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Ph.D. Program in 'Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development'

Graduate education in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development (PSDD) provides training in research strategies in the design and development of novel therapeutic agents to improve human life in disease and health. The PSDD training area will provide translational sciences research training that bridges basic sciences and clinical research for the purpose of addressing the world’s challenges in unmet therapeutic needs. Research in pharmaceutical sciences encompasses multi-faceted, interdisciplinary drug development research.

Training in PSDD for the Ph.D degree with the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program is described at:  https://biomedsci.ucsd.edu/training-areas/molecular-pharmacology.html

This web site includes information for student applications to the PSDD Ph.D program.

Ph.D Training in ‘Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development’ (PSDD)

Faculty Leader Contact:

Vivian Hook ([email protected])

Summary of PSDD Research Training

The Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development (PSDD) training area is a unique joint effort between the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), Center for Drug Discovery Innovation (cDDI), the UCSD Drug Development Pipeline , the Center for Compound Resources, the Center for Computer-Aided Drug Design, with programs of the School of Medicine , School of Engineering , and UC BRAID . The overall goal of this training area is to provide students with a visionary perspective on the drug discovery and development process.

Graduate education in “Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development” (PSDD) provides training in research strategies in the design and development of novel therapeutic agents to improve human life in disease and health.  The PSDD training area will provide translational sciences research training that bridges basic sciences and clinical research for the purpose of addressing the world’s challenges in unmet therapeutic needs to improve human lives.  Research in pharmaceutical sciences encompasses multi-faceted, interdisciplinary drug development research in (a) design and discovery of drug molecules targeted to regulators of disease processes, including marine natural products, (b) in vitro and in vivo efficacy of candidate drug therapies, (c) chemical optimization by medicinal chemistry approaches, (d) drug pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics in ADME research based on drug delivery strategies, (e) safety and toxicity of drug molecules, and (f) advanced analytical technologies of drug molecule properties.  Graduate students will be trained in these disciplines through a complete curriculum and state-of-the-art research strategies for drug development.  Faculty of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) and the BMS program will train students in the area of PSDD.  PSDD training will provide students with exciting opportunities in the professional field to become leaders in academic, government, private industry, biotechnology, and related areas to advance innovative drug development via pharmaceutical sciences research.

PhD degree:

Students apply for admissions to the UCSD ‘Biomedical Graduate Program’ (BMS) for training by faculty in ‘Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development (PSDD).  Research training in PSDD is associated with the BMS areas of ‘Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Discovery’.   Graduate students of the BMS program deveop their Individual Development Plans (IDP) with faculty advisors of the program.  The IDP plans the research, coursework, and degree requirements for the student.

How to Apply

Training Areas

Individual Development Plans

PharmD/PhD degree:

First year pharmacy students can pursue the PharmD/PhD degree by conducting 3 research rotations with faculty on research topics of PSDD during years 1-2 of the pharmacy curriculum.  Pharmacy students in their 2nd year can apply for admissions for the PhD program of the Biomedical Sciences graduate program at UCSD (see previous paragraph).  See information about the dual PharmD/Ph.D degree at

https://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/degree-programs/dual-pharmd-phd-program

Core Graduate Courses in ‘Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development’

SPPS 263A   Principles in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development: Pre-Clinical Drug Discovery and Development

PPS 263B     Principles in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development: Pre-Clinical to Clinical Drug Development

Courses in Selected Areas of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development

SPPS 226     Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics

SPPS 219     Pharmacogenomics

SPPS 222     Pharmaceutical and Physical Chemistry

SPPS 223     Pharmaceutical Biochemistry

SPPS 224     Biopharmaceutics

SPPS 225     Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems

SPPS 268     Systems Mass Spectrometry

SPPS 281     Medicinal Aspects of Natural Products

Faculty in Drug Discovery & Development in Pharmaceutical Sciences

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PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences

At CU Pharmacy, we’re training scientists who make an impact. Our doctoral program in pharmaceutical sciences is focused on solving problems. In particular, the program covers the formulation, synthesis, manufacturing, development, stability, biophysical analysis, characterization, delivery, and biodistribution of small molecules and biopharmaceutical agents.

Our goals are to provide the best training for students interested in pursuing careers in biopharmaceutical drug development; conduct high-quality research relevant to pharmaceutical biotechnology; offer innovative educational programs; and to support the biopharmaceutical industry, especially in Colorado.

Here, you’ll have access to a wide range of researchers and research equipment; cross-training with chemical engineers; essential non-scientific training in regulatory affairs, business topics and pharmacoeconomics; experience with real world compounds and research and development problems; and interaction with industry scientists.

We have a strong track record of setting our students up for success. Graduates of our program have advanced into successful careers as senior scientists in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. We’re here to make sure you have the training you need to pursue a career in drug and biopharmaceutical discovery, development or clinical optimization.

As part of the CU Anschutz Graduate School, all PhD students in good academic standing are guaranteed financial support.

All regular full-time departmental faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences are formal members of the pharmaceutical sciences graduate program and can take students into their laboratories if appropriate.

On average, students in this program earn their PhDs in 5.5 years.

Applications for all doctoral programs are submitted electronically through the Graduate School of the University of Colorado Denver. After signing up for an account, select 'PhD' under the 'Academic Interests' menu and scroll down to 'Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences' and select "PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences."

Application requirements are:

• A completed Graduate School application and $50.00 application fee (Domestic) $75.00 application fee (International)
• A baccalaureate degree of arts or science from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0.** One (1) official transcript of all academic work completed to date with awarded baccalaureate degree. University transcripts from other countries must include a transcript evaluation from World Education Services ( WES ). Applicants who complete a transcript evaluation with WES will have their application fee waived automatically.
• All applicants for the program should complete a year of study in the following subjects: general chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, biology, English and physics. In addition, courses in the following subjects are highly recommended to supplement the student's background: physiology, biochemistry, statistics, cell biology, physical chemistry, and computer science.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from professors or research supervisors familiar with your aptitude for graduate study

Additionally:

• The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is not required but is optional.
• The TOEFL is required of applicants for whom English is not their first language, Duolingo and IELTS also accepted (more information on this here )
• Please use 4875 as the Institution Code so that the test results will be sent directly to our institution
• Under special circumstances, deficiencies in important areas may be made up within the first year after entrance into the program. Normally, admission to the program will be based on an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better. However, applicants' recommendations, research experience and additional individual accomplishments will also be considered in the admissions process.

Application opens September 1, 2024. Applications will not be reviewed until all required materials have been received. The application deadline for Fall 2025 admission is December 1, 2024 for all students.

