Pharmacology is a scientific discipline that studies how drugs affect biological systems. Drugs are defined as chemical/biological agents that act on living organisms, mostly act by interacting with specific target molecules to produce a desired biological effect. Pharmacology is the foundation of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing and many other healthcare professions. Pharmacology is also an interdisciplinary discipline that employs scientific principles and experimental techniques of its own, as well as various biological disciplines such as physiology, biochemistry, cellular/molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, structural biology, and pathology, etc. A fundamental knowledge of the underlying biological processes is required to achieve the objectives of pharmacology study, including identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention, developing new therapeutics, understanding their mechanisms of action and the potential environmental/toxicological implications. For course descriptions, see the Pharmacology course catalog.
Prerequisites:
Biology
- BIOL 1009 or BIOL 1951/1951H
Chemistry
- CHEM 1081 and CHEM 1065, or CHEM 1061 and CHEM 1065, or CHEM 1071H and CHEM 1075H
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Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Cheuk Leung I ctleung@umn.edu I 612-626-5309