Molecular Pharmacology (PhD)

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Biomedical research in the Molecular Pharmacology program is focused on cutting-edge discovery of molecular and cellular mechanisms of intracellular signaling using a combination of biochemical, molecular biological, biophysical, ultrastructural, and imaging approaches. Basic research into cellular communication in health and disease is the main emphasis of the program with the added advantage of an array of translational opportunities into the development and testing of novel therapeutic agents. Applications of this common theme are directed toward research in molecular biology of cancer, neuropharmacology, cell and organ system pharmacology, signal transduction, neurodegenerative diseases and drug discovery. Formal collaborative interactions with the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, the Center for Neuroscience, the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND), the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, the University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh Structural Biology Imaging Center, the Vascular Medicine Institute and the Center for Biological Imaging provide a broad multidisciplinary approach to training in modern molecular pharmacology.