Curriculum

This half-semester course welcomes students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to the University of Utah’s Biological Chemistry Graduate Program. Our goal is to ensure that all students will have a solid foundation in nucleic acid biochemistry, protein structure and function, and bioorganic and biophysical chemistry as you start your first year of graduate school. Basic content will be provided as pre-work and in-class time will be spent discussing and applying these concepts to data interpretation, problem-solving, and the primary literature.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 2397

Instructor: Amy Barrios

M, W, F / 9:00 AM– 11:00 AM / EHSEB 2958

Credit Hours: 3.0

Semester: First Half Semester

This half-semester course welcomes students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to the University of Utah’s graduate Molecular Biology Program. We strive to ensure that all students will have a strong foundation in nucleic acid metabolism, gene expression, protein structure and function, genetics and cell biology as you start your first year of graduate school. Basic content will be provided as pre-work and in-class time will be spent applying these concepts to data interpretation, problem-solving and model-building. Content experts will join the course directors to ensure both a consistent course structure as well as cutting-edge expertise and an opportunity to meet several faculty. We will work to create a supportive learning environment where all students can actively participate.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 9712

Instructor: Julia Brasch & Minna Roh

M, W, F / 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM / EHSEB 1730

Credit Hours: 3.0

Semester: First Half Semester

Laboratory rotations for students in the Graduate Programs Biological Chemistry.

A signed Rotation Verification Form and a copy of the Rotation Report must be submitted to the Program Office in order to receive credit.

Rotation Schedule for 2026-27

(Please note: these dates do not correlate with the academic quarters.)
1st Rotation Commitment can Begin: Saturday, August 8, 2026
2nd & 3rd Rotation Commitment can Begin: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Fall 2026 Semester
1st Rotation: Monday, August 31 - Friday, October 23, 2026
2nd Rotation: Monday, October 26 - Friday, December 11, 2026

Spring 2027 Semester
3rd Rotation: Monday, January 11 - Friday, March 5, 2027
Verbal Lab Commitments can Begin: Monday, March 8, 2027

Guidelines for Arranging First Year Rotations

Laboratory rotations for students in Molecular Biology.

A signed Rotation Verification Form and a copy of the Rotation Report must be submitted to the Program Office in order to receive credit.

Rotation Schedule for 2026-27

(Please note: these dates do not correlate with the academic quarters.)
1st Rotation Commitment can Begin: Saturday, August 8, 2026
2nd & 3rd Rotation Commitment can Begin: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Fall 2026 Semester
1st Rotation: Monday, August 31 - Friday, October 23, 2026
2nd Rotation: Monday, October 26 - Friday, December 11, 2026

Spring 2027 Semester
3rd Rotation: Monday, January 11 - Friday, March 5, 2027
Verbal Lab Commitments can Begin: Monday, March 8, 2027

Guidelines for Arranging First Year Rotations

An examination of research integrity and other ethical issues involved in scientific research. Topics may include scientific fraud, conflicts of interest, plagiarism and authorship designation, and the role of science in formulating social policy. This course is designed for graduate students, post-docs and regular faculty in the sciences.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 9707

Instructor: Vasiliki Karahalios

W / 4:00 PM – 5:20 PM / EHSEB 1750

Credit Hours: 1.0

Semester: Second Half Semester 

Statistics is the underpinning of scientific research. This course offers a broad introduction to methods for statistical analysis of biological and biomedical data with emphasis on the fundamental concepts of probability analysis and statistical inference and the practical application of these concepts to experimental design and data analysis. The focus will be on real-world examples that students are likely to encounter in their own research. By the end of the course, students will gain a solid foundation for understanding how to apply statistical analysis to their own data, rigorously interpreting the biomedical literature, and seeking out additional knowledge when needed. An additional component of this class will be an introduction to the statistical software R, which is one of the most used statistical packages in many disciplines.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 9711

Instructors: Gillian Stanfield & Mark Metzstein

TH / 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM / EHSEB 1730

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Full Semester 

Neuroscience and first-year students are given priority. Advanced students should email course instructors to be added to a waiting list for available permission codes.

