Drug and Diagnostic Discovery and Development (4D)
Getting lifesaving therapeutics through to human use relies on interdisciplinary research in many different fields of study. Our program includes many aspects of the broader fields of pharmaceutical sciences and molecular therapeutics, from fundamental science to application-focused research. Areas of study include target discovery, assay design and implementation, synthetic chemistry, computational chemistry and computer-assisted drug design, structural biology, chemical biology, medicinal chemistry, natural products, biosynthesis and synthetic biology, drug delivery, antibody and immunotherapies, genomic medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, translational studies, and other areas that underlie the discovery and development of therapeutic and diagnostic agents. Our investigators have strengths across the therapeutic spectrum, including cancers, infectious diseases, neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and many others.
The University of Utah General Catalog
ANAT 6400 - Molecular Neuroscience
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.
BIOL 3330 - Behavioral Neurobiology
This course will provide a basic understanding of issues such as: 1) how information
is acquired by sensory systems, coded and processed by the central nervous system,
2) how sensory information is translated to motor commands, 3) motor pattern generation,
4) role of experience in shaping organization of brain.
BIOL 3240 - Introduction to Cellular Neurobiology
Introduction to the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of nervous systems at the cellular
level.
BIOL 5720 - The Biology of Biotechnology
This course will introduce students to the world of biotechnology discovery and development
and will teach real-world applications of biology in industry. From how to found a
company, to the rigorous steps needed to bring a drug to patients, students will be
introduced to the process of drug discovery and development from multiple perspectives.
The course will also offer a basic understanding of functions that work in parallel
with discovery research and drug development, including business strategy, portfolio
decision-making, and program management.
BIOL 6520 - Current Topics in Microbial Biology
Four different and current topics are chosen from the primary scientific literature
and a member of the Microbial Biology Program faculty presents each one as a series
of three or four lectures. Course content varies from year to year. Students are encouraged
to recommend topics to the faculty.
CHEM 6740 - Bioanalytical Chemistry
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.
CHEM 7200 - Organic Synthesis I
This course surveys various modern methods for bond construction. Chemical factors
that influence reactivity and selectivity are introduced. Examples of application
in historical and modern-day syntheses are given.
CHEM 7210 - Organic Synthesis II
This course is largely focused on understanding strategies and tactics used in the
synthesis of complex molecules. The mechanisms of common reactions and named organic
reactions will also be studied as a means to understand functional group tolerance
and compatibility and how they are strategically applied. These discussions will be
framed primarily in the context of the synthesis of natural products and other medicinally
relevant organic compounds.
CHEM 7240 - Physical Organic Chemistry I
Physical organic chemistry studies the approaches to deciphering the mechanisms of
organic reactions and the principles that govern host-guest binding. The topics include
stereochemistry, conformational analysis, thermochemistry, acidity, tools to decipher
reaction mechanisms, rate laws, kinetic isotope effects, linear free energy relationships.
CHEM 7250 - Physical Organic Chemistry II
Course examines organic reaction mechanisms involving all fundamental reaction types.
Included will be complex mechanisms as combinations of fundamental steps, orbital
symmetry controlled reactions (with Woodward-Hoffman, Fukul, and Zimmerman treatments),
trajectory analysis and radical reactions.
CHEM 7270 - Organic Spectroscopy I
Topics covered include: Solution NMR theory; experimental set-up and data acquisition;
chemical shifts; J-coupling; NMR relaxation; NOE; advanced 1D and 2D NMR techniques;
spectral interpretation/identification of organic molecules from 1D and 2D solution
NMR spectra.
CHEM 7430 - Chemical Biology of Proteins
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.
CHEM 7450 - Biophysical Chemistry
Topics covered include: Basics of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, with applications
in biochemistry; transport phenomena; enzyme kinetics and inhibition; kinetic isotope
effects; principles and applications of absorbance, fluorescence, and CD spectroscopies.
CHEM 7460 - Protein Chemistry
This is a one half semester course which focuses on the mechanisms of chemical reactions
involving peptides and proteins and methods for their study. Subject matter includes
enzyme mechanisms, chemical modification of proteins and cofactor chemistry. Prerequisite:
organic chemistry.
CHEM 7470 - Nucleic Acids Chemistry
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.
MD CH 7891 - Medicinal Chemistry
Biological chemistry in the context of modern drug discovery and development. This
course is intended for graduate students interested in a chemical approach to biological
problems.
MD LB 4500 - Pathogenic Microbiology
Provides a basic understanding of medical microbiology; characteristics of clinically
significant microorganisms, their biochemical profile, media for isolation, and identification
of select pathogens.
NEUSC 6040 - Cell and Molecular Neuroscience
The bulk of this course will focus on the cellular mechanisms of signaling. The topics
to be covered include basic neuronal/glial morphology and cell biology; neurostructural
mapping and identification; basic neural development; cytoskeleton-structure and biochemistry;
basic membrane biophysics; cable properties; ion channel biophysics and molecular
biology; synaptic transmission; neurotransmitter gated ionotropic systems; and neurotransmitter
gated metabotropic systems.
PHARM 5111 - Foundations of Biotechnology & Molecular Biology
This course covers nucleic acid metabolism, including purines and pyrimidines, DNA
replication and repair, RNA and protein synthesis, regulation of gene transcription
and translation. Topics also include cell structure components, ion channels and receptors,
mitosis and meiosis, cell cycle, genetics, pharmacogenomics, recombinant DNA methods,
biologics, molecular diagnostic methods, gene editing and gene therapy.
PHARM 6500 - Therapeutics Discovery
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.