Admission to the program includes financial support via a stipend awarded on a 12-month basis. Based on the rules of the CU Anschutz Graduate School, all PhD students in good academic standing are guaranteed financial support.

Although a priority of the School of Pharmacy is to provide financial support to our graduate students, payment of stipend, tuition and any fees by the School of Pharmacy or by grants, contracts or gifts to the School of Pharmacy faculty is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress (as defined by the graduate school’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook ) and completion of required teaching duties, core courses, research rotations, seminars, and examinations (as listed on the progress report form). We also reserve the right to review and adjust our funding policies at any time. All students are expected to work full-time toward program requirements for 12 months of the year.

Is the GRE required to apply?

What kind of students should pursue a phd degree in pharmaceutical sciences.

We are looking for bright, self-motivated people with degrees in chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, biochemistry, pharmacy and other related areas in biomedical science, who want a satisfying career connected with the pharmaceutical industry. This may involve working for a company, a federal laboratory, or an academic institution.

Just what does 'pharmaceutical sciences' mean?

Pharmaceutical sciences is a multi-disciplinary approach to solving problems associated with improving drug therapy for patients. It includes designing and synthesizing new drugs, developing new analytical methods to determine the purity and quality of therapeutic agents, finding better ways to deliver the drug to a patient, minimizing side effects, and assessing the activity and stability of drug compounds. Classically, pharmaceutical sciences was defined by the sub-disciplines of pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology, but most modern research problems cross these traditional boundaries. In short, a graduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences is an ideal choice for anyone who wishes to work on developing new drug products and devices.

What makes the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program at the University of Colorado different than other PhD programs?

Emphasis on biotechnology.

Different graduate programs have different strengths. While one might come to the University of Colorado to pursue studies in any aspect of the pharmaceutical sciences, the real strength of our Pharmaceutical Sciences program lies in its emphasis on the use of quantitative, biophysical methods to address issues in pharmaceutical biotechnology. Pharmaceutical biotechnology describes a course of study that uses molecular biology, biophysical chemistry, and bioengineering methods to prepare and develop sophisticated therapeutic and diagnostic agents. These materials include recombinant proteins, vaccines, oligonucleotides, and gene therapy approaches. Students who pursue studies in pharmaceutical biotechnology might examine the stabilization of proteins and/or nucleic acids during storage, improved methods of drug delivery, analytical assay development, mutational effects on protein structure and function, molecular biology approaches to drug therapy, novel vaccines, bioprocessing, or formulation development. Students are required to take a core curriculum that reflects these areas of research. This effort has been strengthened by the formation of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, which is centered on a partnership between chemical engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the School of Pharmacy.

The Opportunity to Work on 'Real World' Problems

Today's biotechnology products are quite complex. Therefore, it is advantageous for students to have the opportunity to work with therapeutic agents that are in development or on the market. Due to the generosity of industrial collaborators, students in our program have access to recently-discovered drug candidates before these compounds are marketed as commercial pharmaceuticals. Each year, industrial sponsors provide millions of dollars worth of compounds for research purposes.

Partnering with Industry

In order to facilitate interactions, we have established the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, which promotes graduate education and research opportunities by partnering with the pharmaceutical biotechnology industry. These interactions often result in the student participating in an industrial internship with a scientific mentor from the company.

Training in Financial and Legal Aspects of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Since most of our students ultimately are employed in a highly regulated industry affected by market pressures, all of our graduate students take courses covering regulatory affairs (i.e., the drug approval process), patent law, intellectual property issues, pharmaceutical marketing, and financial analysis. These skills are essential, but rarely found in other PhD programs. For students who wish to focus on these issues, we have established a separate PhD track in pharmaceutical Outcomes within the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program. Students interested in pursuing Outcomes research should view the Outcomes Research webpage.

What are the job prospects for a graduate with a PhD degree in the pharmaceutical sciences?

Considering the unique strengths of our program, someone who is successful and productive in our program will find a high demand for their talents. Most of our students find jobs with large pharmaceutical companies or smaller biotechnology enterprises. Typically, our students have multiple job offers awaiting them upon graduation.

Required Pharmaceutical Sciences Program Courses

Representative Elective Courses

Through the pharmaceutical sciences graduate program, our goal is to educate pre-doctoral students to develop independent research careers in pharmaceutical sciences with a basic, clinical or pharmaceutical outcomes emphasis. Upon completion of the graduate program, our students use their training to make a difference in academia, industry or government. The learning objectives for the graduate program are:

• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of central concepts in the biomedical sciences.
• Understand the current concepts in basic and clinical pharmaceutical sciences.
• Read and critically evaluate the scientific literature.
• Formulate hypotheses based on current concepts in the field and design, conduct, and interpret their own research projects.
• Present research results in peer-reviewed publications and in a dissertation.
• Communicate research results effectively through oral presentations at scientific seminars, conferences, and other venues.

School of Pharmacy Graduate Degree Requirements

The following are specific rules approved by the graduate faculty of the School of Pharmacy for graduate studies leading to doctor of philosophy degree in toxicology. All other requirements for these degrees will follow the guidelines of the Graduate School, which can be found in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook . The student carries the major responsibility of meeting the rules of the School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School. Failure to meet the following rules and guidelines may result in delay of graduation. ​

Student Progress Reviews

Each student will meet at least every six months with their temporary/thesis committee (starting the week before classes begin in the first year) in order to keep the committee apprised of all aspects of the student’s progress. A progress report form listing the requirements will be maintained in the School of Pharmacy graduate program file for each student.

It is the responsibility of the student to arrange meetings with his/her committee, and ensure that the deadlines listed on the progress report form are fulfilled. After fulfilling each requirement, it is required that the student make certain that the progress report form is updated by the committee chair.

Student Committees

Temporary Committees

The graduate program committee will appoint temporary committees for new students to serve for the first year. Each committee will consist of at least two full-time faculty from the School of Pharmacy. Each student will meet with their temporary committee the week before classes begin, and in March and September of the first year of the graduate program.

Thesis Committees

Students will choose the chair of their thesis committee subsequent to the successful completion of the preliminary examination and selection of a major advisor (at the end of the first year). The student’s major advisor cannot serve as chair of the thesis committee. The student together with the chair and major advisor will choose other members from the faculty of the school and at least one from outside the school who will serve on the thesis committee.

