About Pharmacology
Pharmacology - the
science of drug action on biological systems
If you are a highly motivated and curious student who is fascinated
with the life sciences and enjoys problem solving-then explore pharmacology.
In general terms, pharmacology is the science of drug action on biological systems. In
its entirety, it embraces knowledge of the sources, chemical properties, biological
effects and therapeutic uses of drugs. It is a science that is basic not only to
medicine, but also to pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and veterinary medicine.
Pharmacological studies range from those that determine the effects of chemical agents
upon subcellular mechanisms, to those that deal with the potential hazards of pesticides
and herbicides, to those that focus on the treatment and prevention of major diseases by
drug therapy. Pharmacologists are also involved in molecular modeling of drugs, and the
use of drugs as tools to dissect aspects of cell function.
Integrating a depth of knowledge in many related scientific disciplines, pharmacologists
offer a unique perspective to solving drug-, hormone-, and chemical-related problems
which impinge on human health. As they unlock the mysteries of drug actions, discover
new therapies, and develop new medicinal products, they inevitably touch upon all our
lives.
While remarkable progress has been made in developing new drugs and in understanding how
they act, the challenges that remain are endless. New discoveries regarding fundamental
life processes always raise new and intriguing questions that stimulate further research
and evoke the need for fresh insight.
A brochure, entitled Explore Pharmacology, is
available upon request from the
ASPET office that provides you with a broad overview of the
discipline of pharmacology. It describes the many employment opportunities that await
graduate pharmacologists, and outlines the academic path that they are advised to
follow. If you feel a sense of excitement and enthusiasm about understanding drug
action, and how drugs may be used to probe the physiological and biochemical processes
of life, you should explore pharmacology. This is the first step into an absorbing,
challenging and rewarding career. You may also read this
brochure
in
Spanish online. A video,
Research, the Ultimate
Adventure, features interviews with Nobel Laureates, Gertrude
Elion, George Hitchings and Julius Axelrod, talking to students
about what got them interested in pharmacology.
PHARMACOLOGY: ITS SCOPE AND SUBDIVISIONS
Often confused with pharmacology, pharmacy is
a separate discipline in the health sciences. It is the profession responsible for the
preparation, dispensing, and appropriate use of medication, and provides services to
achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes. If you are interested in
pharmacy, see this link.
Pharmacology is the study of the effects of chemical agents of therapeutic
value or with the potential toxicity on biological systems. It includes two closely
associated areas: pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Pharmacodynamics
is the study of the molecular, biochemical, and physiological effects of drugs on
cellular systems and their mechanisms of action. Pharmacokinetics
deals with the absorption, distribution, and excretion of drugs. Pharmacodynamic and
pharmacokinetic aspects of action of chemical agents also apply to related areas of
study, including toxicology and therapeutics.
THE PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES CAN BE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED:
The pharmacological sciences can be further subdivided into these
areas of research and education:
Behavioral pharmacology
studies the effects of drugs on behavior. Research
includes topics such as the effects of psychoactive drugs on the phenomena of learning,
memory, wakefulness, sleep, and drug addiction, and the behavioral consequences of
experimental intervention in enzyme activity and brain neurotransmitter levels and
metabolism. For more information about Behaviorla
Pharmacology see the ASPET
Division for Behavioral Pharmacology Web pages.
Cardiovascular pharmacology concerns the effects of drugs on the heart,
the vascular system, and those parts of the nervous and endocrine systems that
participate in regulating cardiovascular function. Researchers observe the effects of
drugs on arterial pressure, blood flow in specific vascular beds, release of
physiological mediators, and on neural activity arising from
central nervous system structures. For more information about
Cardiovascular Pharmacology see the ASPET
Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology Web pages.
Biochemical and Cellular pharmacology
uses the methods of biochemistry, cell biology,
and cell physiology to determine how drugs interact with, and influence, the chemical
"machinery" of the organism. The biochemical pharmacologist uses drugs as
probes to discover new information about biosynthetic pathways and their kinetics, and
investigates how drugs can correct the biochemical abnormalities that are responsible
for human illness.
Chemotherapy is the area of pharmacology that deals with drugs used for
the treatment of microbial infections and malignancies (cancer). Pharmacologists work to develop
chemotherapeutic drugs that will selectively inhibit the growth of, or kill, the
infectious agent or cancer cell without seriously impairing the normal functions of the
host.
Clinical pharmacology is the study of pharmacodynamics and
pharmacokinetics in human beings. Clinical pharmacologists study how drugs work, how
they interact with other drugs, how their effects can alter the disease process, and how
disease can alter their effects. Clinical pharmacologists are
in the forefront of research using date from the human genome
project to determine how and why individuals respond differently to
drugs. For more information about
Clinical Pharmacology see the ASPET
Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacogenomics, and
Translational Medicine Web pages.
