Course Descriptions

Tutorial study with a selected instructor or group of instructors on specialized topics in pharmacology, toxicology and autonomic pharmacology. Reading and discussion of original literature in the field. In addition, lectures, conferences, and computer-assisted teaching may be employed. This course is recommended both for pharmacology students and for students in other fields. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: To be arranged with instructor. Instructor: Staff.

The objectives of this course are to acquaint students with the research activities of individual faculty members and to assist students in choosing their areas of specialization. The faculty member and student will design a research project and work out a time schedule committing the student to 3­24 hours per week in the laboratory. The student will prepare an abstract describing the objectives and methodology of the study and then conduct the study under the faculty member¹s supervision. A final report stating the methods, results, interpretation, problems encountered and suggestions for future research will be required. In addition to carrying out the research proposal the student will be expected to gain a knowledge of the current literature relevant to the project. Grading will be based on the student¹s laboratory performance, final written report, and an oral presentation of the project. Grading will be A, B, C, F. Normally, a student entering the program without an advanced degree will be required to complete 12 hours of credit with a grade of B or better prior to gaining admission to candidacy. Individual requirements may vary depending on the research experience of the student. Prerequisite: None. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Laboratory 3-24. Instructor: Staff.

Research on thesis or dissertation project under the direction of supervising professor. The research is graded as Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). Prerequisite: None. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Laboratory 3-27. Instructor: Staff.

This course is designed to provide an opportunity for students to practice formal presentation skills and discuss science. Students will select research articles from pharmacological journals for presentation to student a student group. Each student will present and discuss at least one paper per semester, depending on number of students enrolled in the course. Grades will be based on attendance and quality of presentation. Term offered: I & II; Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: 1; Instructor: Swanson.

Presentations by guest lecturers, staff, and students on progress of their own research, as well as review of recent advances in pharmacology. Seminar, one hour a week. Students will receive a grade of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) depending on attendance and participation. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Seminar 1. Instructor: Staff.

Formal research and writing leading to the preparation and completion of the thesis for the Master of Science degree under the direction of the student¹s supervisory committee. Grading will be based upon the student¹s level of performance as reported by the chairperson of the student¹s supervisory committee and will be assigned as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Students registered for Thesis are expected to register for a total of 9 credit hours. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the master¹s degree. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually.

Formal research and writing leading to the preparation and completion of the dissertation for the Doctor of Philosophy degree under the direction of the student¹s supervisory commit-tee. Grading will be based upon the student¹s level of performance as reported by the chairperson of the student¹s supervisory committee and will be assigned as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Students registering for Dissertation are expected to register for a total of 9 credit hours. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually.

A ten week course meeting three times per week to present the principles of the study of drugs that influence neural systems. Material is presented in lecture and discussion format and outside reading is required, as is student presentations. Grading is based upon a mid-term examination grade, a final examination grade and class participation. Prerequisite: First year BBSC core courses or signature of course director. Term offered: I. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Lecture 2 and discussion or conference 1. Course Director: Cunningham; Instructors: Johnson, Cunningham, Gallagher and Shinnick-Gallagher.

This course will explore in detail the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsive to toxic stimuli using selected examples. In addition, the course will also examine current concepts and research strategies employed in toxicology. The course is presented in three parts: Part 1 - Metabolism and disposition of drugs and toxicants (i.e., absorption, distribution, activation and deactivation of environmental chemicals); Part II - Genotoxic and epigenetic toxicology; Part III - Toxicology in the age of genomics and proteomics. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor or BBSC Core Curriculum; Term offered: I. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Lecture and discussion 4/lecture/discussion/presentations. Instructors: Elferink, Staff.

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Prerequisite: First year BBSC courses or signature of course director. Term offered: III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Lecture, conference and discussion 4. Instructors: Shinnick-Gallagher, Staff.