Thesis committees must consist of at least five faculty members, and will meet with the student every six months, starting in September at the beginning of the student’s second year. The graduate program director must approve the make-up of the thesis committee. The graduate program director will fill vacancies as they arise or make replacements when necessary, with consideration given to student/advisor recommendations.

Thesis committees shall evaluate the student’s progress to ensure that she or he has made satisfactory progress since the previous meeting. Upon calling the meeting to order, the Committee Chair will ask the student to leave the room to obtain feedback from the advisor regarding student progress. Upon completion, the student will be asked to return to the room and the thesis advisor will leave the room to obtain private feedback from the student regarding issues that might exist in terms of interactions with the advisor. It is also the responsibility of the committee chair to complete an on-line evaluation form summarizing the student’s progress. In case of a non-satisfactory performance, steps required to rectify the situation should be suggested in the report.

Doctor of Philosophy

In order to graduate, a student must satisfactorily complete the requirements described in A through H below as well as adhering to all requirements of the CU Anschutz Graduate School as defined in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook .

A. Coursework and General Requirements

A program of study with required core courses will be designed by the chair of the temporary/thesis committee to accommodate the student’s long-range goals, possible undergraduate deficiencies, immediate research interests and the requirements of the Graduate School. A minimum of 30 semester hours of courses numbered 5000 or above is required for the degree. In addition to the coursework and requirements described below, students are expected to attend all seminars associated with the graduate program in pharmaceutical sciences. Also, each year the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences hosts a research retreat. Attendance at the retreat is mandatory, unless the program director permits the absence for overriding personal reasons. A presentation (oral or poster) by each student at the retreat is required.

B. Research Rotations

All PhD students must satisfactorily complete one research rotation in each of the fall and spring semesters of their first year. It is expected that the student will meet with his/her temporary committee the week before classes start in the fall semester to determine an appropriate research rotation for the ensuing fall semester. A research rotation is one semester in length, and the student must be housed in the lab in which the rotation is conducted. The student will present his/her research findings from each rotation in seminars (20 mins) to the graduate faculty (date arranged in advance by the director of the pharmaceutical sciences graduate program). In cases where a student opts for a third research rotation in the summer, a third rotation seminar is not required.

C. Seminars

In addition to rotation seminars and semiannual presentations to the thesis committee, all students enrolled in the program must present a thesis seminar to the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences that describes the findings from his/her thesis research. The thesis seminar is normally performed at the end of their PhD program.

D. Preliminary Examination

Each student will be required to undergo a preliminary examination during the summer of their first year in the program. This examination will consist of two half-day written examinations during the summer session. Selected faculty will contribute questions to the exam primarily focusing on the first year’s coursework. Students will be given the general topic areas for the exam questions at least one month prior to the examination date.

The director of the graduate program will be responsible for coordinating and administrating the examination. The preliminary examination is intended to test the student’s assimilation and understanding of material presented in coursework, and assess his/her ability to complete a doctoral–level course of study. It is expected that students will satisfactorily answer each question, but students are permitted to remediate one question if his/her answer is judged to be inadequate by the faculty member providing the question. In these instances, the individual faculty member will decide what constitutes appropriate remediation, and completion of remediation will be reported to the graduate program chair. Students that unsatisfactorily answer two or more preliminary examination questions will be dismissed from the graduate program.

E. Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination will be administered by the chair of the student’s thesis committee. This committee must include the major advisor and at least four other members of the graduate faculty. At least one of the five members must be from outside the School. The comprehensive examination will serve as the formal test for admission to candidacy for the PhD degree and can only be taken after completion of 30 semester hours of graduate credit. The comprehensive examination will be completed by September 31 of the third year, after formal coursework is completed.

The examination shall consist of a written examination as well as an oral examination. The suggested format of the examination is for each faculty member to administer a separate written examination that can be completed within one day. The student should meet with members of the thesis committee individually to discuss the topic areas for the comprehensive examination. After the written portion of the comprehensive exam, students should meet with each member of the thesis committee to discuss the student’s performance on the written questions. It is expected that any weaknesses will be addressed in the oral portion of the exam that is to be taken within two weeks after completion of the written portion. Possible outcomes of the comprehensive examination are in accord with the CU Anschutz Graduate School rules and are Pass, Pass with Conditions, and Fail. A failed student may not continue in the program.

F. Thesis Proposal

In order to facilitate the partnership between the student and his/her Thesis Committee, students are required to submit a written thesis proposal that will subsequently be presented orally to the thesis committee. The written proposal is typically approximately 10 pages in length (single-spaced, not including references), and submitted to the thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the oral presentation. The precise format of the written proposal is left to the committee, but it should be a brief, well written document describing the overall research plan for the student’s thesis and include relevant preliminary data. It is expected that the student’s major advisor will have previewed and edited the written proposal prior to its distribution to the rest of the thesis committee. The oral presentation of the thesis proposal to the thesis committee must be completed by March 31 of the student’s third year in the program.

After presentation and approval of the thesis proposal, the student will update the members of his/her thesis committee on the progress toward completion of the thesis research at the semiannual meetings in March and September of each year. It is expected that members of the thesis committee will provide feedback and discuss potential problems at these semiannual meetings.

G. Thesis Research

All PhD candidates will be required to satisfactorily complete a research thesis. This work should be of sufficient scope and quality to result in a significant contribution to the literature. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of thesis work. See the rules of the Graduate School describing time restrictions for submitting the finished thesis. A copy of the thesis must be submitted to the student’s thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the thesis defense. It is expected that the student’s major advisor will preview and edit the thesis prior to distribution to the rest of the thesis committee.

H. Thesis Defense

After submission of the thesis to the thesis committee, a seminar describing the thesis research will be presented by the student to the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Immediately following the oral presentation and questions from the attendees, the student will be examined separately by his/her thesis committee. Any changes to the thesis must be approved by the Thesis Committee prior to submission of the final thesis to the Graduate School. Although it is fully expected that problems with the thesis research will be addressed prior to the thesis defense, the thesis committee can require further research to be conducted before final approval of the thesis.

Summary schedule of degree requirements:

• First Year: Research rotations (2), rotation seminars (2), coursework, preliminary exam, selection of major advisor.
• Second Year: Commence thesis research, selection of thesis committee, coursework.
• Third Year: Comprehensive examination, thesis proposal.
• Prior to Completion: Submit written thesis to thesis committee, thesis defense.

Stipend, Insurance, Tuition and Fees

Although a priority of the School of Pharmacy is to provide financial support to its graduate students, stipend, tuition and fees for graduate studies in the School of Pharmacy are the sole responsibility of the student. Payment of stipend, tuition and any fees by the School of Pharmacy or by grants, contracts or gifts to the School of Pharmacy Faculty is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress (as defined by the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook ) and completion of required core courses, seminars, research rotations and examinations.

