Chair's Welcome and Departmental Overview
I am pleased to welcome you to the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, one of four basic science departments in the Biomedical Graduate Studies Program within Drexel University College of Medicine.
Our mission is to provide outstanding education and training to our students that will serve as the foundation for lifelong contributions to the biomedical and health sciences. We emphasize a collaborative atmosphere with the objective of fostering high quality, interdisciplinary research.
The disciplines of pharmacology and physiology touch on virtually every scientific discipline and clinical area within the biomedical sciences, providing students with a range of opportunities to explore disease mechanisms and altered physiological processes, new pharmacological tools and new medications.
We are unique in offering educational programs not only in the basic sciences of pharmacology and physiology but also in drug discovery and development, which provides students with a wealth of advantages in considering career opportunities within academic, biopharmaceutical, and pharmaceutical settings.
Faculty Research Themes
Our faculty pursue a wide variety of research themes, including:
- Pain
With an emphasis on epigenetic regulation, microRNA, biomarkers, neuroplasticity in acute and chronic pain, electrophysiological and behavioral assessments.
- Cancer
Molecular and cellular mechanisms of metastases, calcium signaling; inhibitors of tumor growth.
- Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders
The role of proinflammatory cytokines in depressive disorders; autism spectrum disorders, neuropathology related to HIV/AIDs and chemokine receptors.
- Smooth muscle function
Regulation of excitation and contraction, signaling cascades in bladder and vascular systems
- Cardiovascular and renal physiology and pharmacology
Role of intracellular ion channels, mitochondrial channels in cardioprotection, molecular biophysics; Regulators of G. Protein (RGS) signaling, cardiac hypertrophy and vascular tone
- Molecular pharmacology
Molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of biogenic amine transporters
- Drug discovery and development
Processes involved in how drugs are discovered and developed encompassing every aspect from target identification through to commercialization and beyond. Drug discovery and development is both an educational component and a research component of the department.
- Medicinal Chemistry
We invite you to explore the research interests of our faculty and inquire if you have questions. Additional information about the faculty — such as publications and laboratory information — can be found on their biography pages.
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