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Pharmacology and Toxicology

Exploring therapeutics at the forefront of medical science 

Pharmacology is the scientific discipline that studies the mechanisms by which drugs alter biological systems in an attempt to improve health and alleviate disease, whereas toxicology is the study of mechanisms by which drugs and chemicals in the environment produce unwanted effects. Together these disciplines encompass the molecular basis of drug action, the actions of drugs on cells, organs, and organisms, the genetic variations in drug action, and drug discovery.

Since more drugs will be introduced in the next ten years than have been discovered in the last one hundred, and since there are increasing needs for selective drug therapeutics, research in pharmacology and toxicology are at the forefront of medical science. The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Indiana University School of Medicine is actively involved in research and in medical and graduate education.

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Education

The department is strongly committed to medical education and also offers outstanding multidisciplinary graduate education in pharmacology and toxicology to train individuals for careers in academics, government or the private sector.

Research

Investigators in the department conduct funded and leading-edge research in modern facilities to advance the understanding of the interactions of chemicals and drugs with living systems and to assist in the development of new therapeutics and strategies to treat disease.

Faculty

In addition to the research interests of the department’s faculty, this outstanding team of educators is dedicated to training future physicians and scientists in the disciplines of pharmacology and toxicology.

Modern Research Facilities

This IU School of Medicine basic science department is nationally known for using the most current technologies to teach pharmacology and toxicology to medical and graduate students. Researchers within the department also have access to state-of-the-art research equipment for their medical research programs.

Expertise

Researchers within the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology are using state-of-the-art approaches to study biological mechanisms that lead to potential targets for the treatment of cancer, infectious and neurological diseases, and toxicological effects.
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Support the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

A gift to the department helps faculty, students, and postdoctoral trainees advance key areas of biomedical research aimed at the development of new drugs and therapeutics to treat a wide spectrum of diseases and disorders. Major research areas include cancer, neuroscience (including addiction, pain, and neurodegenerative disorders), infectious disease, and more.

Financial gifts to the department support faculty research programs, augment the research conducted by trainees, provide travel fellowships to leading scientific conferences, and purchase shared laboratory equipment.

You can help researchers find the cause of disease, develop new treatments, and train the next generation of scientific leaders. Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated to help support the department's mission in biomedical research, teaching, and community service.

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