PHCEU 7010 - Molecular Biology for Pharmaceutical Scientists
This course will review fundamental aspects of genetic engineering and molecular biology,
with application to health sciences.
PHCEU 7011 - Foundations of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
This course will review fundamental aspects of pharmacokinetics with an emphasis on
understanding concepts for compartmental and non-compartmental 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.
PHCEU 7030 - Drug Delivery
Introduction to polymer in Pharmaceutics and drug delivery. Transport phenomena in
drug delivery systems. Macromolecular and vesicular carriers. Biorecognition and drug
targeting. Protein, oligonucleotide, and gene delivery systems.
PHCEU 7040 - Biotechnology (protein biophysical chemistry with emphasis on antibodies)
Principles of kinetics and mechanisms of organic reactions and structure-reactivity
relationships applied to pharmaceutical systems. Mechanisms of the degradation and
stabilization of drugs, proteins, and DNA.
PHCEU 7230 – Nanomedicine
The convergence of recent advances in nanotechnology with modern biology and medicine
has created the new research domain of nanobiotechnology. The use in medicine is termed
nanomedicine. Nanomedicine research includes the development of diagnostics for rapid
monitoring, targeted cancer therapies, localized drug delivery, improved cell material
interactions, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and gene delivery systems among others.
Successful research and development in nanomedicine where ultimately patients and
the general public can benefit from these new technologies require the interaction
of a multitude of disciplines including chemistry, materials science and engineering,
cellular biology, pharmaceutical sciences and clinical translational research. This
course will span the spectrum of how such materials are fabricated, characterized,
interact with the biological environment, used in specific biomedical applications
and translated from concept to the clinic and commercialization. Topics are taught
by experts in the respective areas and will include fundamentals of nanomedicine,
bottom up and top down approaches to nanofabrication, conjugation strategies, physiochemical
characterization, cellular uptake and toxicity, biodistribution, clinical and preclinical
nanomedicine as well as special topics in nanobiosensors, nanofluidics, polymer therapeutics
and commercialization of nanomedicine products. This course will count as an elective
for the Nanotechnology Graduate Programs and potentially other departmental graduate
programs at the University of Utah.
PH TX 7113 - Principles of Drug Action
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.
PH TX 7114 - Toxicological Topics
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.
PH TX 7280 - Glial Cells in Health and Disease
New developments in neuropharmacology.
Bioscience Faculty
Physiology, Metabolism, Nutrition, Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF), Circadian clock, Aging
Mitochondria, Heart Failure, ion Channels, Calcium Channels, Mitochondrial Diseases, Voltage-Clamp Electrophysiology, Metabolism, Calcium Imaging, Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter
Peptides, Host Immune Systems Peptide Materials
RNA Structure/Function
Chromatin and Histone Modifications, Epigenetics and Metabolism, Protein Chemistry, Metabolite Sensors
Directed Evolution, Protein Engineering, Molecular Tool Development, Synthetic Biology,
Pharmacogenomics, G-protein Coupled Receptors, Cell Signaling, Neuroscience
Drug Development, Chemical Probes, Imaging Agents
Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Materials in Medicine, Nanomaterials Toxicity, Diagnostics,
Cell Therapy
Cardiomyocyte, Transverse Tubules, Microdomain, Heart Failure, Calcium Signaling,
Ion Channels, Extracellular Vesicles
Structural Biology, Biochemistry, DNA repair, Eye Health
Protein Design, Viral Entry, Synthetic Biology, Chemical Protein Synthesis
Cancer Therapeutics, Gene Therapy, Protein Therapeutics, Liver Cancer, Ovarian Cancer,
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Extracellular Vesicles, Aqueous Humor Dynamics, Extracellular Matrix, Intraocular Pressure
Translational Cancer Research, Mouse Models, Melanoma, Lung Cancer, Thyroid Cancer,
RAF Kinase, PI3 Kinase, Experimental Therapeutics
Natural Products Drug Discovery, Microbial Macrocycles, Untargeted Metabolomics, Tandem
Mass Spectrometry, NMR Spectroscopy, Inhibitors of Protein Secretion, Herptile Microbiomes
Bacterial Pathogenesis, Innate Immunity, Antibiotics, Antibiotic Resistance, Urinary
Tract Infection, Sepsis, Virulence Factors, Genetics, Cell Biology, Zebrafish, Infection
Signaling across the Membrane in Development and Cancer: Hedgehog, Wnt, Primary Cilium,
Membrane Proteins / Lipids, G protein-coupled receptors
Zebrafish, Phenotypic Screening, Behavior, Neuropharmacology, Disease Models, Genome Editing, Therapeutics
Chemical Ecology, Drug Discovery, Microbiome, Natural Products, Microbiology, Biosynthesis,
Secondary Metabolites
Chemical Protein Synthesis, Peptides, Organocatalysis, Catalysis, Natural Products
Cancer Metabolism, Diabetes & Obesity, Metabolic Signaling
Natural Products, Drug Discovery, Venom, Peptides, Evolution, Computational Peptide
Discovery, Neuropeptides, Hormones, Signaling Systems, GPCRs, Membrane Proteins, Ion
Channels, Metabolism, Insulin, Diabetes, Pain
Symbiosis, Microbiome, Metagenomics, Synthetic Biology, Natural Products Chemistry,
Biosynthesis
Malaria Parasite Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Heme and Iron Metabolism, Organelle
Metabolism, Regulation, and Adaptation
Translational Bioinformatics, Cancer Systems Biology, Cancer Data Science, Computational Immuno-Oncology, Precision Oncology
Natural Product Biosynthesis, Drug Discovery, Synthetic Biology, Antibiotic Resistance
Drug Delivery, Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Biopolymers, Collagen, Peptide