You should not simply rely on the lecturers handouts. To facilitate learning the lectures are grouped into four main modules. This branch of pharmacology is concerned with the mechanisms whereby drugs produce the effects at the cellular and molecular levels. Particular attention is given to the interaction between drugs and their receptors. This module is devoted to the study of enzyme systems within the body that alter the chemical structure of drugs, usually resulting in more water-soluble derivatives.
Toxicology is the study of the adverse health effects of chemicals.
The mechanisms whereby xenobiotics induce cancer, birth defects and organ disease are just a few of the topics under consideration in the module. Every effort is made to coordinate the timing of practical sessions so that they are relevant to theoretical material presented during lectures. In Advanced Topics we will return to some of the issues raised in First Semester, considering them in greater detail. The issues chosen for study in Advanced Topics in Pharmacology and Toxicology largely coincide with the research strengths of the Department, and include pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics, molecular toxicology, pharmacology of calcium channel blockers, drug abuse and addiction, and the drug development process. The practical work will consist of a series of discrete, usually day-length, experiments which aim to expose students to elements of experimental design, and instruct them on a variety of techniques.