Anne McLaren Dorrance, Chairperson
The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology is administered jointly by the colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine. The College of Veterinary Medicine is the primary administrative unit. All three colleges offer a Master of Science degree program in Laboratory Research in Pharmacology and Toxicology, a Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and a Graduate Certificate in Safety Pharmacology. The College of Osteopathic Medicine offers an online Master of Science degree program in Pharmacology and Toxicology, an online Master of Science degree program in Integrative Pharmacology, and an online Graduate Certificate program in Safety Pharmacology. In addition, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in pharmacology and toxicology—environmental toxicology.
The department is responsible for teaching the fundamental and applied aspects of pharmacology and toxicology and offers courses at the undergraduate, professional, and graduate levels.
A Minor in Pharmacology and Toxicology is available to undergraduates through the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Graduate Study
The graduate programs in Pharmacology and Toxicology are primarily designed to prepare students for careers in research, teaching, and related activities. Research interests range from the effects of drugs and chemicals on macromolecules to their actions in humans. Research strengths include neuropharmacology, neurotoxicology, cardiovascular pharmacology, cancer pharmacology and prevention, environmental toxicology, drug discovery, drug receptor pharmacology, gastrointestinal pharmacology, immunopharmacology, immunotoxicology, and integrative pharmacology.
The online Master of Science programs are designed for individuals who are seeking additional academic qualifications which will facilitate their advancement in their place of employment or enhance their competitiveness for admission to other advanced degree programs regardless of their geographic location or work schedule. The principal objective of the departmental Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is to prepare students for pharmacology- and toxicology-related careers.
For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the College of Osteopathic Medicine section of this catalog.
BioMolecular Science Gateway - First Year
Students are encouraged to apply for admission to the Ph.D. program through the BioMolecular Science Gateway – First Year, where students choose a doctoral major from any of six Ph.D. programs: biochemistry and molecular biology, cell and molecular biology, genetics and genome sciences, microbiology and molecular genetics, pharmacology and toxicology, or physiology. For additional information refer to the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.