Required Courses

First Year

Biochemistry 223: Graduate Biochemistry. A Graduate-level discussion of the structure and function of biologically important molecules. Emphasis will be placed on problems of protein and nucleic acid biochemistry. Schaffhausen and members of the department. 2 credits.

Pharmacology 211: Translational Pharmacology. A comprehensive survey of all the major classes of drugs, with particular emphasis on mechanisms of action and relevant organ system and cellular physiology. Offered each fall. Shader and program faculty. 2 credits

Pharmacology 232: Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. This course supplements the material covered in Translational Pharmacology and is taught concurrently with it. It introduces entering students to the central concepts, models and techniques in Pharmacology. Offered each fall. Beinfeld and program faculty. 2 credit

Pharmacology 215: Pharmacological Techniques. Four rotations, each lasting ten weeks, through which students gain experience in different laboratories. These rotations are designed to familiarize students with the methodology of modern pharmacological research. Program faculty. 1 credit.

Pharmacology 000: Qualifying Exam. Students present and defend a proposal for research consisting of a statement of an original research problem in which a scientific question is asked and the experimental approach to answering the question is explained in a written proposal. The proposal is presented orally to the faculty. Program faculty. 0 credits.

Advanced Years

Pharmacology 212: Clinical Pharmacology. This course is devoted to the discussion and presentation of therapeutic topics and the basic principles of therapeutic pharmacology. The following subjects will be highlighted: therapeutic drug monitoring; evaluation of side effects and toxicity; critical evaluation of clinical trial data; pharmacokinetic design of dose regimens; drugs in special populations; and medical and legal issues in clinical pharmacology. Specific therapeutic areas will be taught through a mixture of lecture and clinical case-oriented problem-solving. Extensive independent study and reading will be required. In addition, guest lectures and seminars will be scheduled. Greenblatt and program faculty. 1 credit.

Pharmacology 297, 298, 299: Graduate Research

Dissertation (thesis) research with selected advisor. Program faculty. Arranged credit.

Pharmacology 403, 404 PhD Degree only (402 MS all year)

Doctoral dissertation (thesis) preparation. Program faculty. 0 credits.

All Years

Pharmacology 291, 292: Graduate Seminar. Members of the department and outside speakers give presentations on topics of broad interest to the department and the community. Offered in the fall and spring semesters. Shuster (coordinator). 0 .5 credit.

Pharmacology 275: Applied Ethics for Scientists. This course that is repeated every other year in the Fall. After an introductory session by the Course Director outlining the background and issues behind the course, there is a faculty led presentation on definitions and concepts followed by another on the role of statistical design and interpretation both as tools to minimize investigator bias and as under-recognized sources for data distortion. Shader . 0.5 credits.

Pharmacology 295, 296: Journal Club. Oral presentation and critical evaluation by students and faculty of current topics in pharmacology. This course is intended to help students develop skills related to the preparation and presentation of oral reports. Students will be introduced to the critical evaluation of research literature and will be required to present research topics and proposals. Program faculty. 0.5 credits.

Elective Courses

Students will ordinarily be required to select at least four courses from the following list, of which at least two should be from the ones marked with an asterisk (starred electives). Students are welcome to submit other courses for consideration by the graduate faculty as acceptable, non-starred elective alternatives.

*Pharmacology 218: Principles of Immunopharmacology. Advances and Failures in Drug Discovery. Appraisal of molecular mechanisms by which drugs can affect cellular processes underlying clinical syndromes such as hypersensitivity, rejection, autoimmunity, and neuroimmune disorders. Emphasis is placed on select cases of how certain compounds were chosen for drug development and why many such promising drugs failed. Theoharides. 1 credit

*Pharmacology 219: Behavioral Pharmacology. An in-depth examination of the mechanisms by which selected psychoactive agents alter mood and behavior, with emphasis on the role of neurotransmitters and their receptors. Offered on request. Shuster and Miczek . 1 credit.

