Curriculum

Course Descriptions

Thesis Track 

 Non-Thesis Track 

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Course Descriptions

Foundations of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC 631)
The course reviews the foundational topics in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, and medicinal chemistry. Topics covered include principles of receptor-ligand interactions, dose response curves, pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs), structure-activity relationships, pharmacodynamics (drug concentration and effect), biotransformation of drugs and factors affecting drug action, principles of computational modeling of drug-receptor interactions, and rational drug design. (3 Credits) Prerequisites: CHE 312 or PSC 311; PSC 321/322.

Ethics in Research (ETH 610) 
This course includes a discussion format based on ethical issues involved in the research process. Students will have focused reading on the ethical issues involved in research and then will apply the readings to case studies during discussion. Topics covered will include, but are not limited to: morality and research ethics, ethical issues before research committees, ethical issues involving human and animal subjects, reporting of research and conflict of interest. (1 credit).

Experimental Design and Data Analysis (PSC 672) 
This course is required for all Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate students and provides students with a basic knowledge of experimental design and biostatistics. Students will learn how to design experiments and analyze the results. The course will cover single factor experiments, multiple factors, full factorial and fractional factorial designs and screening designs, the fundamentals of hypothesis testing and relevant biostatistics. (2 credits).

Research Rotation (PSC 661) 
Students will complete a one semester laboratory rotation in order to facilitate the selection of a thesis research advisor. Students select a potential mentor based on interests and availability of openings in any given lab. Assignments, based on student preferences, will be made by the Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate program director. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week on laboratory research during the rotation. Students complete a rotation through a minimum of 1 lab and a maximum of 2 labs during the semester. They are to meet with the faculty advisor at least one hour per week for basic introduction to laboratory principles and practices, and to discuss their research. Students are required to complete reading assignments as directed by the faculty advisor and write a report of the research data and present a ten minute talk summarizing their research at the end of the rotation. (2 credits).

Pharmaceutical Sciences Journal Club (PSC 651) 
This course, which is required for all Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate students, is designed to enhance the ability of graduate students to critically evaluate scientific articles published in juried scientific journals. Articles will be selected from current scientific literature in a variety of disciplines in the pharmaceutical sciences, including drug delivery, drug development, medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacogenomics, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry and pharmaceutics. All participants will read and critique the articles. Each student will present at least two articles per semester. (1 credit)

Required courses (6 credits) can be selected from the following list of courses marked with an asterisk.

*Downstream Processing of Biopharmaceutical Products (PSC 620)
This course will serve to introduce students to downstream bioprocessing principles and technologies used in the industry for purification of microbial and mammalian biologics along with supporting QC/QA techniques and analyses related to the biopharmaceutical manufacturing to ensure product purity, identity, and safety. This course will combine lecture discussion of major steps for cell disruption, separation, purification, and formulation technologies (homogenization, centrifugation, filtration, chromatography, TFF) used in the purification of biologics with hands-on laboratory training and core techniques i.e., electrophoresis, glycan analysis, functional assays, chromatography, and cell-based assays. Upon completion of the course, students will demonstrate the ability to understand how biopharmaceuticals are purified and certified safe and effective. (3)

*Mammalian Cell culture (BIO 631)
Mammalian cell culture technology has been routinely employed for research, drug discovery, and biomanufacturing of biological products. The Mammalian Cell Culture Course focuses on applications of mammalian cells in the biomanufacturing of value-added products. The course will serve to introduce the students to (1) overview and applications of mammalian cell culture technology, (2) aseptic techniques and the importance of lab safety and biosafety, (3) cell culture essential techniques, (4) biology and characteristics of cells in culture, (5) cell-line development and metabolic engineering principles, (6) cell culture media design, preparation, and optimization strategies, (7) upstream analytics, (8) scale-up and bioreactors, and (9) regulatory guidelines. Students will learn to subculture/passage both adherent and suspension mammalian cells. Students learn adherent cell culture in T-flasks and microcarrier bead technology. Students learn suspension cell culture in shake flasks, spinner flasks, and stir-tank bioreactors. The Mammalian Cell Culture Course is a lab-intensive lecture and discussion-based course. Students learn through active learning activities, such as lab-based experiments, case studies, presentations, and group debates. Upon completion of this course, students will learn the principles and applications of mammalian cells and the utilization of mammalian cells for the biomanufacturing of safe and effective products.

*Regulatory Science (PSC 646)
Regulatory Science is the science of developing new tools, standards and approaches to assess the safety, efficacy, quality, and performance of products, according to the definition by US FDA. The course begins with introducing the history and current status of the US federal regulatory system and the FDA. As the course progresses, emphasis will be placed on the structures and outcome of the law, regulatory strategies, globalization issues and ethics dilemmas of this emerging field, using cases and discussion to engage active learning. (3 Credits)  Prerequisites: PSC341 Pharmaceutics I, PSC641 Advanced Pharmaceutics I, or equivalent, and permission of instructor.

*Pharmacology and Molecular Genetics of Cancer (PSC 733) 
A study of the molecular-genetic mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, including the role of oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and pathogens (viruses and bacteria). Genomic approaches to the study of both hereditary cancers and somatic mutations will be explored. The pharmacology of current cancer therapeutics and the rational design of novel anti-cancer drugs will be discussed throughout the course. (3 Credits)  Prerequisites: PSC 631 or permission of the instructor.

*Quantitative Drug Design (PSC 757)
The principles of subcellular pharmacokinetics are combined with the methods for estimation of drug-receptor binding energies for known and unknown receptors to provide a comprehensive quantitative approach to the construction of structure-activity relationships. The emphasis is placed on understanding the principles of quantitative descriptions of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion and drug-receptor binding in terms of drug structure and properties. The methods for prediction of the physicochemical properties of drugs, which are important in drug development, are analyzed in detail. (3 Credits)

Thesis Research (PSC 761) 
This course consists of an independent research project which has been designed by the student, in consultation with the thesis advisor. The thesis advisor and thesis committee will be selected. The student will then develop a thesis proposal which will be approved by the thesis committee. Once the work described in the thesis proposal has been completed, the student will write and defend the thesis. It is anticipated that the thesis research will be completed over 2-3 semesters. (1-8 credits).

Capstone (PSC 750)
This course is available to non-thesis track students only. The capstone writing project is run as an independent study course. Students will select a topic in conjunction with the faculty instructor and prepare a written review of the existing scientific literature that is relevant to the chosen topic. The review should focus on a particular scientific problem that is actively being investigated and should define and discuss the scope of the problem, the substantive findings that have resulted from these approaches, and how these findings have shaped the current state of knowledge of the problem. (3 Credits) Prerequisites: permission of instructor.