The nervous system is the most complex organ in the body; behavior requires unique cell biology and biochemistry. The goal of this course will be to introduce core cellular and molecular processes in the main brain cell types; neurons and glia. In addition, we will highlight how these processes can go awry in neurological disorders. Topics covered include: Cellular and molecular composition of the nervous system The molecular basis for synaptic transmission – the conversion of electrical activity by chemical synapses. How synapses form circuits during development and learning How synapses signal to the nucleus to regulate gene expression The role of glia (microglia and astrocytes) in brain function. Molecular basis of common neurological disorders New advanced methods to study the brain – optogenetics, human pluripotent stem cells, organoids

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 1080

Lead Instructor: Ismail Ahmed

M, W / 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM / BPRB 501

Credit Hours: 1.5

Semester: Second Half Semester

This course will focus on biochemical and biophysical approaches to studying proteins and their functional interactions. Topics covered will include: advanced non-linear curve fitting, protein-ligand interactions, protein folding, spectroscopic techniques, analytical ultracentrifugation, calorimetry, biosensors, mass spectrometry/proteomics, and AI protein structure prediction and design.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 1918

Lead Instructor: Michael Kay, Owen Pornillos,  & Wes Sundquist

T, TH / 2:30 PM - 3:50 PM / EHSEB 2958

Credit Hours: 1.5

Semester: Second Half Semester

This course provides an integrated approach to the applications of X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy in structural biology. Topics covered include basic theory and the application of methods of structure determination.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 1921

Lead Instructor: Julia Brasch, Erhu Cao, Chris Hill, & Peter Shen

M, W, F / 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM / BPRB 501

Credit Hours: 1.5

Semester: Second Half Semester

This half-semester course will begin with a review of carbohydrate and lipid metabolic pathways, with an emphasis on an integrated understanding the pathways and what is known about their regulation. The course will progress to an in-depth analysis of current research in specific areas of nutritional sensing and metabolic regulation.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 1917

Lead Instructor: Greg Ducker & Keren Hilgendorf

T, TH / 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM / EHSEB 2600

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

Advanced Genetics covers the fundamentals of classical genetics and genetic analysis in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Classical genetics encompasses the mechanisms of inheritance and the behavior of genes and chromosomes in somatic cells and germ cells. Genetic analysis is a branch of biological investigation that uses mutations and mutant phenotypes to study the function and behavior of cells and groups of cells, in isolation and in a developmental context. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes have different modes of inheritance and significant differences in gene regulation and in their cellular biology. Prokaryotes provided the foundational discoveries of molecular biology and continue to be a source of new genetic tools and biological understanding with health and ecological relevance. Modern eukaryotic genetics blends the tools of molecular biology, cell biology and classical genetics to investigate gene and cell function in complex organisms.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 2166

Lead Instructor: Kelly Hughes, Erik Jorgensen, & Nitin Phadnis

M, W, F / 10:45 AM - 11:35 AM / CSC 25

Credit Hours: 1.5

Semester: Second Half Semester

This course is intended to provide an overview of the methods of chemical analysis used to characterize biological samples. Topics will include a discussion of separations techniques, the spectroscopy of biological molecules, immunological and enzymatic assays, and surface analytical methods.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 3005

Lead Instructor: John Conboy

T, TH / 10:45 AM-12:05 PM / CSC 25

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

This course will cover foundational principles in physical chemistry that are essential to understand biological processes from the molecular to macroscopic levels. Probability theory is a unifying framework for the statistical, dynamic, and thermodynamic descriptions of biomolecular behavior.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 3294

Lead Instructor: Jessica Swanson

M, W, F / 11:00 AM - 12:05 PM / TBBC 2429

Credit Hours: 2.00

Semester: Second Half Semester

Upon completion of this course, students will: • Understand the scope of omics research and methods in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. • Understand omics in terms of investigation for biological questions. • Learn about the importance of experimental design in omics research. • Understand the challenges and limitations of big data analysis, including integration of data, batching, computational resources, and working with collaborators across all fields.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 8167

Lead Instructor: Charlie Murtaugh & Robert Weiss

T, TH / 11:10 AM - 12:30 PM / HSEB 5100B

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

This course focuses on the current understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of cancer and how advances in basic cancer biology inform our understanding of cancer development and treatment. Designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with an interest in cancer biology, the course will examine fundamental principles and emerging areas in cancer research, including oncogenic signaling, tumor suppressor pathways, cell-state plasticity, cancer metabolism, tumor evolution, metastasis, and interactions between tumor cells and the microenvironment. Emphasis will be placed on integrating foundational concepts with current research and using recent advances to illustrate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive cancer initiation, progression, and therapeutic response.

