Chair: Ethan Dmitrovsky
Primary appointee faculty: Professors M. Cole, R. W. Craig, E. Dmitrovsky, A. R. Eastman, J. W. Hamilton, B. D. Roebuck, R. P. Smith, M. B. Sporn; Associate Professors D. J. Robbins, M. Spinella; Assistant Professors J. DiRenzo, J. Hwa, A. F. Kisselev; Research Associate Professor H. C. Yohe.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR’S DEGREE (PH.D)
To qualify for award of the Ph.D. degree, a student must fulfill the following requirements:
1. Satisfactory completion of the following required courses:
Biochemistry 101 or equivalent
Biochemistry 103 or equivalent
Pharmacology 124. Ethical Conduct of Research
Pharmacology 127. Pathophysiology for Pharmacology
Pharmacology 129. Principles of Receptor Action
Pharmacology 130. Graduate Pharmacology
Three Elective Courses
2. Attendance and participation in the Department’s weekly seminars and workshops.
3. Students must be enrolled in a research course every term; rotations in the early terms and thesis research credit thereafter.
Pharmacology 141, 142, 143. Research Rotations (three to be completed within 9 months)
Pharmacology 297, 298, 299. Thesis Research in Pharmacology, a credit/no credit course for graduate students
4. Pharmacology 137. Grant Writing in Pharmacology and Toxicology. (Satisfactory completion of a written and oral qualifying examination)
5. Satisfactory completion of a significant research project, and preparation of a thesis describing this research.
6. Successful defense of the thesis in an oral examination, and presentation of the work in a seminar.
For further information, see the Graduate Study Bulletin.
COURSES IN PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
122. Neuropharmacology
05F: ArrangeOffered every year
The course will provide both didactic lectures and small group journal club sessions. It will focus on pharmacological mechanisms of drugs that effect the nervous system with teaching expertise from Neurology, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology and Pharmacology. Open to all graduate students and upper level undergraduates (with permission from the course directors). Course Directors: J. DeLeo, A. Green.
123. Graduate Toxicology
07S: ArrangeOffered in alternate years
This course is open to graduate, medical and advanced undergraduate students. It provides an introduction to toxicology as a discipline, with a focus on the molecular basis for toxicity of chemicals in biological systems. Major topics include: principles of cell and molecular toxicology, xenobiotic metabolism, molecular targets of cellular toxicity, genetic toxicology, chemical carcinogenesis, immunotoxicology, neurotoxicology, clinical toxicology, and quantitative risk assessment.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: Undergraduate or graduate biochemistry, or permission of instructor. Instructors: Hamilton (course director) and others.
124. Ethical Conduct of Research (Identical to Physiology 124)
05F: ArrangeOffered every year
This course is required for all graduate students supported by NIH training grants within the institution, but all other graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend. There will be approximately seven one-hour lecture/discussion sessions with the times to be arranged. Topics will include: scientific freedom, ethical treatment of data, ethical use of laboratory animals, priority of discovery, fraud and deception, and science and the political process.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Instructors: North, Lomax, Green, Brown, Hoopes, Kavanagh, and others.
126. Cancer Biology
07S: ArrangeOffered in alternate years
This course will present a comprehensive survey of the biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and genetics of cancer. Students will become familiar with such areas as cancer terminology, epidemiology, carcinogenesis, tumor promotion, metastasis, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, tumor viruses, growth factors, hormones, immunology, and therapy. Where possible, emphasis will be placed on the most recent cell and molecular aspects of cancer. The class will be in lecture format and meet for 3 hours each week.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: Graduate biochemistry, or permission of instructor. Instructors: Eastman (course director) and others.
127. Pathophysiology for Pharmacology
06X: ArrangeOffered every year
This course will provide the necessary physiology and pathology background required to understand the mechanisms of action and indications for commonly used drugs in cardiology, nephrology, respiratory medicine, neurology, psychiatry, gastroenterology and endocrinology. The class will consist of 10 x 3 hour sessions where student presentations will be followed by a case study, highlighting how various drugs affect organ systems. This course is required for graduate students prior to taking Pharmacology 130 (Graduate Pharmacology).
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Hwa (course director).
129. Principles of Receptor Action
06W: ArrangeOffered in alternate years
The principles of ligand reactions with the receptors and the resulting changes in cellular signaling will be discussed in lecture format. Topics will include the cellular and molecular basis for pharmacologic selectivity, for receptor theory and kinetics, for specific receptor actions. Emphasis will be placed on recent developments in receptor biology and signaling cascades and on the methodologies required to study these processes. The course will meet 4 hours per week and course materials will include current literature reviews and research articles.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Instructors: Cole and Robbins (course directors) and others.
130. Graduate Pharmacology
05F: ArrangeOffered every year
Graduate students will participate in the key elements of the Medical Pharmacology course for the year II DMS students. The major, conceptual modules for the graduate students are general principles, pharmacology of autonomic and central nervous system, cardiovascular pharmacology, chemotherapy, and toxicology. Separate essay based, integrative exams will be offered. Instruction is primarily through classroom lectures (42 hours in the fall term with an additional 10 hours in the winter and spring terms) with three small group sessions on clinical pharmacology in the fall term. Emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamic mechanisms by which drugs modify normal biochemical or physiological functions and how they correct pathophysiological disturbances of those functions.
Faculty lectures and small group facilitators. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Instructor: Hwa (course director) and others.
131. Current Approaches in Experimental Therapeutics
07W: ArrangeOffered in alternate years
This course will present a survey of current methods and approaches in pharmacologic, molecular and experimental therapeutic research. Topics will include pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, functional genomics, global gene expression, proteomics, gene targeting, gene therapy and drug screening and delivery. The class will combine lecture format with student journal presentation. The class will meet for 3 hours each week.
Faculty lectures and discussion, journal presentation and participation. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Instructors: Spinella and DiRenzo (course directors) and others.
137. Project Research (Qualifying Examination)
All terms: Arrange
141. Research Rotation 1
All terms: Arrange
142. Research Rotation 2
All terms: Arrange
143. Research Rotation 3
All terms: Arrange
216/217. Medical Pharmacology
DMSII calendar (terms 1-5)Offered every year
The major, conceptual modules are general principles, pharmacology of autonomic and central nervous system, cardiovascular pharmacology, endocrine and autacoid pharmacology, chemotherapy, and toxicology. Instruction is primarily through classroom lectures (67 hours) with three small group sessions on clinical pharmacology in Terms I and II. Emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamic mechanisms by which drugs modify normal biochemical or physiological functions and how they correct pathophysiological disturbances of those functions.
Faculty lectures and small group facilitators. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Instructors: DeLeo and Hwa (course directors) and others.
297. Level I: part-time research: 1 course equivalent
All terms: Arrange
298. Level II: part-time research: 2 course equivalent
All terms: Arrange
299. Level III: full-time thesis research: 3 course equivalent
All terms: Arrange