Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the study of drugs and how they interact with our body. Drugs are chemicals that affect the functions of living systems. Drugs may be used to improve health and quality of life, as medicines to treat and prevent diseases or, as a research tool, to further explore body functions. Pharmacology is both an experimental and clinical science that deals with all types of drugs - medicinal and recreational, legal and illegal, synthetic and naturally occurring, therapeutically beneficial medicines and potentially toxic substances. It is an interdisciplinary field that bridges Physiology, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Neuroscience, Mathematics, Statistics and Medicine.
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Level II
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Drugs, Chemicals and HealthThe course introduces students to basic pharmacological concepts and principles needed to understand the effects of drugs in humans. Students will gain an appreciation for how drugs interact with cellular target molecules, as well as for the cellular and physiological responses resulting from such interactions. These concepts will be illustrated by examining major drug classes and their use in the treatment of major human diseases, including drugs that influence the central nervous system. Course Coordinator: Dr Abdallah Salem |
Drugs, Chemicals and the EnvironmentThe course will provide an appreciation for the potential negative health effects accompanying human exposure to foreign and naturally occurring chemicals. Specific classes of toxic substances and the mechanisms underlying their adverse effects will be surveyed. Students will also develop an understanding of the methods used by toxicologists to ensure chemicals that enter the human environment are safe. Course Coordinator: Dr Ian Musgrave |
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Level III
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Pharmacology: Drug Action and DiscoveryThe course will provide students with an understanding of how new drugs are discovered and developed. Students will also gain an understanding of drug-receptor interactions and the problems encountered during the identification and design of new chemicals with promising pharmacological actions. The practical component of this course will provide laboratory and experimental proficiency for students, ensuring they gain an appreciation for studying drug actions at different levels of biological organisation, ranging from simple in vitro systems (e.g. organ baths) to whole animals. Course Coordinator: Dr Ian Musgrave |
Pharmacology: Drug Development and TherapeuticsParticular emphasis is given to the key factors that influence and govern the effects of drugs within the body, ranging from molecular determinants to physiological factors that control disposition of drugs within the body. In addition, students will cover topics in toxicology and selected systems pharmacology. The laboratory component of the course will provide proficiency in the design and execution of research projects using modern experimental methodologies. Students will explore a range of contemporary pharmacological problems while working on 10 week projects that span such areas as pharmacogenetics, pharmacokinetics, drug abuse, neuropharmacology and molecular toxicology. Course Coordinator: Dr Scott Smid |
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