Graduate Courses

Coordinator: Dr. R. Bendayan

This course is offered in alternate years.

The course is to provide graduate students with a knowledge of the molecular entities involved in drug transport across biological cell membranes and to emphasize the physiological and clinical significance of these entities. The course will consist of didactic lectures presented in a traditional lecture format, and student presentations, when appropriate a lecture will be replaced by a research seminar.
 

Coordinator: Dr. Cindy Woodland

This course is offered in alternate years.

This course is a seminar-based course in which students critique scientific papers in the area of toxicology. Faculty members from a wide variety of disciplines will guide these sessions and give an overview of the relevant issues in the field. Students are evaluated by oral and written critiques of the scientific literature and by their participation in class discussions. 

Grade Scale: Letter Grade
Credits: 0.5 FCE
 

Coordinator: Jeff Henderson

This course is offered in alternate years.

This course will emphasize the biochemical principles and mechanisms underlying the toxicity of drugs and foreign agents. In particular the current hypotheses that explain the events at the molecular level which determine and affect toxicity are examined and critically evaluated. This course is suitable for graduate students of pharmacy, toxicology, pharmacology, biochemistry, environmental science, pathology, neuroscience and medical biophysics. A weekly journal club will also be held after the lectures.
 

Coordinator: Dr. Jeff Henderson

This course is offered in alternate years.

This course will emphasize the molecular biology principles and mechanisms underlying the toxicity of drugs and foreign agents. A journal club format is used to examine and critically evaluate the current hypotheses that explain the events at the molecular level which determine and affect toxicity. This course is suitable for graduate students of pharmacy, toxicology, pharmacology, biochemistry, environmental science, pathology, neuroscience and medical biophysics. A weekly journal club will also be held after the lectures.
 

Coordinator: Dr. Peter McPherson

A survey course examining several contemporary topics in toxicology with emphasis on human/mammalian toxicology. Topics in the course may include: adverse drug reactions, acute poisonings, natural toxins, maternal-fetal toxicology, forensic toxicology, environmental chemistry, pesticides, dioxins, endocrine disruptors, regulatory toxicology, occupational toxicology, food toxicology, herbal products, alcohol, smoking, and drugs of abuse. Students are evaluated by their performance on written tests and assignments.

Grade Scale: Letter Grade
Credits: 0.5 FCE
 

Coordinator: Dr. Peter McPherson

A survey course examining several contemporary topics in toxicology with emphasis on human/mammalian toxicology. Topics in the course may include: adverse drug reactions, acute poisonings, natural toxins, maternal-fetal toxicology, forensic toxicology, environmental chemistry, pesticides, dioxins, endocrine disruptors, regulatory toxicology, occupational toxicology, food toxicology, herbal products, alcohol, smoking, and drugs of abuse. Students are evaluated by their performance on written tests and assignments.

Grade Scale: Letter Grade
Credits: 0.5 FCE
 

Coordinator: Lu-Yang Wang and Michael Salter

This course is offered in alternate years.

This course will focus upon selected topics in molecular genetics and cellular neurobiology. Students will be expected to make presentations based upon appropriate literature listed by the teaching faculty. Participation in discussions will also be required. There will be no didactic lectures. Presentation topics will be chosen from the following topics:

• Topic 1: Signaling in cells of the nervous system (eg. molecular biology transmitter receptors and ion channels, second messenger regulation, signal transduction systems).
• Topic 2: Development of Cells of the Nervous System (eg. cytoskeleton; genetics of neural development; nerve guidance and synapse formation; the ontogeny of neural cells; myelin).
• Topic 3: Plasticity of the Nervous System (eg. long term potentiation; glutamate receptors; learning and memory).
• Topic 4: Molecular Genetics of Neural Diseases (eg. Type II neurofibramatosis as a casestudy; Alzheimers, Huntingtons, MS, ALS).

Coordinator: Dr. Peter McPherson

Seminars are given by invited external speakers, Department faculty members and doctoral students. Although students are not expected to attend every seminar, a minimum attendance level of 50 seminars is required, to receive course credit, and students will be penalized for a poor attendance record. The penalty will be essay assignment(s) on seminar topics that the student has missed. Additional requirements for this course are the presentation of two Departmental seminars during the course of the PhD program.

Grade Scale: CR/NCR
Credits: 1.0 FCE
 

Coordinator: Dr. Cindy Woodland

This  course  explores  a  variety  of  topics  in  clinical  pharmacology  with  emphasis  on  the application  of  pharmacokinetic  principles. Clinical  cases  are  used  to  highlight  a  breadth of topics  in  clinical pharmacology  and  toxicology including variability in drug response, adverse drug reactions, clinical study design, and pharmacoeconomics.

Grade Scale: Letter Grade
Credits: 1.0 FCE
 

Coordinator: Drs. Nicole Mittmann & Prateek Lala

This course introduces fundamental principles of clinical research and provides students with the skills necessary for the design, execution, analysis, and critical evaluation of clinical studies in pharmacology. Students will become familiar with various research approaches, methodologies, and strategies commonly employed in clinical pharmacology. Specifically, lectures will cover observational and experimental study designs and techniques; clinical data measurements, collection, and analysis; evidence review (systematic reviews/meta-analysis); ethical, legal, and regulatory guidelines governing clinical research; safety monitoring and adverse event reporting (pharmacovigilance); and key principles of pharmacoeconomics. In addition, students will be introduced to current topics and conceptual issues related to clinical research in pharmacology, and will learn to critically appraise clinical research.

Grade Scale: Letter Grade
Credits: 0.5 FCE