduate director of the program in which they are enrolled. Courses are offered annually unless indicated otherwise.

Click on the course name for more information.

•  Pharm. 701. Seminar. Students are required to (1) attend presentations by others (both faculty and students) participating in the course and (2) make an oral presentation related to their own research or an assigned topic. Students in the pharmacology program participate in seminar as partial requirement for PHARM 702. (Required, 1 semester hour)
• Pharm. 702. Recent Advances in Pharmacology and Toxicology.This course comprises reading, informal presentation and discussion of topics in pharmacology, toxicology and related disciplines from the current scientific literature. Critical evaluation of experimental design, data analysis and interpretation are emphasized. For students in the pharmacology program, participation in departmental seminar is a requirement for this course. (Required; 1 semester hour)
• Pharm. 722. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Students are introduced to the principles underlying the use of pharmacological agents in medical practice. Concepts related to drug distribution, drug-receptor interaction and drug metabolism are considered. In addition, the mechanism of action, therapeutic effects, adverse side-effects and common clinical applications of various drugs and drug classes are presented through a combination of lectures and clinical correlations. (Elective, 12 semester hours, 6-6)
• Pharm. 723. Mechanisms of Drug Action.  This course comprises assigned readings, in-class discussions, written assignments and student presentations. Selected aspects of pharmacology are presented with emphasis on the mechanisms of drug action. (Required; 4 semester hours)
• Pharm 726. Fundamental Pharmacology. A basic pharmacology course in which principles underlying the actions of drugs are presented, including pharmacokinetics, drug-receptor interactions, and drug metabolism. In addition, mechanisms of action, therapeutic effects, adverse effects and therapeutic indications are noted for major classes of drugs and for commonly used drugs within each class. (Required; 6 semester hours) (also listed as Dental 626).
• Pharm. 780. CNS Pharmacology. Drug actions at neuronal targets, the blood-brain barrier and special pharmacokinetics of centrally acting drugs, and the pharmacotherapy of the CNS and neurological disorders are among the topics covered. [Co-listed as Pharmacological Neuroscience, NSCI. 706]. (Elective, 3 semester hours)
• Pharm. 781. Molecular Toxicology. This is a reading and discussion-based class. The molecular mechanisms of several toxicant classes are covered. Emphasis is placed on the effects of xenobiotics on cellular processes, including biochemical reactions and signaling pathways. (Elective; 2 semester hours)
• Pharm. 784. Circulatory Pharmacology. This course involves a study of normal circulatory mechanisms and functions and how various drugs and toxic substances modify them. (Elective; 2 semester hours)
• Pharm. 785. Principles of Modern Drug Design.This course addresses the basic principles of the modern drug discovery and validation process, with emphasis on applications in cancer therapy. The course begins with the identification and characterization of disease-specific molecular targets using genetic and biochemical techniques. The second section describes the selection of lead drugs through high-throughput screening assays, combinatorial chemistry, and computer-assisted rational drug design. The final section covers preclinical and clinical trials and the potential use of database analysis to ensure that the drugs are safe and effective, and that the chosen therapeutic regimen will yield the best outcome for any given patient. (Elective; 2 semester hours)
• Pharm. 790. Special Topics in Pharmacology and Toxicology. This course may cover any area of interest to at least one student and one faculty member. (Elective; Hours/credit TBA)
• Pharm. 792. Research in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Students perform research in the laboratory of a faculty member. Students are also required to submit a brief written report and make a presentation concerning the rotation [including the general premise, experimental approach and results; the latter two may be actual or anticipated] to the general departmental faculty at the completion of the rotation. (Required; 3 semester hours unless otherwise arranged; Summer, Fall, Spring)
• Pharm. 798. Dissertation and Dissertation Research. (Required; Hours/credit TBA)