Pharmacology utilizes the basic concepts of biology and chemistry to determine how drugs affect organisms. It encompasses the study of the biological targets of drug action, the mechanism by which drugs act, the therapeutic and toxic effects of drugs as well as the development of new therapeutic agents.

 

  As the study of pharmacology is interdisciplinary, Ph.D. degree programs in pharmacology are diverse and flexible. Students take a small core of courses in pharmacology, and complete their didactic instruction with courses in areas related to their research including molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology. Training and research programs include stem cell biology, experimental chemoprevention and chemotherapy of cancer, endocrine, neuro-, cardiovascular, behavioral, and molecular pharmacology; environmental and molecular toxicology; and drug discovery, design, and toxicity.