Skip to content
ApplyGive

Other ways to search: Events Calendar | UTHSC News

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences offers PhD degrees through the College of Graduate Health Sciences. The four areas of specialization are Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Bioanalysis, and Pharmacometrics.

Graduates of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences are prepared to assume positions of responsibility in academia, government, the pharmaceutical industry, and other health-related organizations and institutions. The nature and variety of research projects available to students reflect the stimulating and dynamic environment of the health science center.

 Vision and Mission

Vision: To be a top-tier, internationally recognized pharmaceutical sciences program in research and graduate education.

Mission: To advance pharmaceutical sciences in Tennessee and beyond through focused, cross-cutting, and collaborative research, and pharmacy and graduate education relevant to career advancement.

We will achieve our mission through the following goals:

  • Providing a strong and relevant foundational basis to pharmacy education
  • Delivering excellence and relevance in graduate education aligned with student career advancement
  • Significantly contributing to being in the top-ranked pharmacy schools in NIH research funding
  • Developing and maintaining individual and collaborative research projects of complex and programmatic nature
  • Performing clinically driven pharmaceutical research directly impacting patient health
  • Ensuring the availability and affordable access of departmental research resources
  • Nurturing career growth and well-being of all department members including students
  • Empowering collegiality through positivity, civility, and approachability among all department members
  • Providing community outreach in research and science education
  • Cultivating alumni and research partner relationships

PhD Specialization Areas

Pharmacy PhD student in a laboratory setting.

Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal chemistry research includes the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of new medications with potential use in treating diseases such as cancer or infections and disorders of the endocrine, cardiovascular, central, and peripheral nervous systems.

Pharmacy PhD student in a laboratory setting.

Bioanalysis

Bioanalysis research includes the development and application of state-of-the-art analytical technology to detect and quantify molecular entities of biological and pharmaceutical interest, such as drugs or biomarkers.

Pharmacy PhD student in a laboratory setting.

Pharmaceutics

Pharmaceutics research includes the design, development and evaluation of drug delivery systems, injectables, and biotechnology drugs, including their production.

Pharmacy PhD student works on Pharmacometrics.

Pharmacometrics

Pharmacometrics research includes the quantitative assessment of drug disposition (pharmacokinetics) and effects (pharmacodynamics) using mathematical models based on biology, physiology, pharmacology and disease.

Department News and Events

Fall 2024 Graduate Seminar Schedule

The Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Seminar series is held Tuesdays, 1 – 2 pm in room 105 in the UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy Building.

Date Speaker Affiliation
Tuesday, August 13 Dr. Hassan Almoazen Pharmaceutical Sciences/UTHSC
Tuesday, August 20 Dr. Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti St. Jude/Department of Immunology and Comprehensive
Tuesday, August 27 Dr. Daohong Zhou University of Texas Health/Center for Innovative Drug
Tuesday, September 3 Dr. Chao-Yie Yang Pharmaceutical Sciences/UTHSC
Tuesday, September 10 Dr. Adam Durbin St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/ Dept. of Oncology
Tuesday, September 17 Dr. Jane Hankins St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/ Dept. of Global
Tuesday, September 24 Mr. James Parrett Jr and Mr. Tod Ponzio University of Tennessee Research Foundation
Tuesday, October 1 Osama Alaidi/ Ishita Kathuria Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, October 8 Alexander Jenner/Ruaa Al-Aqtash Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, October 15 Nelufar Yasmen/Paridhi Gupta Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, October 22 Harrison Thorn/ Jinhong Xie Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, October 29 Sandip Godse/ Hyunseo Park Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, November 5 Masuma Akter Brishti/ Daniel Nnamani Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, November 12 Dr. Karen Corbin Founder of Geeks that Speak
Tuesday, November 19 Lidya Gebreyesus/ Kumar Kulldeep Niloy Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Tuesday, November 26 Ahmed Rakib/Bhargavi Thalluri Graduate Students/UTHSC Pharmaceutical Sciences
Oct 9, 2024