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Message from the Chair

Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
I welcome you to the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology (MCP). Our collegial and interactive faculty are committed to maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment to foster excellence in research and training.
Kerry Burnstein
Kerry Burnstein, Ph.D.

Pharmacology is multidisciplinary encompassing numerous fields such as physiology, cell biology, biochemistry, and “big data” informatics. Research in MCP focuses on identifying, validating and manipulating cellular “targets” such as receptors, kinases and other signal transduction proteins to ultimately discover new drugs for cancer, neurodegenerative, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases.

Our faculty integrate computational approaches with “wet lab” studies in model organisms ranging from yeast to humans. MCP’s expanding strengths in chemoinformatics and in silico-based drug design as well as our capabilities in medicinal chemistry provide a cross-cutting platform for building productive collaborations within the MCP department, medical school, university and across the globe. Our faculty are deeply invested in training the next generation of biomedical researchers and hosts students from a diversity of graduate programs, notably the Pharmacology Program but also interdisciplinary programs including Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, and Genetics.