The School of Pharmacy also reserves the right to review and adjust its funding policies at any time. Stipends are awarded on a 12-month basis. All students are expected to work toward program requirements for 12 months of the year.

Probationary Status and Suspension

Continuation in the pharmaceutical sciences graduate program is dependent upon satisfactory academic progress as defined by:

• Timely and satisfactory completion of pharmaceutical sciences graduate program requirements (A-H above).
• Adherence to all policies, rules and regulation of the School of Pharmacy.

Students who do not remain in good graduate standing (3.0 GPA or above) or maintain satisfactory academic progress are placed on academic probation. Probation and suspension policies are described in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook .

Payment of stipend, tuition, insurance and fees for a student while on academic probation is at the discretion of the graduate program committee.

Rajesh Agarwal PhD

Tom Anchordoquy BS, MA, PhD

Peter Anderson PharmD

Christina Aquilante PharmD

David Bain PhD

John Carpenter PhD

Carlos Catalano PharmD, PhD

Shaodong Dai PhD

Melanie Joy PharmD, PhD

Uday Kompella PhD, FARVO, FAAPS

Daniel LaBarbera PhD

Krishna Mallela PhD

Vanessa Phelan PhD

Philip Reigan PhD

Nichole Reisdorph PhD

Laura Saba PhD

Robert Scheinman PhD

Dmitri Simberg PhD

For questions regarding graduate school programs contact:.

Isabella Jaramillo Email:  [email protected]     Phone:  303.724.7263 ​​​​​

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PhD Program

The graduate programs in the College of Pharmacy offer advanced education in all aspects of pharmaceutical sciences including drug discovery, development and application.

The PhD program in pharmaceutical sciences includes coursework as well as cutting-edge research focused on topics like discovery and evaluation of novel drugs, determination of a drug's effects on the body, delivery methods to improve drug treatment, and how medication is used and applied to enhance patient outcomes. 

Because the scope of pharmaceutical sciences is so broad, our graduate program has a number of specialty disciplines: 

• Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy focuses on the interdisciplinary application of chemical, biochemical and molecular principles to the identification and development of therapeutic agents. This includes both synthesis of new chemical entities and isolation of medicinal agents from natural sources (pharmacognosy). 
• Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology  focuses on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, with a special emphasis on drug delivery and targeting systems and on determination of biochemical and physiological mechanisms by which drugs exert their effects. 
• Outcomes and Translational Science conducts research across the interface from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside. 

Admission to the PhD program does not first require application to the MS program.

In this section

Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy Graduate Studies

Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology Graduate Studies

Translational Science Graduate Studies

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College of Pharmacy - Chicago | Rockford

Phd in pharmaceutical sciences.

We enable students with backgrounds in fundamental sciences to become leaders in pharmaceutical sciences

Located in the vibrant and multicultural city of Chicago, UIC's PhD Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences is one of the strongest and largest of its type in the United States. Our college is consistently ranked in the top ten in terms of funds secured annually from the National Institutes of Health and by US News and World Report. We pride ourselves on giving students from all types of backgrounds the tools they need to become independent researchers. Students in the program select one of the program concentrations, described below.

Important dates Heading link Copy link

We are so pleased you are considering graduate studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago! Although Pharmaceutical Sciences is one of the best graduate programs of its kind in the country, our real pride is mentoring students into independent researchers who become leaders in our field. The program has some unique strengths, including providing flexibility to carry out internships in your later years. Have a look around our website. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] . We look forward to reading your application! Debra Tonetti, PhD  |  Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Program Coursework Heading link Copy link

All students in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program take the following courses. Additional concentration coursework is also required and is shown in each of the concentration tabs.

• Drug Discovery, Design, and Development (PSCI 501, 3 credit hours)
• Training in Research Presentation (PSCI 502, 1 credit hour)
• PSCI 503: Biostatistics for Pharmaceutical Scientists (1 credit hour)
• BSTT 400: Biostatistics I (4 credit hours) [Note: BSTT 400 is required for the Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery concentration]
• Scientific Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Research (GC 501, 1 credit hour)
• Research Rotation (PSCI 592; 3-4 credit hours)
• PSCI PhD Course Requirements
• PSCI Department Course Descriptions

Program Concentrations Heading link Copy link

Five concentrations comprise the PhD program in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Click on the tabs below to learn more about each of them. To see the faculty mentors for each concentration, visit the Faculty Mentors page .

Chemistry in Drug Discovery

Concentration description.

Faculty in the Chemistry in Drug Discovery concentration use the tools and techniques of chemistry to discover and develop new chemical probes and potential therapeutics. Students in this concentration learn how to design, synthesize, characterize and analyze small molecules, peptides, and proteins.

Concentration Coursework

Students in the Chemistry in Drug Discovery Concentration take the following courses:

• Fundamental of Drug Action I (PHAR 422, 4 credit hours)
• Principles of Medicinal Chemistry (PSCI 530, 5 credit hours)
• Electives (9 credit hours)

Concentration Coordinator

Prof. Terry Moore ([email protected])

Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics

The Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics concentration is designed to provide advanced understanding of fundamental causes of diseases, strategies that identify new drug targets, and mechanistic explanations of how drugs work (or fail) from the perspective of the target and systems they impact. Faculty affiliated with MMT integrate a wide variety of molecular, biochemical, genetic, bioinformatic, and bioengineering approaches to study mechanisms of pathogenesis ranging from infectious diseases to cancer. Students will enroll in fundamental molecular and cellular biology courses and select elective courses in areas of their focused research.

Students in the Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics Concentration take the following courses:

• Biochemistry (e.g., GEMS 501 or equivalent graduate-level biochemistry course, 3 credit hours)
• Molecular Biology (e.g., GEMS 502 or equivalent molecular biology course, 3 credit hours)
• Biostatistics I (BSTT 400, 4 credit hours)
• Molecular Genetics (GEMS 511, 3 credit hours)
• Receptor Pharmacology and Cell Signaling (GEMS 515, 3 credit hours)
• Microbial Pathogenesis (MIM 560, 3 credit hours)
• Cancer Biology and Therapeutics (PSCI 540, 3 credit hours)

Prof. Alessandra Eustaquio ( [email protected] )

Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery

Faculty in the Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery concentration use the tools and techniques of physical and biologic sciences and engineering to understand and develop delivery systems and formulations for therapeutic molecules and control the biodistribution of therapeutic molecules. Students in this concentration learn how to design, synthesize, characterize and analyze novel materials and drug delivery systems and design and develop technologies related to therapeutic distribution in the body.

