Course Descriptions

In this class, students acquire skills to (1) make a scientific presentation and (2) learn to understand a scientific presentation. Also, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) discussions are an important component of the class.

This course focuses on a basic scientific understanding of the main processes underlying drug action. It briefly covers all important aspects of both the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic phases including (i)a review of the receptor concept and related general principles; (ii) a detailed discussion of quantitative models of receptor occupancy, agonism, and antagonism; (iii) basic concepts related to absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) processes and pharmacokinetics; and (iv) illustrative molecular mechanisms of action for a few representative drug classes.

Directed readings on subjects not ordinarily treated in depth in specific courses. Course may also consist of special laboratory problems.

The course covers cardiovascular pharmacology, necessary cardiovascular physiology and anatomy, and the function and pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system. The students learn about the function and energetics of the heart and how it is changed in cardiac disease.

This course is designed to teach problem-solving using the Python programming language. No prior programming knowledge is needed. Students will learn to write their own original Python programs to parse, manipulate, and analyze big data sets containing genomic, proteomic, and structural information. As the course progresses, students will be encouraged to apply their emerging programming knowledge to tackle scientific problems of their interest. The course culminates with each student designing a final project related to their research. This is a hands-on course with in-class interactive programming. Therefore, students are required to have their own Mac or PC laptop in good working condition for every class.

In this course, students will discuss the biochemical structure and function of signaling pathways that are most frequently targeted by the pharmaceutical industry. Students will be exposed to novel concepts and findings, in particular with regard to innovative therapeutic applications. Each week will address a different pathway or signaling network, its biological targets and functions, and specific drugs that target it. Each week includes one lecture and one class where students and instructor convene to discuss articles, technical approaches, or fundamental questions in the field.

Like physics and chemistry in the 20th century, computers are transforming biology and medicine at a rapid pace. In pharmacology, the importance of computation and bio- and chemo-informatics cannot be overestimated. This course is collectively taught by the MCP faculty and addresses the following four distinct areas. (1). Computer-based analysis of drug-receptor interactions. Students learn principles and specific software packages for in silico docking of drugs to proteins, predict structure-activity relationships, and become familiar with programming tools required for such tasks. (2). Using online databases to study biological activity, therapeutic indexes, toxicity, and other characteristics of drugs and other chemicals. Similarly, they learn to analyze the vast information available for drug targets such as receptor proteins and enzymes. (3). Students learn about pharmacogenomics, an area essential for personalized medicine. Here, they learn, for example, how to predict the reaction of certain populations to particular treatments. (4). Students learn about the drug development pipeline, starting with the design, through screening chemical libraries, and to the basics of FDA approval. In addition to lectures, they visit a UM robotic drug screening facility and UM pharmacy. Overall, this course emphasizes a hands-on approach with students performing computation tasks on their laptops. Laptops and gaining access to certain online resources are required.

An intensive course covering the regulation of neural processes by drugs that target neurotransmitter signaling at the level of GPCRs, G proteins, second-messengers, and ion channels.

Required for all Ph.D. candidates. The student will enroll for credits as determined by the Office of Graduate Studies but not less than a total of 24. No more than 12 hours of research may be taken in a regular semester, and no more than six in a summer session.

Required for all Ph.D. candidates. The student will enroll for credits as determined by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students must be registered in the semester they plan to defend. This course is used to establish research in residence for the Ph.D. after the student has been enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in appropriate doctoral research. Credit is not granted. Students may be regarded as full-time residence as determined by the Dean of the Graduate School.