Modern drug discovery and development require the training of scientists who understand the molecular, physiological and quantitative basis of drug action and specificity, and who can apply modern technologies and concepts to the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This multidisciplinary doctoral training program in the Pharmacological Sciences is designed to help meet that demand by preparing students for biomedical research careers in schools of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, in research institutes, and in governmental or industrial laboratories. The most important component of training is laboratory research, first as a series of research rotations, then in the dissertation laboratory. This training is complemented by a core course that integrates the theoretical and experimental foundations of modern biological sciences; core courses in pharmacology that emphasize quantitative analysis of drug action, pharmacokinetics, drug disposition, biostatistics and experimental design; advanced courses in specialty areas; seminar courses and journal clubs. Emphasis throughout is placed on development and refinement of communication and analytical skills. The 52 training faculty members represent 17 basic science and clinical departments at Emory, thereby providing a wealth of diverse research training opportunities. Research foci in the program include Neurological Diseases & Therapy, Cancer Pharmacology, Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, and Novel Therapeutic Modalities. Cell Signaling, Systems & Integrative Pharmacology, and Toxicology are crosscutting themes. This Program currently supports six students each year, who are selected mainly from a pool of approximately 20-30 eligible students in the first three years of the Molecular and Systems Pharmacology (MSP) Program. Six slots are requested in this renewal. Graduates will have acquired broad familiarity with pharmacology, deep knowledge in the area of dissertation research, and the technical, communicative and analytical skills necessary to pursue an independent research career. The research conducted by the trainees in this program will advance our knowledge of disease processes and contribute to development of novel and improved therapeutic strategies that will benefit the health of our citizens. By preparing young scientists to contribute to and lead the nation's efforts in these areas, this training program will help to ensure that our ability to improve the nation's health remains strong in the future.
This application requests funds to support the training of 6 graduate students per year in an interdisciplinary Pharmacological sciences graduate program. Fifty-two training faculty from 17 departments provide a wealth of diverse research training opportunities for students. The goal is to produce broadly trained scientists who will contribute to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic agents that will improve healthcare in the United States and worldwide.
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