Students in the Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Concentration take the following courses:

• *This 4 credit hour course will count 1 hour toward the program core statistics requirement and 3 hours toward the Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery concentration requirements. Students will not receive credit for two introductory statistics courses.
• Essentials for Animal Research (GC 470, 1 credit hour)
• Experimental Animal Techniques (GC 471, 2 credit hours)
• Principles of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery (PSCI 510, 3 credit hours)

Prof. Richard Gemeinhart ([email protected])

Pharmacognosy

Faculty research programs in the Pharmacognosy concentration aim to develop therapeutics from natural products and to study the mechanisms of pain, cancers, and a wide array of infectious and tropical diseases. Students of this concentration are trained in a combination of bioinformatics, synthetic biology, genetic engineering, chromatography, and spectroscopy to achieve these goals.

Students in the Pharmacognosy Concentration take the following courses:

• Research Techniques in Pharmacognosy (PSCI 520 or equivalent; 3 credit hours)
• Structure Elucidation of Natural Products (PSCI 521 or equivalent; 3 credit hours)
• Advanced Pharmacognosy (PSCI 522 or equivalent; 3 credit hours)

Prof. Brian Murphy ([email protected])

PharmD/PhD Joint Program Heading link Copy link

Pharmaceutical Sciences participates in the joint PharmD/PhD program, which trains students for careers in academic pharmacy and bench science research. Students admitted to this joint program participate in the PharmD curriculum and pursue original doctoral research projects in the laboratories of the university’s graduate faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The joint program offers the potential of reducing the time of earning both degrees in sequence (9 or more years) by approximately two years. The trade-off is that both degrees are awarded at the end of the training period and neither degree can be received before the other is completed.

The PharmD/PhD program is for exceptional, highly motivated and achieving students ready to meet the challenge of increased academic load and independent research project.

Program coordinator: Dr. Lindsey McQuade ( [email protected] )

• Joint PharmD/PhD Course Requirements
• Joint PharmD/PhD Program Page

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Pride Points for PhD PSCI Heading link Copy link

$ 37,500 annual graduate stipend for students on teaching assistantship or research assistantship

33 internships completed by department graduate students in the last five years

19 students currently on training grant or fellowship

# 7 nationally ranked College of Pharmacy according to US News

# 7 nationally ranked total research funding among Colleges of Pharmacy according to AACP

Start your application Heading link Copy link

The Pharmaceutical Sciences Program at UIC offers a supportive, inclusive environment and rigorous academic preparation for students who are interested in careers in pharmaceutical sciences. If you have any questions about the program or about your application, please contact [email protected].

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Ph.D. Programs

Our rigorous training in basic and clinical research prepares graduates to become successful scientists, clinicians, industry leaders and academicians working in pharma, biotech, government agencies, research institutions and universities

By the Numbers

Among pharmacy schools in NIH and total research funding

Among pharmacy schools, Best World Universities in Pharmacy and Pharmacology QS World Rankings

Best World Universities in Pharmacy and Pharmacology QS World Rankings

Explore Ph.D. Programs

Four programs that correspond to a stage in the drug development cycle, drug discovery.

Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry

Drug Delivery

Pharmacoengineering & Molecular Pharmaceutics

Identify and deliver the most successful compounds and therapies

Drug Optimization

Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics

Discover and evaluate the factors that influence how therapeutic agents work

Patient Outcomes

Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy

New PhD student arrives as an NSF Fellow 

Wednesday 12:00 pm

UNCLCN Webinar – Multiple Myeloma in North Carolina

Unclcn webinar – annual updates in the management of multiple myeloma.

Friday 10:00 am

UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Faculty Meeting – Fall 2024

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• Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research
• About the School
• Departments

The Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research (P-SHOR) improves health care through research, innovation, collaboration, advocacy, and excellence in pharmacy education.

Researchers in P-SHOR conduct clinical, translational, and population outcomes research to address clinical effectiveness, safety, economic value, and public policy issues that arise across the lifecycle of drug development and to translate research discoveries and pharmacy practice innovations into exemplary patient care. Faculty and staff participate in multidisciplinary health care teams and research endeavors in settings throughout the state of Maryland, helping to pioneer new roles for pharmacists in outpatient clinics, hospital units, mental health institutions, skilled care facilities, and community pharmacies by applying their knowledge of disease and drug therapy. P-SHOR prides itself on the education of future pharmacists and pharmaceutical health services researchers, as well as the mentoring of residents, fellows, and post-docs.

Vision:  Health and well-being for all people, everywhere.

To lead health services and medication-related research, pharmacy practice, patient-centered care, education, and service to the community.

The Mission of the Department of P-SHOR is to:

• Achieve excellence in pharmacy education, practice, and research.
• Empower learners, practitioners, and scientific leaders.
• Accelerate our impact through pharmapreneurism.
• Engage and serve our communities.

Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging

The Lamy Center is dedicated to improving drug therapy for aging adults through innovative research, education, and clinical initiatives.

PhD in Pharmaceutical Health Services Research

The PhD in PHSR program provides graduates with the theory, practical experience, and decision-making skills needed to address a wide range of pharmacy related problems.

Residency & Fellowship Programs

The School of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the University of Maryland Medical Center, offers a programs in a wide array of pharmacy specialties. 

Practice with Us

Meet Our Students and Alumni

Explore our student and alumni paths, learn about their unique experiences, and find out how their time at UMSOP prepared them for their careers through the My UMSOP Story series.

Faculty Research Interests Explore the fields of research P-SHOR faculty are currently investigating.

Open Faculty Positions View employment opportunities that the department is currently recruiting for.

PhD Program: Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy Research

About the track.

Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy Research (POPR) is a specialty track/program in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The POPR track will train students to investigate the impact and outcomes of pharmaceutical products, pharmacy services, and pharmaceutical policies across health care systems. The core mission of POPR is the advancement of knowledge about the safety and effectiveness of medicines, and pharmacy’s role in improving population health. POPR students most often focus on patient-centered outcomes such as access, safety, quality of care, costs, and patient-reported health. Graduates will be trained to work in a broad range of settings, including: academia; pharmaceutical industry; government organizations such as FDA, AHRQ, NIH; contract research organizations; and health care systems

• You will learn epidemiological study designs, data management, data analysis, and data interpretation.
• You will develop strong quantitative methodological skills in pharmaceutical outcomes and health services research.
• You will apply social/behavioral theory to the study of patient, provider, and organizational behaviors as it relates to pharmaceuticals and pharmacy practice.
• You will learn how pharmaceutical outcomes research is used to inform clinical practice and guide health policy decisions.

