A core graduate class (5001) and advanced classes (6000) are offered. The core class constitutes the main framework of a student's formal class work, and is designed to be broad-based but at an advanced level. It is intended to help the student gain a wide understanding in several major areas of the pharmaceutical sciences and thus students are strongly encouraged to take some classes outside their area of specialization. Specialized classes provide the opportunity for in-depth study of selected topics which are more closely related to the student's research area.
PHAR 5001.03: Pharmaceutical Sciences “From Drug Discovery to Therapeutics”
This class discussed the fundamental sciences involved in the discovery and development of new drugs. It presents an overview of the techniques used in each scientific field and the important role each plays in the drug discovery and development paradigm.
PHAR 6010.03: The chemistry and pharmacology of bioactive compounds from plants
The chemistry and pharmacology of medicinally important natural health products (NHPs) will be explored. Emphasis will be on factors that affect content of products and the impact on efficacy of NHPs.
PHAR 6030.03: Drug Transporters in Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Drug transporters exist in every organ in the body and can affect therapeutic responses to medications. Through a combination of lectures and student presentations the course will cover the major drug transporter families and examine the clinical importance of drug transporters with respect to drug absorption, distribution, elimination, efficacy and toxicity.
PHAR 6040.03: Pharmacokinetics, Metabolism and Biomarker for Preclinical and Clinical Drug Development
The course provides lectures and laboratory experience in the concepts and techniques involved in pharmacokinetics, metabolism and biomarker science research for preclinical and clinical drug development.
PHAR 6050.03: Biopharmaceutical aspects of preclinical drug development
The course will cover biopharmaceutical aspects of preclinical drug development including basic and advanced concepts in drug delivery using in vitro, in vivo and in silico approaches.
PHAR 6080.03: Chemical Biology: Understanding Biological Processes using Chemical Approaches
This class discusses the use of chemical methods and techniques to probe biological systems. Examples will include the use of bi-functional molecules for delivery into cell systems to probe cellular function, approaches for affinity-based protein profiling and the use of chemical synthesis to identify potent enzyme inhibitors.
PHAR 9000.00: MSC Thesis
A research thesis (PHAR 9000.00) comprising publishable work by the student will be carried out under the direct supervision of one of the faculty members of the College of Pharmacy (the principal supervisor) with expertise in the pharmaceutical sciences, subject to the regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The principal supervisor will be appointed to the College of Pharmacy and have earned a Ph.D. or have equivalent research experience, as judged by the faculty members of the College of Pharmacy, and be a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University.