Required Textbook The Biology of Cancer, Third Edition

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 13875

Lead Instructor: Ben Spike

M, W, F / 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM / Huntsman Cancer Institute - IV 1547 & North 4164

Credit Hours: 1.5

Semester: Second Half Semester

Cell biology was redesigned in 2019 with a decreased emphasis on didactic lectures and a stronger focus on teaching students how to read and evaluate primary literature. The course consists of primary research articles within the field, and each class will discuss one paper. Students will be expected to read/watch background material posted on Canvas prior to each class. Objectives are as follows: 1. To effectively assess data in published literature. To be able to answer: a. What are the questions the authors seek to answer? b. What approaches did the authors use to answer the questions? Why did they use those approaches? c. Did the presented data answer the questions? How convinced are you? d. If you had access to unlimited resources, how would you follow up on this work? What questions would you ask, and how would you answer them? 2. To be able to articulate scientific knowledge both verbally and in written format 3. To gain a basic understanding of selected topics in cell biology

Fall 2026 Schedule

Cross listed - either ONCSC 6701 or BIO C 6701

Class Number: 1922 or 1923

Lead Instructor: Matthew Miller & Ben Myers

T, TH / 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM / EHSEB 4100B

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

The immune system is an integral part of virtually every organ system of the body including the neuronal, digestive, cardiovascular and endocrine, to name just a few. Moreover, while the immune system is fundamental to our ability to fend off infectious pathogens, it is intimately involved in a variety of diseases that plague the modern world including all cancers, behavioral diseases, and autoimmunity. Studies in immunology have led revolutionary discoveries that have fundamentally transformed human health, such as protection from deadly pathogens through vaccination and reversal of cancers through immune-based therapies. Thus, an understanding of basic immunological concepts is broadly applicable in multiple disease settings. Furthermore, the immune system provides an effective platform for understanding fundamental concepts of cellular and molecular biology, including events controlling cellular development, differentiation and function, DNA recombination and repair, and cell signaling. This course was designed to introduce basic immunology while integrating and helping to solidify cell biology, genetic and molecular biology concepts. This course will allow you to address questions such as: How does the immune system detect and respond to microbes? How does immunity elicit protection from microbes? Why doesn’t the immune system react to self tissue? How do cells of the immune system differentiate and make fate decisions in response to external stimuli? What are the mechanisms used by the immune system to recognize such a diversity of microbes? How is the immune system used to fight cancer? Why don’t we generally get sick twice with the same pathogen? Undergraduate exposure to basic principles of cell biology, genetics, and molecular biology will improve understanding of this course.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 14183

Lead Instructor: Aaron Petrey, Melissa Reeves, & Arabella Young

M, W / 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM / EHSEB 5100C

Cr Hrs: 1.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

This half-semester course, which is open to graduate students from departments in the College of Pharmacy and those participating in the Biological Chemistry/Molecular Biology PhD programs, will explore the process of developing therapeutics. Subject matters include steps spanning the entire drug development process from discovering active species, developing them into compounds that are suitable for clinical evaluation, assessing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and determining the efficacy of candidates in clinical studies and after FDA approval.

Fall 2026 Schedule

Class Number: 14415

Lead Instructor: Raphael Franzini & Mei Koh

M, W, F / 11:10 AM - 12:00 PM / EHSEB 4100C

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

This is a one half semester course that focuses on the application of organic chemistry to the study and manipulation of proteins. Topics include chemical synthesis of peptides, proteins, and peptide mimics and chemical biology methods to study the role of proteins in cell biology and signaling. Prerequisite: 2 semesters undergraduate organic chemistry.

Not Offered Fall 2026

Fall 2024 Schedule

Lead Instructor: Ming Hammond

T, TH / 9:10 AM - 10:30 AM / HEB 2010

Credit Hours: 2.0

Semester: Second Half Semester

In order to teach the skills required to be a successful independent scientist this course will teach students critical thinking strategies for successful research. This will include how to digest and analyze papers and problem solve, both of which will review and apply material from core coursers. The instructors will develop specific course content. Topics may include: How to read a paper (read at home, discuss in class); Survey of the core services; Problem solving with open-ended problems posed on real-life or made-up situations. A focused effort will be made to help students identify topics that they can develop into grants in the Spring term. Grading will be based on participation and individual work.