Faculty Associated with this Track

• Sherrie Aspinall, PharmD, MSc
• Tanya Fabian, PhD, PharmD
• Carlo Iasella, PharmD, MPH
• Sandra L. Kane-Gill, PharmD, MS
• Terri Newman, PharmD, MS
• Kangho Suh, PharmD, PhD

*Exempt if PharmD from ACPE accredited University

Primary Contact

Sandra Kane-Gill PhrmD, MS, FCCM, FCCP Professor 303 Baum, 4B- 4 412-624-5150 [email protected]

PhD Program Overview

The  Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides a rigorous background in scientific disciplines that are critical to the preparation of the next generation of pharmaceutical scientists. With approximately 30 faculty trainers and approximately 65 graduate students, the program’s interdisciplinary training combines pharmaceutically relevant aspects of classical disciplines such as chemistry, biology, and engineering. This training allows our graduates to pursue careers in academia, industry, government, and other sectors.

Students earn a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, concentrating in one of three research cores:   Drug Discovery ,  Drug Action , or  Drug Delivery .

Research in  Drug Discovery  focuses on areas related to medicinal chemistry such as small molecule development, natural products isolation and characterization, organic synthesis, chemical biology, and rational drug design.

Drug Action   research focuses on areas related to pharmacology, toxicology, cellular differentiation, development, and disease. Interests include the impact of drugs and toxins on biological systems, mechanisms of normal biology, and mechanisms of disease. These are studied at the cellular, genetic, molecular, and biochemical levels using diverse model systems.

Drug Delivery research emphasizes principles in physical chemistry and drug transport, aiming for advances in formulation, drug targeting, and multi-modal therapy. This includes research involving biomaterials, cell engineering, immunotherapy, liquid biopsy, molecular recognition, molecular imaging, nanomedicine, pharmacokinetics, and solid-state chemistry.

We invite you to explore our webpages to learn more about the Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, our PhD program, and life in Madison.

Lara Collier, PhD Director of Graduate Studies Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program

Contact us at: [email protected]

Other Degrees in the School of Pharmacy

Bs pharmacology – toxicology.

An interdisciplinary, research-driven, biomedical health focused undergraduate major

Doctor of Pharmacy

4-year program that trains students to become a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation, MS

An interdisciplinary Master’s program focused on the psychoactive pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries (psychedelic, entheogen, and cannabinoid research/application)

Applied Drug Development, MS

An accelerated master’s program focused on developing practical and professional skills needed across the lifecycle of drug development, manufacturing, and ongoing safety management

Health System Pharmacy Administration, MS/Residency

A combined Master’s degree and residency that provides a solid background in academics and the administration of exemplary pharmacy services across an integrated health system

Health Services Research in Pharmacy, PhD

Prepares health services researchers to best meet the needs of patients and the communities in which they live, with a focus on improving medication outcomes

Questions about our program?

Check our FAQ page for detailed answers to common questions

Visit FAQ page

We’re here to help – send us your questions at any time!

Send us an email

PhD in Pharmacological Sciences

Fall 2025 Admission Deadline: December 2, 2024

UC Irvine’s PhD in Pharmacological Sciences program provides a unique opportunity for those interested in any scientific discipline represented by the Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty to have a year of broad, interdisciplinary training and self-selected lab rotations followed by focused doctoral research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences research group of their choice.

Students can choose from one of three tracks within the program: Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology or Medicinal Chemistry.

The current areas of study in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department include:

• Structural and chemical biology
• Medicinal chemistry
• Structure-based drug design
• Molecular neuropharmacology
• Pharmacology of aging
• Molecular evolution
• Synthetic biology
• Natural product biosynthesis and synthase engineering
• Cancer prevention and therapy
• Gene regulation and intercellular signaling
• Computational biology and bioinformatics
• Nanomedicine for targeted drug and gene delivery

“The school has rotations that are longer than most departments – lasting a full quarter as opposed to a few weeks – which allows you to get a taste for what research is like in the industry and to really figure out what environments are best suitable for you.” David Wych, PhD ’21

About Our PhD Program

The Pharmacological Sciences PhD program is flexible and tailored to the needs of each individual student. Students are actively engaged in research throughout their training: In the first year, laboratory rotations ensure exposure to a variety of techniques and research problems. By the end of their first year students have worked with several faculty members and selected a lab to join. During their third year, students are considered for advancement to PhD candidacy on the basis of academic standing, laboratory performance, and a qualifying examination. After advancement to candidacy, students devote their time to completion of an original research dissertation.

CLICK HERE  to view the sample curriculum for the Pharmaceutical Sciences Track.

CLICK HERE  to view the sample curriculum for the Pharmacology Track.

CLICK HERE  to view the sample curriculum for the Medicinal Chemistry Track.

For more details regarding the required course work, please visit our program’s section in the  UCI General Catalogue .

Application Instructions

Complete the  Online Application  which is submitted to the UCI Graduate Division. When completing the “Degree Program” section of the online application for admission, please make the following selections:

• School/Department: Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Major/Degree: Pharmacological Sciences-PhD

Students are admitted to the Pharmacological Sciences PhD program on an annual basis in the fall quarter only. The admissions committee screens applications immediately after the application deadline. First round applicants selected to interview will be notified by early January. Admitted applicants can expect to receive an offer of admission in late January through mid-March.

Submit applications by December 1 for full consideration

The online application and supporting materials should be received by December 1, 2023.

Applicants are required to submit:

• An official  online application  including the application fee ($135 for domestic applicants, i.e. US citizens and permanent residents and $155 for international applicants)
• For application review purposes only, scan and upload copies of transcripts for all institutions attended since high school. In the online application, you will be prompted to upload your scanned documents. Please upload both the front and back sides of the transcript. Uploaded transcripts should be recent and include the following: your name, dates of attendance, grades/marks received, credits and grading legend. Official transcripts will be requested by the Graduate Division if and when you are admitted and decide to attend UCI. Do not send official transcripts until this time.
• A Statement of Purpose – must include your specific research interest and three possible research advisors you would be interested in working with. You can describe your research interests, career goals, and other related information.
• A Personal History Statement – this can discuss how your personal background– including any relevant educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges or opportunities– informs your decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Pharmacological Sciences. If you have overcome socioeconomic or educational challenges, please indicate that you are a diversity candidate and describe your experience in detail. 
• Three letters of recommendation – uploaded to the online application by your recommender.
• UCI no longer requires the GRE.
• International students are also required to submit TOEFL scores (Code: 4859)

Applicants are encouraged to upload the following in their application:

• Current curriculum vitae or resume
• List of publications

For additional details about applying to the PhD in Pharmacological Sciences program, view our information sheet here .

