The project uses preclinical seizure models and neuroscience techniques to help develop new antiepileptic agents. Some 800-1000 novel compounds per year are evaluated against conventional drugs for anticonvulsant efficacy and potency, neurotoxicity, effect on liver function, and mechanism of action. Promising compounds, which exhibit a high level and/or unusual spectrum of anticonvulsant activity with superior therapeutic potential, are selected for detailed toxicology studies and subsequent clinical trials in epileptic patients. The project has been continually funded since 1975 and every new anticonvulsant introduced to clinical use in the USA during the past 40 years has been evaluated in this research program.
The program is an integral part of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and, as such, provides a site for research training of undergraduate students, departmental graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Faculty aligned with the program also provide instruction to professional students in the College of Pharmacy and the School of Medicine.
The University of Utah reports $603 million in research funding for fiscal year 2020. Two-thirds of the U’s research funding comes from U of U Health, reaching $408 million in FY 2020, demonstrating continuous growth for the past seven years.... Read More
A multidisciplinary team of University of Utah Health scientists has received a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how variations in pollutant-sensing genes in the lungs could influence air pollution’s effects on children who have asthma. ... Read More
Family and Preventive Medicine
Few health-related products are as buzzed about—or as controversial—as cannabidiol, also known as CBD.... Read More
Independent black-owned pharmacies fill a void for African American patients looking for care that’s sensitive to their heritage, beliefs and values.... Read More
Class of 2021 student, Melanie Hunter, has been selected by ISPF to take part in their Student Exchange Program.... Read More
The PAL rotation was developed in 2013 for fourth-year PharmD students interested in developing knowledge and skills with respect to pharmacy legislative and regulatory issues in the state of Utah.... Read More