This course is intended to provide an overview of drugs that are used or misused because of their actions on the central nervous system. The course discusses mechanisms of action of major drug classes, in terms of their interactions with neurotransmitter systems and with neuronal excitability. It discusses drugs used for therapy in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety; drugs of abuse, anesthetics, hypnotics, analgesics, and several other drug classes. Each drug class will be presented in terms of prototype drugs within the class, with mention of currently used agents, but exhaustive lists of available drugs will not be presented. Medically important adverse effects within each drug class will also be presented. Prerequisite: First year BBSC courses or signature of course director. Term offered: I. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Lecture, conference and discussion 4. Instructors: Swanson, Staff.

This is a required foundation course in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). The course deals with the fundamental forces that are the bases for molecular interactions, and the translation of these forces into the structure and function of proteins. Emphasis will be on the principles that give rise to these forces; on applying the principles to biochemical problems; and on the use of the principles in understanding macromolecular structure and function. The course also covers the basics of intermediary metabolism; the application of knowledge as to the fundamental forces that are the basis for molecular interaction; and the integration of these forces into regulation, synthesis and function of different biomolecules as they apply to developing an understanding of metabolism in homeostasis and disease. The course will have three lectures and two hours of small-group discussion and problem-solving sessions per week. Grades will be determined based on performance on written examinations and performance in small-group discussion sessions.

This is a required foundation course in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). It is a sixteen-week course taught to acquaint students with the basic principles of modern cell biology. The topics to be covered include regulation of basic cellular activities including functions of cell organelles, signaling, changes in cell numbers, interactions during development, and cellular organization into tissues. Each week there will be three lectures, and one or both of the following activities: 1) small-group discussion sessions of a research paper, and/or 2) enrichment sessions featuring research that illustrates the principles of the preceding lectures. Grades will be based on the performance on three exams based on lecture material, student participation in small-group discussion sessions, and a laboratory exam. Term offered: I

This is a required foundation course in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). It will consist of three lectures per week and two-hour discussion sessions every other week for a total of sixteen weeks. Topics include nucleic acid structure, DNA replication, genetic recombination, recombinant DNA technology, mutations and their repair, transcription and its regulation, translation, Mendelian inheritance, the human genome, microbial genetics, transgenic animals and models of human genetic disorders, and human evolution. Grades will be determined based on the performance on three examinations, graded problem sets, and participation in small-group discussion sessions. Term offered: II

This is a required core course in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). It is designed to provide students the opportunity to conduct laboratory experiments under the direct supervision of a faculty member. The primary objective of this course is to assist students in choosing their areas of dissertation specialization. Students in the BBSC are required to take four 8-week rotations in a minimum of two independent laboratories during their first year in the BBSC. The time commitment is approximately 18 hours/week in the lab. Term offered: I, II, III with no more than six credit hours (16 weeks) in one lab.

This is a required core course in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). Academic success is heavily dependent on scientific communication skills. Scientific communication is primarily comprised of three activities that occupy about 60 to 80 percent of the work time of professional scientists: reading, writing, and speaking. This course will provide practical tips, ethics and experience in (a) reading, writing and analysis of scientific literature; (b) visual and oral presentation skills; and (c) other skills for academic success. All work will be graded as satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U). The average of your grades on the preparation and analysis of papers and presentations will comprise 60% of your final grade. Class participation will count 40% of your final grade and will also be taken into consideration in determining final grades. Term offered: I

HORMONAL SIGNALING This eight-week course deals with Hormonal Signaling and Endocrinology at an intermediate level. After the introductory lecture providing an overview of endocrinology, each subsequent topic will consist of a lecture followed by a review of a paper or papers from the literature which illustrate or extend concepts presented in the lecture. The second and third lectures will deal with details of the two major receptor formats employed in hormonal signaling (steroid and peptide). The next two lectures will be on topics of broad applicability to hormonal signaling, development and cancer. The final lecture will cover an endocrine system-specific topic chosen by majority vote of the enrolled students. Student grades will be dependent equally upon (1) instructors' grading of their contribution to the scientific paper presentations and discussions and (2) a final take home exam consisting of essay questions which may integrate material from the entire course. Term offered: III

