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Explore Pharmaceutics

Explore Pharmaceutics

The field of pharmaceutical sciences crosses many disciplines, requiring training and resources in the life sciences, biotechnology, physical sciences, especially chemistry, analysis of many kinds, nanotechnology, animal models of disease, clinical sciences and medicine. The demands on the Utah graduate program to provide training, access, and the appropriate research environment are substantial! Each student has research and training needs that can be accommodated through the mentor's lab, collaborating faculty both on and off campus, central university shared resources, and fee-for-use outside vendors.

The University of Utah Pharmaceutics Graduate Program emphasizes drug targeting and delivery, this requires training in physical chemistry, cellular techniques, physical organic chemistry, mathematical modeling, bioengineering and molecular biotechnology. Graduate students learn to apply their understanding of basic concepts in these areas to specialized areas of modern drug delivery research including:

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  • Improving biomaterials performance in medical applications, including nanomaterials, implantable devices and diagnostics

  • Gene medicine: novel therapeutic gene delivery and targeting methods

  • Design and characterization of novel drug delivery systems using new biomaterials (polymers, peptides, nanosystems) and new drug forms (e.g., transgenes, proteins, peptides) to build and control system design, drug release and stability

  • Immunotherapeutics involving therapeutic antibodies and T-cell targets

  • Altering cellular trafficking, processing and elimination of drugs

  • Innovative drug delivery systems that combine new targeting, imaging, and triggered release features to improve therapy

  • Cell-based therapies for metabolic diseases

  • Studies of drug transport mechanisms into and through biological membranes (e.g., skin, GI tract, mouth/nose, lung or cell membranes and cell organelles) and synthetic polymer delivery devices

  • Analysis of drug physical and chemical properties and the influence of bioactive molecule chemistry on those properties

The University of Utah encourages synergistic collaboration with researchers in other University departments (e.g., the Huntsman Cancer Institute, biomedical engineering, oncology, internal medicine and surgical specialties), as well as opportunities for joint work with scientists at other universities and in industry, both in the United States and internationally.