Prerequisites

• An MS degree is  not  required for consideration. However, research experience (laboratory or fieldwork) is  a primary criterion  for acceptance into our graduate programs.
• Some biology and chemistry courses are required. However, because we are an interdisciplinary program, we admit students from various academic backgrounds, so there are no specific course requirements. Applicants recently admitted to our program have undergraduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, including molecular biology, psychology, and chemical engineering, as well as chemistry and biology.
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0.

Admission Statistics

The acceptance rate for the Pharmacological Sciences program is approximately 23%, and admitted applicants from previous cycles had the below characteristics:

• Average undergraduate GPA: 3.32

Student Funding

Admitted applicants receive funding for tuition, health insurance, and a monthly stipend/salary through a combination departmental or university fellowships and/or teaching assistant (TA) and graduate student researcher (GSR) positions in their first year. In years two through five, students are generally funding by their faculty advisor as GSRs, as well as through a combination of university fellowships, extramural grants/fellowships, and/or TA positions.

Diversity Fellowships

UCI is committed to the recruitment, admission, and retention of a high quality and diverse graduate student population and has several  diversity fellowships  for new and returning students who qualify.  If you have overcome socioeconomic or educational challenges, please indicate that you are a diversity candidate and describe your experience in detail within the Personal History section of the application.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

TOEFL or IELTS

All graduate applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admissions consideration. Applicants are waived from the English Language Proficiency requirement if they have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the  World Higher Education Database (WHED) .  Please see  WHED’s instructions  on how to search for your institution. If English is not the sole language of instruction listed or if no language is listed at all, the waiver does not apply and the applicant is required to take and pass an approved English proficiency test.  Approved tests and minimum scores are outlined in the next section.  

Please note: Test results that are two years old or older are not acceptable.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If a student will be supported as a Teaching Assistant (TA), please read the  English proficiency summary chart for teaching assistants . Students who have not earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to WHED are required to demonstrate English language proficiency to serve as a TA when they apply to the program. 

The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

• Please select institution code  4859  to have your official score sent to UCI. No department code is needed.
• We only accept scores submitted electronically by ETS.
• Test results that are two years old or older are  not acceptable .
• We do not accept  MyBest  scores; you must submit all individual test scores.
• Results of institutional (non-ETS) administrations of the TOEFL are  not acceptable .
• We will accept the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test.  The same minimum score applies.
• We do  NOT  accept the TOEFL ITP Plus test for China or the TOEFL Essentials test.
• For more information, please visit their website at  www.ets.org/toefl

TOEFL Score Requirements for Admission Consideration:

• An overall minimum score of  80 
• A minimum score of 26 on the speaking section to be eligible for a Teaching Assistant position

As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

• We only accept scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted.
• We will accept the IELTS Indicator test.  The same minimum score applies.
• An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution. 
• For more information, please visit their website at  www.ielts.org

IELTS Score Requirements for Admission Consideration:

• An overall minimum score of 7 for admission, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module.
• A Minimum score of 8 on the speaking module to be eligible for a Teaching Assistant position.

School of Pharmacy MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

The UCL School of Pharmacy is a world-leading centre for pharmacy education and research in pharmacy and biomedical sciences. The School has maintained this status over decades, being recently ranked 4th in the QS World Rankings by Subject (Pharmacy and Pharmacology 2023). Furthermore, London was ranked 1st in the QS Best Student Cities 2023 list, making it an ideal location in which to study.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

Applications closed

• Entry requirements

A UK taught Master’s degree, or a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology pharmacy, pharmacology, or other relevant subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance . This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Students work in several core research areas:

• understanding the underlying basis of challenging human diseases
• identification of new drugs and drug targets
• medicine development, leading to effective medicines with optimised delivery, and minimising effects
• pharmacy practice and medicines management, specialising in the influence of human behaviour on medicine use

Who this course is for

Our PhD programme is intended for students who wish to obtain high quality scientific training that will enable them to conduct independent research.

What this course will give you

In addition to an advanced hypothesis driven research project yielding top flight publications which change thinking in their chosen fields, students also acquire generic and transferable skills while undertaking their PhD. For example, students graduate with skills enabling excellent scientific presentation, both written and verbal, time management - an essential skill in today's busy world - and networking.

Students have ample opportunities to practice the art of networking with their peer group, both within the school and outside, as students often talk about their work within the school and many students travel the world speaking to scientists about their research work.

The foundation of your career

Understanding the approach of industry to the complex process of discovering, developing, formulating and licensing a medicine provides students with an outlook and expertise valued by employers. Recent PhD students have gone into research roles in the pharmaceutical industry and in universities in the UK and around the world. Others have found careers in regulatory affairs, the NHS or scientific publishing, drug licensing and clinical trial research.

Employability

Recent PhD students have gone into research roles in the pharmaceutical industry and in universities in the UK and around the world. Others have found careers in regulatory affairs, the NHS or scientific publishing, drug licensing and clinical trial research.

The School attracts the leading figures in the field to our diverse programme of events, seminars, lectures, debates and conferences, focusing on critical issues in pharmacy, biomedical research and pharmaceutical industry.

Teaching and learning

PhD research involves a wide variety of learning methods, but your self-directed research activities will be crucial. You can expect to be supported by your supervisor to develop your research skills, as well as learning from other colleagues in our thriving research community. 

Assessment will involve an upgrade from MPhil to PhD, and then the final viva examination.

An agreement is made by students and supervisors as to how their hours are divided between contact and self-directed study. Full-time research equates to approximately 37 hours per week and part-time research hours would not normally be less than 50% of the full-time equivalent 37 hours per week).