This eight-week course deals with the interrelationships between genetics, environmental influences and disease from two perspectives: the role of environmental mutagens in causing disease, and the role of the genetic characteristics of the individual in determining susceptibility to diseases induced by environmental factors. The major topics will include: 1) the role of gene mutations as causes of disease; 2) the process of mutagenesis and the roles of environmental agents in mutagenesis; 3) genetic factors which influence the nature and severity of disease; 4) the influence of allelic variations in genes within human populations in susceptibility to disease; and 5) strategies for gene therapy to treat or prevent disease. Lectures and student-led discussions of key publications will be used. Grades will be based on two examinations and student performance in class. Term offered: III

This eight-week course will be introduced primarily through class discussion of primary literature plus a few lectures. Topics will include: 1) a general introduction to epidemiological design used for assessing the health effects of tobacco smoke; 2) investigations that have documented short and long-term molecular effects of tobacco smoke on mammalian tissues and organ systems, with emphasis on cardiovascular disease; and 3) potential roles of antioxidants in the prevention of tobacco-related disease. Grades will be based upon class participation, one essay examination, and a short paper. Term offered: III

This course provides students in the basic science with a brief introduction to statistical thinking. Specific topics include basic summaries, probability and distributions, inference, experimental design and statistical modeling. The course is team taught with three senior faculty. There will be nine 1.5 hour lectures. Evaluations will be based on homework, a take-home mid-term examination and an in-class examination. Term offered: III

This is a required core course in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). It provides students the opportunity to hear about the latest advancements and techniques in a wide variety of biomedical sciences. Students are required to attend seminars by speakers from on- or off-campus invited guests during each of the Fall and Spring terms. Students chose the seminars (8 in the Fall; 12 in the Spring) to attend on the basis of student interest and/or program recommendations with at least one from each of the participating programs. In the Fall term, this course also orients students to the research opportunities available within the eight participating graduate programs. Each graduate program has a total of 2 hours of contact time with the students. Attendance is mandatory for all BBSC students. Term offered: I and II

This eight-week course deals with fundamental concepts that underlie electrical excitability, conduction of electrical activity, and synaptic transmission. Topics covered include the genesis of electrochemical potentials; molecular structure and biophysical properties of voltage-gated channels; electronic spread vs. propagated electrical activity, pre-and post-synaptic effects of receptor-gated channels and G-protein coupled receptors, regulation of exocytosis, quantal analysis of transmitter release, mechanisms associated with learning and memory, and analytical techniques that include current and voltage clamp, single channel recording, and noise analysis. There will be formal lectures and discussion sessions to review lecture topics of original articles; practice exam questions may be available for review and discussion. Students will be assigned to participate in daily class discussion of lecture topics. Grades will be based on class participation and closed-book examinations. Term offered: II

This eight-week course is designed to teach graduate students the principles underlying the following interactions between drugs, toxins, hormones, and transmitters and living organisms, including: 1) activation and inhibition of receptors, enzymes, transporters and other targets and 2) absorption, distribution, excretion, elimination and biotransformation, with special emphasis on metabolism by the cytochromes P450. The course will be taught primarily in lecture format with class discussion of primary research articles and homework problems. Grading will be based on class participation, two written exams, a short term paper, and a 15-minute oral presentation of the term paper. Term offered: II

This eight-week course introduces students to important concepts and quantitative measures of systemic physiology with a focus on the cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal and GI systems. Sixty percent time effort is devoted to understanding organ structure and physiological function and 20% time effort is devoted to the pathophysiology of key diseases and 20% to selected experimental methods of systemic physiology. Understanding integrated systemic physiology is a strong tool used in translational research for advancing new discovery to patient care. This course will serve students well who are planning careers in the pharmaceutical or medical device industries. This course will also serve students seeking an academic appointment with teaching responsibilities of health science, as the lectures will bring health and disease into perspective and be similar to lectures for health science majors. Grades will be calculated based on the performance three quizzes, a student lecture and of class participation. Term offered: II

This course is required of all graduate students. The course will employ small-group discussion to explore ethical issues in the conduct of scientific research. Students will meet with co-instructors from the Institute for Medical Humanities and the GSBS to discuss readings and cases dealing with the ethics of research, the ordinary practice of scientific research, and the value conflicts that arise between scientists and society at large.

