Mar 29, 2024  
Graduate Record 2020-2021 
    
Graduate Record 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Pharmacology


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1340 Jefferson Park Ave, 5th floor
P.O. Box 800735
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735
(434) 924-1919
http://pharm.virginia.edu

Overview


At the University of Virginia, tomorrow’s leaders are educated and provided with the tools needed to succeed in the field of Pharmacology. As a student in our Ph.D. program, students receive the scientific foundation necessary for the design of drug therapies that will effectively treat disease. Pharmacology utilizes information from physical, chemical and biological systems to identify key control points in physiological processes that can be targeted by drugs to intervene in disease states. The Department has three Research Interest Groups, which include: Lipid & Metabolism, Integrative Neuroscience, and Cell Signaling at the Membrane. There are many collaborations within the Department between laboratories working in these areas.

Faculty


Novel approaches to drug development require a new and comprehensive understanding of cellular organization and communication. Thus, the mechanisms by which cells transmit signals within and among cells is an area of emphasis in our department. Our faculty offer a wide range of scientific approaches and technical methods to address fundamental questions of cellular signaling related to neural transmission, hormone and growth factor signaling, cell cycle regulation, neoplasia and regulation of gene expression.

This theme unites our faculty’s research, which focuses on: receptor characterization, regulation of protein kinase and phosphatase cascades, proteomics, ion channel regulation, structural analysis of DNA binding proteins, translational control of protein synthesis, extracellular matrix signaling, gene expression, and mathematical modeling of hormone release.

Students


The Ph.D. Program in Pharmacology offers students comprehensive instruction in Physiology and Pharmacology, development of presentation (Journal Club) and teaching skills (lecturers to Nursing students), support for internships and special courses (Isakson Mentoring Award), opportunities to interact one-on-one with esteemed scientists from around the world (Seminar Series), as well as training in Research Ethics and statistical analysis. The Pharmacology Department offers an established training program that emphasizes performing high-quality, innovative, original research. Successful students have a background in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Biology and want to shape the future by expanding their knowledge of human disease in order to pioneer the development of exciting and powerful new treatments, cures, and therapies.