Pharmacology
The research activities of the Weill Cornell Pharmacology Program faculty cover broad areas of modern pharmacological sciences. Faculty carry out research in cancer pharmacology, neuropharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, drug metabolism, toxicology, proteomics, molecular pharmacology, immunopharmacology, receptors and signal transduction, RNA drug development, and drug design.
A strength of the Pharmacology Program at Weill Cornell is our proximity to diverse patient populations at our affiliated hospitals. The research of many of our faculty is focused on developing therapies for a variety of diseases, and several faculty have clinical responsibilities or close association with clinical faculty at Weill Cornell Medical College and/or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute. This access to human data allows students and fellows in the Pharmacology Program to improve therapies for diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, mental illness, alcohol addiction, and heart disease.
A major mission of the Pharmacology Program faculty is to provide research training to Ph.D. students and to postdoctoral fellows that is thorough, intense, exciting and useful for future careers, in academia, government, or industry. A comprehensive knowledge of pharmacology entails a strong foundation in biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical biology, and cell and organ physiology. Students and postdoctoral fellows also have ample opportunities to improve their scientific communication skills, both by writing research papers and by presenting their research data at laboratory meetings, at the Pharmacology Program Retreat, and at national scientific meetings. Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows have the option of teaching, but this is not a required part of the program. Lectures about various career paths and individualized support help students and fellows in planning for their futures. Finally, the program provides students and fellows with a group of supportive, helpful and spirited colleagues who enjoy their work and each other.