The objective of this course is to introduce the principles of toxicology. This is achieved by presenting specific clinically-relevant examples of toxic injury and exploring the biochemical, cellular and pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie these examples. Mechanisms of toxin-induced cellular injury discussed could include injury by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, xenobiotic adduction and metabolism, and receptor/signal disruption. Term Offered: III

Tutorial study with a selected instructor or group of instructors on specialized topics in pharmacology, toxicology and autonomic pharmacology. Reading and discussion of original literature in the field. In addition, lectures, conferences, and computer-assisted teaching may be employed. This course is recommended both for pharmacology students and for students in other fields. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: To be arranged with instructor. Instructor: Staff.

The objectives of this course are to acquaint students with the research activities of individual faculty members and to assist students in choosing their areas of specialization. The faculty member and student will design a research project and work out a time schedule committing the student to 16 hours per week in the laboratory. The student will prepare an abstract describing the objectives and methodology of the study and then conduct the study under the faculty member’s supervision. A final report stating the methods, results, interpretation, problems encountered and suggestions for future research will be required. In addition to carrying out the research proposal the student will be expected to gain knowledge of the current literature relevant to the project. Grading will be based on the student’s laboratory performance, final written report, and an oral presentation of the project. Grading will be A, B, C, F. Normally the M.S. will complete two 8-week rotations in the first two terms. In rare instances a student may find it necessary to complete a third rotation to assist in choosing a thesis advisor. The M.S. student will be required to complete 4 hours of credit with a grade of B or better prior to gaining admission to candidacy. Prerequisite: None. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Laboratory 16. Instructor: Staff.

Research on thesis or dissertation project under the direction of supervising professor. The research is graded as Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). Prerequisite: None. Term offered: I, II, III. Hours per week: Laboratory 3-27.

Formal research and writing leading to the preparation and completion of the thesis for the Master of Science degree under the direction of the student supervisory committee. Grading will be based upon the student’s level of performance as reported by the chairperson of the student’s supervisory committee and will be assigned as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the master’s degree; Term offered: I, II, II; Year offered: Annually.

This course is designed to introduce students to the goals and methods of research in pharmacology and toxicology. It provides an introduction to the principles of laboratory experimentation, an overview of techniques and approaches used in pharmacological research, and a brief presentation of the research being conducted in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Each week a faculty member will present at the first weekly session a general topic, such a laboratory record-keeping or literature searching, or a method, such as gel electrophoresis or electrophysiological recording, and will discuss the importance of the topic to research in pharmacology. There will be a wide range of subjects, including computer technology, methods for studying drug metabolism, molecular biology and proteomics, and the use of animals in research. In the second session each week, the faculty member’s field of research will be introduced and the relevance of that week’s methodological topic to the research will be discussed. Classes are expected to be small and grading will be based on participation in discussion. Term offered: I

This course is designed to provide an opportunity for students to practice formal presentation skills and discuss science. Students will select research articles from pharmacological journals for presentation to student a student group. Each student will present and discuss at least one paper per semester, depending on number of students enrolled in the course. Grades will be based on attendance and quality of presentation. Term offered: I & II; Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: 1; Instructor: Pikuleva.

Presentations by guest lecturers, staff, and students on progress of their own research, as well as review of recent advances in pharmacology. Seminar, one hour a week. Students will receive a grade of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) depending on seminar attendance and at least one presentation. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Term offered: I, II, III. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Seminar 1. Instructor: Staff.