Cross-listed with MBIOL 6200

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

T & TH, 3:00PM-5:00PM, EHSEB 1750

Instructors: Charlie Murtaugh, & Helena Safavi

BC Students should register for Section 001, Class 1003

In order to teach the skills required to be a successful independent scientist this course will teach students critical thinking strategies for successful research. This will include how to digest and analyze papers and problem solve, both of which will review and apply material from core coursers. The instructors will develop specific course content. Topics may include: How to read a paper (read at home, discuss in class); Survey of the core services; Problem solving with open-ended problems posed on real-life or made-up situations. A focused effort will be made to help students identify topics that they can develop into grants in the Spring term. Grading will be based on participation and individual work.

Cross-listed with BLCHM 6200

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

T & TH, 3:00PM-5:00PM, EHSEB 1750

Instructors: Charlie Murtaugh, & Helena Safavi

MB Students should register for Section 001, Class 1002

To prepare students for their thesis research, prelims, and qualifying exams, we will offer a guided proposal preparation course that builds on their experience in the BC/MB first-year curriculum. The first half semester will include a introductory meetings and assignments, with the bulk of meetings and assignments in the second half semester. The guided proposal writing course will provide an opportunity for students to create an original research proposal by critical review of other grants, training in hypothesis generation, scientific writing, and experimental design. The written original grant proposal will be used as a basis for an oral qualifying examination by a faculty committee.

Cross-listed with MBIOL 6300

Spring 2027 Schedule

3.0 Credit Hours, Full Semester

Meets in person Second Half Semester T & TH, 3:00PM-5:00PM, Various Rooms

Instructors: Demian Cazalla, Jessica Osterhout, Eric Schmidt

To prepare students for their thesis research, prelims, and qualifying exams, we will offer a guided proposal preparation course that builds on their experience in the BC/MB first-year curriculum. The first half semester will include a introductory meetings and assignments, with the bulk of meetings and assignments in the second half semester. The guided proposal writing course will provide an opportunity for students to create an original research proposal by critical review of other grants, training in hypothesis generation, scientific writing, and experimental design. The written original grant proposal will be used as a basis for an oral qualifying examination by a faculty committee.

Cross-listed with BLCHM 6300

Spring 2027 Schedule

3.0 Credit Hours, Full Semester

Meets in person Second Half Semester T & TH, 3:00PM-5:00PM, Various Rooms

Instructors: Demian Cazalla, Jessica Osterhout, Eric Schmidt

The written original grant proposal prepared in the Guided Grant Preparation course will be used as a basis for an oral capstone examination by a faculty committee. This exam will ensure that students meet our standards for thesis work and review material from the core courses before they join a department and lab. Students will prepare an R21-style grant proposal (~6 single-spaced pages, covering 2 years of work) to be submitted 5 days before the exam. They will present and defend the proposal in front of a 3-member capstone exam committee.

Capstone exams will be held during Final Exam Week:

Thursday, April 29, 2027 – Wednesday, May 5, 2027

Laboratory rotations for students in the Graduate Programs Biological Chemistry.

A signed Rotation Verification Form and a copy of the Rotation Report must be submitted to the Program Office in order to receive credit.

Rotation Schedule for 2026-27

(Please note: these dates do not correlate with the academic quarters.)
1st Rotation Commitment can Begin: Saturday, August 8, 2026
2nd & 3rd Rotation Commitment can Begin: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Fall 2026 Semester
1st Rotation: Monday, August 31 - Friday, October 23, 2026
2nd Rotation: Monday, October 26 - Friday, December 11, 2026

Spring 2027 Semester
3rd Rotation: Monday, January 11 - Friday, March 5, 2027
Verbal Lab Commitments can Begin: Monday, March 8, 2027

Guidelines for Arranging First Year Rotations

Laboratory rotations for students in Molecular Biology.

A signed Rotation Verification Form and a copy of the Rotation Report must be submitted to the Program Office in order to receive credit.