Drug Discovery, Drug
Development, and Regulatory Affairs encompasses, but is not
limited to; target discovery and validation, medicinal chemistry,
combinatorial chemistry, molecular modeling and drug design,
structure-pharmacological function relationships, functional
genomics and proteomics, high throughput screening, identification
and development of natural products, nutraceuticals,
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, clinical testing and drug
regulation/registration, clinical contracting and
pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics. For more
information about these areas of pharmacology see the ASPET
Division for Drug Discovery, Drug Development, and Regulatory
Affairs Web pages.
Drug Metabolism and Disposition is the study of the
pharmacokinetics of drugs as well as the enzymatic metabolism of
drugs. For more information about Drug Metabolism see the ASPET
Division for Drug Metabolism Web pages.
Endocrine pharmacology
is the study of actions of drugs that are either
hormones or hormone derivatives, or drugs that may modify the actions of normally
secreted hormones. Endocrine pharmacologists are involved in solving mysteries
concerning the nature and control of diseases of metabolic origin.
Neuropharmacology is the study of drugs that modify the functions of the
nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that communicate with
all parts of the body. Neuropharmacologists study drug actions from a number of the
different viewpoints. They may probe the neurochemical disorders underlying specific
disease states to find new ways to use drugs in the treatment of disease. Alternatively,
they may study drugs already in use to determine more precisely the neurophysiological
or neurobiochemical changes that they produce. Other studies use drugs as tools to
elucidate basic mechanisms of brain function, or to provide clues to the nature of
disease processes. For more information about
Neuropharmacology see the ASPET
Division for Neuropharmacology Web pages.
Molecular pharmacology deals with the biochemical and biophysical
characteristics of interactions between drug molecules and those of the cell. It is
molecular biology applied to pharmacologic and toxicologic questions. The methods of
molecular pharmacology include precise mathematical, physical, chemical and molecular
biological techniques to understand how cells respond to hormones or pharmacologic
agents, and how chemical structure correlates with biological activity.
For more information about Molecular Pharmacology see the ASPET
Division for Molecular Pharmacology Web pages.
Pharmacology Education
involves undergraduate, graduate degree programs, and professional
education in medical, pharmacy, and veterinary schools. For
more information about Pharmacology Education see the ASPET
Division for Pharmacology Educations Web pages. See the
list of pharmacology training programs Web site links here.
You may also find the pharmacology
educational resources of interest.
Systems and Integrative Pharmacology is the study of
drug action and toxicity in the whole animal. For more
information about Systems and Integrative Pharmacology see the ASPET
Division for System and Integrative Pharmacology Web pages.
Toxicology is the study of the adverse or toxic effects of drugs and other
chemical agents. It is concerned not only with drugs used in the treatment of disease,
but also with chemicals that may present household, environmental, or industrial
hazards. Therapeutics
focuses on the correlation of the actions and effects of drugs and other chemical agents
with the physiological, biochemical, microbiological, immunological, or behavioral
factors influencing disease. It also considers how disease may modify the
pharmacokinetic properties of a drug by altering its absorption into the systemic
circulation and/or its disposition. Each of these areas is closely interwoven with the
subject matter and experimental techniques of physiology, biochemistry, cellular and
molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, and pathology.
For more information about Toxicology see the ASPET
Division for Toxicology Web page.
Veterinary pharmacology concerns the use of drugs for diseases and health
problems unique to animals.
ASPET MEMBERS WHO
HAVE WON THE NOBEL PRIZE
PAUL
GREENGARD - 2000
ROBERT
F. FURCHGOTT - 1998
LOUIS
J. IGNARRO - 1998
FERID
MURAD - 1998
ALFRED
G. GILMAN - 1994
EDWIN
G. KREBS - 1992
SIR
JAMES W. BLACK - 1988
GERTRUDE
B. ELION - 1988
EARL
W. SUTHERLAND, JR. - 1971
JULIUS
AXELROD - 1970
LINUS
CARL PAULING - 1954
HERBERT
SPENCER GASSER - 1944
CORNEILLE
J.F. HEYMANS - 1938
OTTO
LOEWI - 1936
SIR
HENRY HALLETT DALE - 1936
FREDERICK
GRANT BANTING - 1923
ASPET RESEARCH
FELLOWSHIPS AND TRAVEL AWARDS
FOR UNDERGRADUATES
ASPET HAS A SUMMER
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (SURF) THAT PROVIDES
STIPENDS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO SPEND TEN WEEKS DURING THE
SUMMER DOING RESEARCH IN THE LABORATORY OF AN ASPET MEMBER.
THIS PROGRAM ALSO HAS TRAVEL AWARDS THAT ALLOW SURF
FELLOWS TO PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH AT THE ASPET ANNUAL MEETING.
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