Activities and Services
Research Expertise in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Drug Discovery Division
Our Drug Discovery Division includes nationally-recognized laboratories with expertise in both experimental and computational approaches to drug discovery, drug design, and drug responses. Projects include the development of anti-cancer agents, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-thrombotic drugs, novel opiate analgesics, anti-convulsants, anti-Alzheimer and anti-Parkinson drugs, agents for the treatment of alcohol, tobacco, and psychostimulant abuse, neuroprotective agents, and drugs that interact with nicotinic receptors. Outstanding fundamental research is also underway to understand cell signaling pathways and to develop strategies to correct signaling defects that cause disease.
Drug Discovery & Design - Research in drug discovery and design utilizes chemical, biochemical, and molecular approaches toward the design and development of new therapeutic entities. It capitalizes upon knowledge of important cell signaling pathways and the impact that disease has on these pathways facilitating the development of strategies designed to correct such signaling defects.
Pharmacology - Multidisciplinary approaches are used to study drug response mechanisms in healthy and pathophysiological states. Substrate/receptor interactions and their ability to trigger physiological, pharmacological and toxicological responses are studied in various models, ranging from cell culture to whole-animal studies. - Multidisciplinary approaches are used to study drug response mechanisms in healthy and pathophysiological states. Substrate/receptor interactions and their ability to trigger physiological, pharmacological and toxicological responses are studied in various models, ranging from cell culture to whole-animal studies.
Drug Development Division
Our Drug Development Division has award-winning, multi-faceted projects for the invention of novel drug delivery systems and improvement of existing drug formulations. Other state-of-the-art research projects work to discover the cellular, molecular and genetic reasons for variations in drug effectiveness and toxicity. A small sampling of exciting projects in this Area include - development of nanoparticles for drug delivery and imaging, drug delivery to the brain, transdermal drug delivery, and drug transfer into milk.
Pharmaceutics/Drug Delivery - Research focusing on optimizing the therapeutic effectiveness of drugs through understanding and thereby improving their delivery. The domain of research in pharmaceutics extends from fundamental studies of the physical, chemical and biochemical properties of a therapeutic entity to the mechanisms of various physiological processes which impact on drug delivery to specific sites of action.
Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics - Research in this area characterizes and assesses the relationship between drug concentration and response supported by evaluation of the fundamental mechanisms by which drugs and other bioactive substances are absorbed, transported, metabolized, and excreted from the body. It utilizes state-of-the-art techniques to understand the cellular and molecular basis for the effect that disease, genetic variation and drug-drug interactions have on these processes.
Graduate Training
- This multidisciplinary program is designed to prepare individuals for academic, industrial or government careers in pharmaceutical and biomedical research.
- Goal is to provide both depth and breadth of expertise in the pharmaceutical sciences along with developing the creative approach to research that characterizes a Ph.D.-level scientist.
Economic Development
- Key roles in the economic development of the region through patents, development of UK intellectual property within start-up companies, and through the Center for Pharmaceutical Science and Technology (CPST).