Rotation Schedule for 2026-27

(Please note: these dates do not correlate with the academic quarters.)
1st Rotation Commitment can Begin: Saturday, August 8, 2026
2nd & 3rd Rotation Commitment can Begin: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Fall 2026 Semester
1st Rotation: Monday, August 31 - Friday, October 23, 2026
2nd Rotation: Monday, October 26 - Friday, December 11, 2026

Spring 2027 Semester
3rd Rotation: Monday, January 11 - Friday, March 5, 2027
Verbal Lab Commitments can Begin: Monday, March 8, 2027

Guidelines for Arranging First Year Rotations

Frequent BC & MB Elective

To provide guidelines for writing clear scientific papers and delivering good lectures. Lectures, discussion, homework assignments and submission of a new original scientific paper in an area chosen by each student.

Not Offered Spring 2026

Frequent MB Elective

(Counts as 2 electives)

This course is designed for life science graduate students with a perhaps rusty background in mathematics and statistics who wish to become real practitioners of the art of modern statistics. The course is based on the R programming language.

Spring 2026 Schedule

3.0 Credit Hours, Full Semester

Instructor: Frederick Adler & David Bowling

M & W, 2:00PM-3:30PM, JTB 320, Class 7654

Frequent BC Elective

This course provides a broad overview of metal sites in biology and is intended for students at the interface of Chemistry, Biology, Biophysics, and related disciplines. It focuses on our current understanding of the role of metals in the structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids, metalloproteins as elaborated inorganic complexes, physical methods used to study metal sites with emphasis on the synergism between model complexes and biochemical studies, and applications in medicine. Three lectures, one discussion per week for 7.5 weeks.

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, Second Half Semester

Instructor: Valerie Pierre

T & TH, 10:45AM-12:05PM, HEB 2002, Class 8635

Frequent BC & MB Elective

This is a one half semester course that focuses on the application of organic chemistry to the study and manipulation of nucleic acids. Topics include chemical synthesis of DNA and RNA, nucleoside and oligomer analogs, chemistry of DNA damage and repair, nucleic acid-targeted drugs and binding agents. Prerequisite: 2 semesters undergraduate organic chemistry.

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

Instructor: Cynthia Burrows

M, W, F, 9:35AM - 10:40AM, TBBC 2429, Class 8637

Recommended BC Elective

This course will explore Chemistry of the Origins of Life, including prebiotically feasible catalysis to generate amino acids, RNA, other chiral metabolites and simple vesicles. Undergraduate organic chemistry (CHEM 2310 and CHEM 2320) and biochemistry (CHEM 3510) are pre-requisites.

Not Offered Spring 2026

Frequent BC & MB  Elective

(Counts as 2 electives)

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to fundamental concepts and experimental approaches in the analysis and interpretation of experimental genomics data. It will be structured as a series of lectures covering key concepts and analytical strategies. A diverse range of biological question enabled by modern DNA sequencing technologies will be explored including sequence alignment, the identification of genetic variation, structural variation, and ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis. Students will learn and apply the fundamental data formats and analysis strategies that underlie computational genomics research. The primary goal of the course is for students to be grounded in theory and have the ability to conduct independent genomic analyses. (Instructor has requested students complete the 'Intro to R for Data Analysis' workshop at https://utah.catalog.instructure.com/browse/ds-learn/courses/introduction-to-r-for-data-analysis Contact department for info.)

Spring 2026 Schedule

3.0 Credit Hours, Full Semester

Instructor: Aaron Quinlan

T & TH, 10:30AM - 12:00PM, EHSEB 5100B, Class 17339

Frequent MB Elective

This course will explore the molecular, developmental, and genetic mechanisms underlying evolutionary change, with an emphasis on current research in animal biology. Topics include regulatory networks and signaling pathways, modularity, developmental constraints, origin of animals, molecular/developmental origin of diverse body plans and appendages, and genetics of speciation. The class will consist of both lectures and discussions of current literature. Suitable for graduate students at all levels.

Spring 2026 Schedule

1.5 Credit Hours, Second Half Semester

Instructor: Gabrielle Kardon & Michael Shapiro

T & TH, 1:15PM -2:45PM, EHSEB 3420, Class 16589

Recommended MB Elective

This course will cover the fundamentals of population and evolutionary genetics with an emphasis on molecular and sequence-level approaches, including practical exercises in computational analysis aimed at students at all levels of experience. Lectures will cover both theory and experimental studies of the forces that shape genetic variation within and between species.