This course provides an overview of drugs used to treat disorders involving the autonomic, cardiovascular and endocrine systems. The course discusses mechanisms of action of major drug classes, in terms of their interactions with autonomic neurotransmitters, hormones, and the cardiovascular system. It discusses drugs acting on the neuromuscular junction, cholinergic receptors, cholinesterases, adrenoceptors, as well as local anesthetics, antiarrythmic, ionotropic and antianginal agents, vasodilating drugs, diuretics, and antihypertensive agents, and hypolipidemic drugs. Endocrine drugs including those affecting the hypothalamus and pituitary, adrenal cortex, and thyroid, and parathyroid glands are also discussed. Additional drug classes include sex hormones, insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, and vitamin D. Each drug class will be presented in terms of prototype drugs within the class, with mention of currently used agents, but exhaustive lists of available drugs will not be presented. Medically important adverse effects within each drug class will also be presented. Prerequisite: First year BBSC courses or signature of course director. Term offered: III.

This course is intended to provide an overview of drugs that are used or misused because of their actions on the central nervous system. The course discusses mechanisms of action of major drug classes, in terms of their interactions with neurotransmitter systems and with neuronal excitability. It discusses drugs used for therapy in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety; drugs of abuse, anesthetics, hypnotics, analgesics, and several other drug classes. Each drug class will be presented in terms of prototype drugs within the class, with mention of currently used agents, but exhaustive lists of available drugs will not be presented. Medically important adverse effects within each drug class will also be presented. Term offered: I.

This lecture course will present principles of chemotherapy and of toxicology and will survey the therapeutic and toxic effects of antibacterial, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents, as well as drugs for cancer chemotherapy. It will also survey selected topics in human toxicology. Emphasis will be on mechanisms of action and groups of drugs will be presented by prototype drugs rather than comprehensive lists of available agents. Each student will also give one brief presentation, expanding on one of the lecture topics. Term offered: II

In this course the synthesis of several complex organic molecules will be examined. These molecules will provide a backdrop for exploring the factors that govern particular transformations within a synthetic sequence, as well as the choice of the overall synthetic route itself. This course will provide students with the foundation needed for independently studying the chemical literature and will serve to build in students an appreciation for the intriguing possibilities organic chemistry offers for custom building molecules. Term offered: III

This course will cover modern methods for the synthesis of biomolecules. These topics will include amino acid synthesis, solid phase peptide synthesis, solid phase nucleotide synthesis and modern methods in carbohydrate chemistry. Methods for the synthesis of molecular libraries will also be covered. Term offered: I

This course is designed to give the student familiarity with the drug development process, including the difficulties, barriers, identification of toxicological risks, and regulatory issues that occur as part of drug development. The course will have lectures and discussions 2 hours per week. Grades will be based on student presentations and a final examination. Prerequisite: None. Term offered: I - every odd year.

A ten-week course meeting three times per week to present the principles of the study of drugs that influence neural systems. Material is presented in lecture and discussion format and outside reading is required, as is student presentations. Grading is based upon a mid-term examination grade, a final examination grade and class participation. Prerequisite: First year BBSC core courses or signature of course director. Term offered: I. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Lecture 2 and discussion or conference 1. Course Director: Cunningham; Instructors: Johnson, Cunningham, Gallagher and Shinnick-Gallagher.

This course is presented in three parts: Part I - Absorption, distribution, activation and deactivation of environmental chemicals; Part II - Evaluation of damage resulting from interaction of reactive chemical metabolites with biological molecules and the biological responses to these interactions at the molecular level; Part III - Cellular responses to chemical insult. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor or BBSC Core Curriculum; Term offered: I. Year offered: Annually. Hours per week: Lecture and discussion 3. Instructors: Ahmed, Halpert and Ansari.

The objective of the course is to acquaint the student with the toxicity of substances found in everyone's environment. The toxicology and subsequent treatment of exposures to major drug categories, industrial chemicals, household consumer products, plants, drugs of abuse, toxic animals and insects will be covered. The course will consist of a weekly conference and two 3-hour laboratories. The laboratory to be utilized is the Poison Center where the student will learn to access clinical histories, utilize the information resources of the Poison Center, and make appropriate treatment recommendations for toxic exposures. Assessment of the student's skills will be made through a mid-term and final exam plus the writing of a clinical case in the form of a manuscript. Prerequisite: Medical Pharmacology or General Toxicology or equivalent. Term offered: I, II, III.