Pharmaceutical Sciences is the study of the mechanisms of action of drugs and their effects on normal and disease states. It is a science based upon integrating chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and physiology. Students in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program may develop research projects in the areas of renal physiology, autonomic and central nervous systems, cardiovascular pharmacology, signal transduction, cellular physiology of exercise and aging, or protein biochemistry. Graduates pursue careers in academia, government, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Students may also study for a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry in the areas of:
- virtual drug screening and design;
- high throughput screening and drug syntheses;
- characterization of drug targets and developing of novel therapeutic interventions; or
- therapeutic natural product screening and identification.