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

Instructor: Ellen Leffler

M, W, F, 9:30AM - 10:20AM, EHSEB 5100C, Class 16590

Frequent MB Elective

Course work addresses issues relevant to the identification of genes underlying susceptibility to complex disorders. Subjects covered include advantages and disadvantages of isolates versus large population, utilization of affected sibling pairs, discordant sibling pairs and extended families. Methods taught include traditional case-control association methods and family based methods. Other subjects include locus and allelicheterogeneity, phenotypic heterogeneity, gene-gene and gene-environment interactions and density of polymorphic markers.

Spring 2026 Schedule

1.5 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

Instructor: Lynn Jorde

T & TH,  2:00PM-3:00PM, EHSEB 2600, Class 16577

Frequent BC & MB Elective

This course will examine the mechanisms of a variety of eukaryotic signal transduction pathways, and explore how these pathways affect the behavior of cells within developing and adult tissues. The material will include readings and discussion of the primary literature, and emphasize experimental techniques and analyses.

Not Offered Spring 2026

Frequent MB Elective

Med-2-Grad Core Course Requirement

It is now possible to precisely modify any DNA sequence within the genome of the mouse. This course emphasizes using mouse models to dissect the genetic basis of human disease. Deletion of genes using homologous recombination will be covered extensively as will other methods of gene inactivation (anti-sense constructs, inhibitory RNA, etc.). New experimental systems for modeling human disease in zebra fish and C. elegans will also be covered.

 Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, Full Semester

Instructor: Anthea Letsou

W, 1:00PM - 2:30PM, EHSEB 2938, Class 15131

Frequent MB Elective

Basic knowledge of molecular biology is required. The molecular biology of virus lifestyle strategies, including cell entry, nucleic acid replication, gene expression, assembly of progeny virions, interaction with the host cell, and molecular epidemiology. The course will provide both a general introduction to the diversity of virus lifestyles and a detailed analysis of several of these strategies.

Not Offered Spring 2026

Frequent MB Elective

This class is specifically geared toward 1st year MB students. Other students should contact Dr. Bettini prior to registering. This course will address core topics in immunology including cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune responses to infection, vaccines, autoimmunity and cancer immunology and immunotherapies.

Spring 2026 Schedule

1.5 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

Instructor: Matthew Bettini

T & TH, 1:00PM - 2:30PM, EEJMRB 4420, Class 6770

Frequent BC & MB Elective

This course is designed to provide basic didactic information in the underlying concepts of pharmacology for the beginning graduate student. The primary emphasis of the course is to provide new graduate students in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, or other graduate students in the biomedical sciences (Neuroscience, Biological Chemistry, or Molecular Biology programs) with fundamental knowledge about pharmacology and drug treatment. It is anticipated that students who complete this course would be able to apply these fundamental concepts to more advanced curricula and research endeavors in the disciplines of pharmacology and toxicology.

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, First Half Semester

Instructor: Farzana Alam & Martin Golkowski

T & TH, 12:30 PM-2:30 PM, EHSEB 2938, Class 15946

Frequent BC Elective

General principles, testing procedures, toxic responses, and target organ toxicities. This course is designed to familiarize students with adverse effects that chemicals may produce based on the dose, exposure and hazard of those chemicals. There will be a focus on mechanisms of toxicity in different organ systems (Neurotoxicology, cardiovascular, lungs, skin and kidney toxicology) that are relevant based on common exposure. The course will also cover environmental toxicology, toxic effects of pesticides, and natural products.

Spring 2026 Schedule

2.0 Credit Hours, Second Half Semester

Instructor: Cameron Metcalf & Philip Moos

T & TH, 12:30 PM-2:30 PM, EHSEB 2938, Class 17786

Frequent BC Elective

(Counts as 2 electives)

Prerequisite: PHCEU 7010, or Special Permission from Instructor

This course will review fundamental aspects of pharmacokinetics with an emphasis on understanding concepts for compartmental and noncompartmental modeling, physiologic modeling, and modeling of targeted drug delivery systems. The goal of the course is to understand how these techniques can be used to optimize drug delivery.

Spring 2026 Schedule

3.0 Credit Hours, Full Semester

Instructor: Taslim Al-Hilal, Shreya Goel, James Herron, Ryan Nelson, Shawn Owen

W & F, 10:30AM - 12:00PM, EHSEB 4100B, Class 7059