Overview
UC Irvine's Pharmacology Ph.D. Program Prepares Graduate Students for First-Rate Careers
The Ph.D. program in pharmacology at the University of California, Irvine, integrates many aspects of pharmacology, from the discovery of novel molecules to their regulation of behavior. The program emphasizes studies on ligand-receptor interactions and offers research training in molecular and cellular pharmacology, neuropharmacology, and cardiovascular pharmacology. The school's goal is to provide a first class training in pharmacology that will open up a wide range of employment opportunities for students upon graduation. Students' education will prepare them for careers as pharmacologists in academic institutions, in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, in federal and state agencies, and in private research institutions. With the advanced knowledge and experience that the Ph.D. program provides, graduates are equipped to enter successful careers in pharmacology as well as to make strides in human knowledge in the areas of their specialization.
UC Irvine Combines Specific Areas of Study With a Multidisciplinary Approach
UC Irvine's pharmacology program offers a broad-based, multidisciplinary education focused on neuroscience and cardiovascular pharmacology. Specific areas of study include molecular and cellular pharmacology, neurosciences, gene regulation, circadian rhythms, epigenetic modifications, neuropharmacology, psychopharmacology, and cardiovascular pharmacology. Emphasis is placed on providing an integrated understanding of drug receptors structure, location, and function; molecular aspects of drug action; receptor signaling mechanisms; structure-activity relationships and drug design; and the role of receptors and drugs in development and aging, plasticity, reinforcement and drug abuse, neural disorders, and cardiovascular physiology and disease. By both allowing students to focus on their areas of interests and integrating understanding from a number of viewpoints, the pharmacology program ensures that graduates have both depth and breadth of the knowledge and practical skills they need.
Faculty Members Collaborate With Graduate Students on Research Efforts That Lead to Publication and Grants
Although diverse in their research specialties, all faculty members share a common interest in the molecular basis of drug-receptor interactions, signaling pathways, and molecular mechanisms of gene expression. The experienced faculty members enjoy international recognition for their contributions to research and service on grant review committees and editorial boards. In addition, graduate students themselves are expected to be active researchers and to publish in major medical and biological journals. The school's low student-faculty ratio allows students to work closely with professors in a challenging and supportive environment, making it possible for students and faculty to make contributions to the field through their collaborative efforts.
Access to Faculty and Students in Related Departments Enhances the Pharmacology Ph.D. Program
The faculty research programs attract postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists who provide additional resources for research and training. Strong programs in neuroscience, cell biology, physiology, and molecular biology in other departments of the School of Medicine and the School of Biological Sciences provide UC Irvine pharmacology students with additional opportunities for interaction. The department has also affiliations with scientists and academic institutions at both national and international levels, and from the growing biopharmaceutical industry in Irvine. The latter especially provides the opportunity to experience pharmacology from a drug-discovery standpoint.
Guaranteed Housing, Stipends, Health Insurance, and Signing Bonuses Draw Students to UC Irvine
The University of California, Irvine, guarantees an offer of on-campus housing to every newly admitted, full-time Ph.D. student. Ph.D. students will be guaranteed housing for a term of one year less than normal time to degree for their academic program. Pharmacology graduate students are supported with an annual stipend. Resident tuition, fees, and health insurance are also covered. The school also offers a signing bonus to admitted students for the purpose of either relocation expenses or a computer purchase. Graduate support is largely provided through departmental and faculty research funds and training grant funds. However, a number of students have competed successfully for national fellowship awards.
UC Irvine's Central Orange County Location Offers Easy Access to California's Beaches and Mountains
UC Irvine is located in the heart of Orange County, forty miles south of Los Angeles and ninety miles north of San Diego. The city of Irvine has a population of 143,000 and ranks as one of America's safest cities. Irvine is less than twenty minutes from a Pacific-coast known as the California Riviera for its temperate climate, stunning beaches, and mostly uncommercialized waterfront. An hour's drive inland leads to mountains averaging more than 100 inches of snow yearly and a four-month skiing season.
