Molecular Pharmacology

Pharmacology, which is the most translational of the biological sciences, focuses on mechanisms whereby drugs and toxins perturb biological processes.  It draws on all basic science fields to investigate how drug targets regulate normal physiological mechanisms and contribute to disease pathophysiology.

Pharmacologists work to identify and validate drug targets with the ultimate goal of intervening — with rational and effective drug therapy — in signaling cascades and metabolic pathways that have gone awry.  Such intervention requires understanding of the major organismal control systems and identifying defects in the systems that occur with disease. For example, revolutionary new drug therapies targeting the incretin/GLP system in diabetes are also effective in reducing obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases, and are a recent example of the translation of basic research to the discovery of an effective drug therapy.

The Pharmacological Sciences Training Program at UVA encompasses the breadth of this discipline and provides students with a solid foundation for careers in Pharmacology.  The diverse expertise of the Pharmacology faculty provides training opportunities that encompass molecular and cellular biology in the context of whole animal physiology, drug discovery and translational medicine.  Technologic advances in AI, imaging, and -omics approaches have accelerated the process of identifying potential drug targets and are expected to improve the success rate of drug discovery and development.  Experience and practical training with these cutting-edge tools and an underlying knowledge of organismal physiology can equip students with the skills necessary to contribute effectively to biotechnology and drug discovery research in the future.  Students are supported by the Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant, now in its 49th year.  Visit our Pharmacology page to learn more.