Pharmacy Program
Undergraduate Research
Cyberbear
Moodle
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Science lab groups in BMED are conducting projects that cover the entire gamut of drug discovery and development to translational implementation, including drug design, molecular and cellular pharmacology, drug metabolism and transport, and pharmacogenomics and precision medicine.
One of the most prominent themes linking faculty researchers in BMED is a shared interest in the disciplines of pharmaceutical sciences, a traditional strength within a School of Pharmacy. These BMED research groups have strong foundations in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, medicinal chemistry, and toxicology. The pharmaceutical sciences are highly multidisciplinary using biochemical, biophysical, cellular and molecular biology, chemical, computational, and genetic approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of drug action including drug target identification and characterization, drug distribution to target tissues, and pathways of drug metabolism and transport. Projects range from drug design of novel therapeutics, structure-function relationships to understand drug targets and biomarkers of disease, and pharmacogenomics and precision medicine to improve drug efficacy and safety. Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences is highly synergistic with groups in Medicinal Chemistry, Neuroscience and Toxicology. Research in the program includes a diverse range of therapeutic areas including cancer, cardiovascular, dermatological, immune-mediated, and neurological diseases. A list of BMED faculty interests in Pharmaceutical Sciences can be found below.
Students working in the Pharmaceutical Sciences labs have pursued their graduate degrees in:
Richard Bridges
Regents Professor
Understanding the pharmacology, structure, and function of glutamate transporters, through the development of novel substrates, inhibitors and modulators.
David Burkhart
Research Professor, Associate Director of the Center for Translational Medicine
Use of targeted nanoparticle technology to develop next generation diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
Yoon Hee Cho
Associate Professor
Understanding molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of disease, diagnosis, and treatment
Douglas Coffin
Professor of Molecular Genetics
Molecular and genetic basis of mammalian growth and development; applied stem cells therapeutics.
Philippe Diaz
Associate Professor
Kasper Hansen
Associate Professor
Studies on the structure, function, and molecular pharmacology of glutamate receptors and evaluation of their roles in synaptic transmission, as well as their involvement in psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Andrij Holian
Professor, Director of Center for Environmental Health Science
Travis Hughes
Assistant Professor
Molecular pharmacology of a family of ligand activated transcription factors, which are the target of ~10% of FDA approved drugs using biophysical, biochemical and cell biology approaches.
Darrell Jackson
Associate Professor
To identify and develop small molecule inhibitors that have neuroprotective affects against neurodegenerative diseases that includes traumatic brain injury and stroke.
Michael Kavanaugh
Professor, Director of Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience
Diana I Lurie
Professor
Natural product therapeutics for the treatment of neuroinflammation with a focus on isolating and identifying phytochemicals from plants of India.
Rustem S. Medora
Professor Emeritus
Sarjubhai Patel
Assistant Research Professor
Understanding the regulation of amino acid transporter proteins in health and disease such as brain tumors and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Mark Pershouse
Associate Professor
Liz Putnam
Chair, Professor
The impact in American Indians/Alaska Natives of population-specific polymorphism frequencies in genes involved in drug metabolism and transport.
Thomas Rau
Assistant Research Professor
Monica Serban
Associate Professor
Development of novel, natural biomataterial-based therapeutics, in vitro diagnostics and medical devices.
David Shepherd
Professor
The Shepherd laboratory is currently engaged in designing and testing novel immunotherapeutics to treat immune-mediated diseases. This work is in collaboration with Dr. Celine Beamer and Dr. Fanny Astruc-Diaz.
Jerry Smith
Associate Professor
Andrea Stierle
Research Professor
Isolation and characterization of microbial secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential as antibiotics and compounds that regulate inflammatory and apoptotic pathways associated with cancer and ischemic stroke
Donald Stierle
Research Professor
Isolation and characterization of microbial metabolites with pharmaceutical potential; antibiotics and compounds that regulate inflammatory and apoptotic pathways associated with cancer and ischemic stroke
Chuck Thompson
Professor
Design and synthesis of small molecules with which to to study the molecular pharmacology of the cholinergic and glutamtergic neurotransmitter systems.
Erica Woodahl
Associate Professor