Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences Training Program

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The field of pharmacology directly impacts the health and care of the U.S. population. The Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is well-positioned to provide superb career training in the broad field of Pharmacology. The training mission of the Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences Training Program is to provide trainees with cutting-edge knowledge and skills centered on drug target discovery and the design, development, delivery and disposition of therapeutic agents. Our broad objective is to prepare scientist-scholars for a breadth of pharmacology-relevant careers. Our program curriculum and training activities are designed to offer training that covers the elements of drug discovery and development, supports career readiness, and fosters a positive training experience overall. We achieve these objectives through many activities designed to develop core competencies, build professional skills and readiness for careers in pharmacology, and support well-being. In addition to mentored laboratory research, the program has four training components: 1) a curriculum covering the areas of basic and clinical pharmacology, physiology, bioorganic chemistry, drug discovery and biomedical sciences, 2) unique ties to the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and the Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Center, which expose students to translational biomedical research environments, and the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, which offers training in clinical and translational pharmacology, 3) multifaceted pharmacology-focused career building and networking, and 4) pharmacology-related responsible conduct of research training. With these components, we equip our trainees with the required knowledge base, technical and professional skills, and resiliency needed to achieve successful career outcomes in the field of pharmacology. We will measure our success in achieving these goals using validated evaluation instruments to assess the courses and training activities, through Doctoral Board Oral Exams, and through regular internal and external program reviews. We aim to provide a pathway to build skills that allow our trainees to achieve work-life balance and professional resiliency, and to positively impact society as members of the biomedical workforce. The program intends to recruit and retain nine new trainees each year. Trainees will be supported by this training grant for the duration of their first year of training. Upon joining a lab and through the remaining years of their mentored research, trainees will be supported by our well-funded, training faculty. The training plan supports appropriate time-to-degree for all trainees (<5.5 years). Our program directly facilitates entry into a broad spectrum of pharmacology-related careers by providing students with training that equips them with the career knowledge and transferrable skills they need to adapt to an evolving biomedical research landscape.