Research areas and structure

Research Clusters:

• Age-Related Medicines Development And Use: The cluster aims to cultivate the research in the development of medicines tailored to the needs of patients accross the whole of the life course
• Drug Discovery And Therapeutic Target Identification: The cluster aims to participate in all the stages of early phase drug discovery from chemical biology approaches to new target identification and validation
• Fabrication And Synthetic Technologies For Advanced Drug Delivery: The cluster seeks to develop new dosage forms to optimise drug action
• Medicine Use and Optimisation
• Pharmacoepidemiology And Medication Safety: Researchers are engaged in projects to improve safety and benefit outcomes in the use of medicines
• Translational Neuroscience: Researchers use a wide range of molecular, cellular and whole organism models as well as theoretical approaches to study normal brain function and uncover the fundamental causes of neurological and psychiatric diseases
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Research environment

Students participate in research projects in one of four research departments in the School of Pharmacy:

• Research Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry
• Research Department of Pharmaceutics
• Research Department of Pharmacology
• Research Department of Practice and Policy

An agreement is made by students and supervisors as to how their hours are divided between contact and self-directed study. Full-time research equates to approximately 37 hours per week and students and supervisors decide how those hours are divided between contact and self-directed study.

An agreement is made by students and supervisors as to how their hours are divided between contact and self-directed study. Part-time research hours are agreed by the supervisor and student, but would not normally be less than 50% of the full-time equivalent (37 hours per week).

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Your research degree may be subject to an Additional Fee Element (AFE). The AFE (also known as bench fees) is an additional cost, incurred by yourself or your sponsor. It is levied to cover the costs related to consumables, equipment and materials etc which are not included in the tuition fee. As each research project is unique in nature, the AFE is calculated on a student by student basis and is determined by your academic supervisor.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

We post studentship information throughout the year. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pharmacy/study/mphil-phd/studentships-and-funding for new opportunities.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Our diverse academic environment will give you the opportunity to develop strong transferable research skills and will support a wide range of future research and employment opportunities.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

School of Pharmacy

[email protected]

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• News Center >
• News Releases >

Pharmacy professor lands $3.6 million grant to develop phages cocktail to fight bacteria

As society faces the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, discovering new ways to combat drug-resistant infections is essential.

Team is investigating mix of viruses that are effective and less harmful to human cells

By Laurie Kaiser

Release Date: August 22, 2024

Nicholas Smith

Gary Pollack

BUFFALO, N.Y. — While working on dual doctoral degrees in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences at the University at Buffalo, Nicholas Smith, PharmD, PhD, was intrigued by how multiple drugs could be combined to treat drug-resistant infections.

His interest was partially prompted by the alarming state of antimicrobial resistance, which the World Health Organization and others report could result in 10 million deaths and an additional $1 trillion in health care costs by 2050.

“I started to think about what the next frontier could look like and what direction the field was moving in,” said Smith, now an assistant professor of pharmacy practice in UB’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “Bacteriophages, or phages, seem really interesting, and I thought maybe they could be one of the next things.”

Smith’s curiosity and deep dive into phages, a type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria, has paid off. He was just awarded a five-year, $3.6 million research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, for his project, “Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Mechanistically Aware Phage Cocktails.”

“As we face the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, discovering new ways to combat drug-resistant infections is essential,” said Gary Pollack, PhD, dean of the pharmacy school. “Dr. Smith and his team’s work in developing effective phage-based therapies plays a vital role in reducing the impact of antibiotic resistant pathogens and addressing a critical public health challenge.”

Smith is collaborating with Dwayne Roach, PhD, associate professor of biology at San Diego State University, who is an expert in phages research. Co-investigators at UB are Liang Chen, MD, PhD, professor of pharmacy practice, Gene Morse, PharmD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of pharmacy practice, and Troy Wood, PhD, professor of chemistry. Together, they are working with Smith to identify the best strategy to combine multiple phages into a cocktail.

More targeted, less harmful

Phages are promising, Smith said, because they target bacteria very precisely and can be less harmful to human cells, which they do not infect. However, their use so far has primarily been experimental.

“Researchers have not found a standard way to use these phages effectively,” Smith said. “There are many unanswered questions as to how phages work in the body, especially how to dose them the most effectively.”

Over the next five years, Smith and his team, which also includes several pharmacy students, will investigate how phages distribute throughout the body to the site of infection and how effective phages are in resolving infections once there.

Century-old virus

Phages are nothing new — they were actually discovered in the early 20 th century. Phages were overlooked, Smith noted, because other weapons to combat bacteria, such as penicillin, were highly effective and more predictable.

“Now, that we’re facing all this resistance to antibiotics, the research community has started to revisit phages as a potential alternative,” he said. “In our study, we’re trying to apply a lot of the tools for drug development that have come into existence since phages were originally discovered.”

Currently, phages are predominately administered only in compassionate use circumstances — for patients who would likely die without treatment and for whom there are no other options, Smith said. This is usually due to antibiotic resistance, drug allergy or toxicity to other last-line agents. Smith and his team are taking phages that have demonstrated clinical success in these cases to determine how much phages are distributed throughout the body to get to the right dose.

“When you talk about antibiotic resistance, you have to think about who specifically it affects,” Smith said. “It’s often patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or cystic fibrosis or who are immunosuppressed while getting treatments for cancer. These infections really can distract from other treatments that they’re currently under for the conditions that they have.”

Using computer modeling

The first phase of the research, which has already begun, is determining how to pick individual phages and how to combine them for optimum results. The second and third phases will be devoted to developing the cocktails and testing optimal phage combinations. The final phase is setting up the infrastructure for future human trials.

He explained that they will use in vitro assays that they’ve developed, along with some computer model-based approaches, to figure out how to best dose the phages and if one phage can affect the efficacy of another.

“If you’re trying to dose one phage, that’s less of a problem,” he said. “But if you’re talking about a family of five phages, then the number of permutations of that explodes quite quickly into a problem that’s very difficult to solve using just 100% wet bench type preclinical research tools. So, we have to mix wet bench research with these computational tools to help us make sense of that data, sift through it and help simplify the problem.”

Smith said he feels honored to have the opportunity to conduct this crucial research and to work with a talented research team to move toward his ultimate goal of creating highly effective phage-based therapies.

“The urgency of finding new ways to combat drug-resistant infections, especially for our most vulnerable patients, drives everyone on the team,” he said. “The potential to realize the longstanding promise of phage therapy as precise and effective treatment is incredibly exciting for everyone involved.”

Other members of the research team include Thomas Nguyen, PharmD and current PhD candidate; Brian Ho, PharmD, Jacob Sanborn, BS, and pharmacy graduate students Leeha Mahmood, Jingxiu (Angela) Jin, Karishma Patel, Liem Nguyen, Yan Pan, Haniya Alam and Claire Han.

Media Contact Information

Laurie Kaiser News Content Director Dental Medicine, Pharmacy Tel: 716-645-4655 [email protected]

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