*Pharmacology 220: Advances in Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology. A problem -based approach to the actions of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators and related drugs at the molecular and cellular level. Offered in alternate years. Beinfeld and program faculty. 1 credit .

*Pharmacology 221: Pharmacokinetics in Biological Systems. Deals with the uptake and clearance of drugs, using problem-solving exercises and computer modeling to analyze data from original experiments. Offered in alternate years. Greenblatt and program faculty. 1 credit.

*Pharmacology 222: Toxicology. An in-depth examination of the basic principles of toxicology based on discussion and presentation of selected examples. Subjects considered will include apoptosis/necrosis, molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicities, species difference in toxicities, and chemical mutagenesis. Offered on request. Ofner , Shuster , and program faculty. 1 credit.

*Pharmacology 224: Neuropeptides. A detailed reading and critical review of the classical and modern literature on the discovery, chemistry, anatomical distribution, biosynthesis, physiology, pharmacology, and current and possible future clinical uses of neuropeptides. Offered alternate years. Beinfeld and program faculty. 1 credit.

*Pharmacology 225: An Introduction to Drug Metabolism. A readings and presentation course designed to illustrate the processes involved with drug metabolism; to describe the non-drug (non-substrate) factors influencing drug metabolism; and to review and critique methods used for the study of drug metabolism. Shader , Greenblatt . 1 credit.

Biochemistry 230A and B: Biochemistry of Gene Expression and Signal Transduction. This course focuses on the molecular mechanisms of gene expression and signal transduction. In Biochemistry 230A, the fundamental mechanisms underlying transcription, RNA processing, translation, and DNA replication are highlighted. In Biochemistry 230B, the integration of these fundamental mechanisms into molecular and cellular regulation of proliferation and signal transduction is discussed. The current literature will be emphasized. Yee and members of the program. 1 credit.

Biochemistry 216: Immunochemistry. Structures of antigens, antibodies, and immunologically important cell surface molecules (B-cell and T-cell receptors, adhesion molecules); affinities of interaction; cloning, expression, and genetic modification of recombinant antibody domains; catalytic antibodies; and applications of immunochemical techniques in biochemical research. Stollar and Thorley-Lawson. 1 credit.

CNP 209/210: Molecular Cell Biology I and II. This two-semester course provides a thorough survey of major topics in cell biology, including membrane structure and function; transport systems, ion channels, and membrane excitability; protein trafficking and organellar biosynthesis; structure and function of the cytoskeleton, including cell motility and mitosis; cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions; receptor-mediated endocytosis and signal transduction pathways; molecular genetics; cell-cycle and cell-proliferation control mechanisms; and basic concepts in developmental biology. Select faculty from the graduate programs in Cellular and Molecular Physiology; Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology; and Neuroscience. 2 credits.

Neuroscience 201: Basic Principles of Neurobiology . A course taught by the Neuroscience Program faculty that covers fundamental concepts in cellular and molecular neuroscience. Director, Rob Jackson. 1 credit.

CNP 210: Molecular Cell Biology II . Part two of a two-semester course (CNP 209/210) providing a thorough survey of major topics in cell biology, neuroscience, physiology, and developmental biology. Directors, Dan Cox, John Castellot, and Michael Forgac. 2 credits.

Pharmcology 293,294: Pharmacological Topics. Advanced seminars. Students may also pursue guided individual study of an approved topic. Program faculty. 0.5 credits.

CMP 230: Pathobiology. The course is taught by clinicians and basic scientists in an integrated fashion. Students first learn from a clinician about a disease and the key problem areas that need to be addressed by clinicians and scientists working on this disease. The next session is taught by a basic scientist, who highlights the molecular understanding of the disease and the current avenues of scientific research that are being pursued. The course includes trips to clinics, bedside and the pathology lab. Students become familiar with reading clinical and basic science journal articles on the diseases studied. There are two written assignments that encourage students to formulate their own research hypotheses in the format of a mini-grant proposal. Laura Liscum and Amy Simon. 1 credit.

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