The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology offers a program leading to the Ph.D., with the primary objective of training individuals for a successful independent career in pharmacology, toxicology or a related biomedical science. That objective is achieved through a combination of formal course work, independent study and both faculty-directed and independent research. Students are exposed to fundamental principles of pharmacology as well as current concepts related to mechanisms of actions of an array of different classes of drugs and modern research techniques. The curriculum provides ample opportunities for students to improve their written and verbal communication skills and to develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving and experimental design. The department has 11 faculty with primary appointments and an additional 10 adjunct faculty who represent the Departments of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Medicine, and Emergency Medicine. Research interests represented in the department are diverse and include the central and peripheral nervous systems, drug abuse, the cardiovascular system, endocrinology, toxicology, signal transduction, membrane transport, drug metabolism, protein-DNA interaction, DNA damage and repair, cancer chemotherapy, and drug development. The department is well equipped for training and research at the whole animal, organ, cell and subcellular levels. Departmental equipment includes electrophysiological instrumentation, fluorescence imaging, UV-Vis and laser spectrophotometers, fluorometers, gas and liquid chromatographic-mass spectroscopic facilities, cell-culture facilities, and an extensive array of behavioral, cardiovascular, chemical, and biochemical instrumentation. Admission to the program is competitive, and applicants with at least a baccalaureate degree are evaluated on the basis of undergraduate grades (particularly in science), Graduate Record Examination scores, and letters of recommendation. Financial assistance is provided for all full-time students.

For additional information on application procedures, financial aid and faculty, please contact:

Dr. Robert Kramer
Director, Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
Phone: (601) 984-1630 Fax: (601) 984-1637
E-mail: info@pharmacology.umsmed.edu

Please visit our website: http://pharmacology.umc.edu/