PhD Program
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery

The PhD Program in Medicinal Chemistry educates and trains students in the design and synthesis of novel, biologically active compounds and in delineating their mechanisms of action using biochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological approaches. Research specializations are available in synthetic, biochemical/pharmacological, and biophysical aspects of medicinal chemistry. Doctoral research in these specializations will relate to faculty areas of research, which currently include substance use disorders and addiction; neuropathic pain; obesity and metabolic disorders; neuropsychiatric disorders (psychoses, ADHD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders); and neurodegenerative diseases.

In The News

This specialization offered by the Center for Drug Discovery (CDD) trains students in the design and synthesis of novel biologically active compounds and in the study of their mechanisms of action using biochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological approaches. Concentrations are available in synthetic, biochemical/pharmacological, and biophysical medicinal chemistry. The CDD’s excellence in teaching has been recognized by the award of a training grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for predoctoral and postdoctoral training in development of medications. These will be targeted to treat drug abuse; addiction; and other indications such as neuropathic pain, obesity, neuropsychiatric disorders (psychoses, ADHD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders); and neurodegenerative disorders.

  • Where They Work

    • Pfizer
    • Shire
    • Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research
    • CVS Health
    • Amgen

 

  • What They Do

    • Research
    • Education
    • Healthcare Services
    • Legal
    • Business Development

 

  • What They’re Skilled At

    • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
    • Pharmaceutical Industry
    • Cell Culture
    • ELISA
    • Biotechnology

Application Materials

  • Application
  • Application fee – US $50
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts from all institutions attended
  • Personal Statement
  • Resumé
  • Official GRE scores
  • TOEFL score for applicants who do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution and whose native language is not English
  • Please note all international applicants will need to provide a WES evaluation. Link to WES: https://www.wes.org/ https://www.wes.org/

Application

Admissions deadline for Fall term: December 6

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