Pharmacology 2060A/B - Introductory Pharmacology and Therapeutics

A course for students in the BSc in Nursing and other Health Sciences programs as well as students in BMSc and BSc programs, to provide a basic understanding of the fundamentals of drug action and the mechanisms of action and therapeutic use of the important classes of drugs.

Pharmacology 3620 - Human Pharmacology and Therapeutic Principles

A systems-based pharmacology course surveying the range of drugs used to treat disease processes affecting various organs of the body (e.g. cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, etc.) with emphasis on drug targets, mechanisms of drug action, and adverse effects.

Pharmacology 4100A/B - Digestion and Related Metabolism

This course will cover gastrointestinal secretion, motility, digestion, absorption, hepatic and pancreatic physiology. Specific areas will include: gut-brain-liver axis and nutrient metabolism, exocrine and endocrine pancreas, liver and lipid metabolism. Relevant pathologies and disease states, including obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome along with current therapeutic strategies will be covered.

Cross-listed with Pharmacology 4100A/B.

Pharmacology 4320A/B - Cardiovascular Pharmacology

Basic principles of cardiovascular pharmacology with particular emphasis on cellular mechanisms of drug action and mechanisms of therapeutic efficacy in disease states.

Pharmacology 4340A/B - Gene Expression Pathways in Drug Discovery

This course explores how drugs and endogenous compounds mediate their biological effects through nuclear signalling pathways. The emphasis will be on aspects of gene regulation and signalling by nuclear hormone receptors – a family of ligand dependent transcription factors essential for normal metabolism, development and reproduction.

Pharmacology 4350A/B - Clinical Pharmacology

Clinical pharmacology is a scientific and medical discipline dedicated to the bench-to-bedside study of drug action through an in-depth knowledge of human pharmacology and therapeutics. This course in clinical pharmacology focuses on fundamental concepts highlighted with examples from clinical cases, therapeutic applications and relevance to drug discovery and development.

Pharmacology 4360A/B - Mechanisms of Cancer Chemotherapy

This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of the molecular pharmacology and therapeutic properties of anticancer agents. The focus is on molecular mechanisms of cancer chemotherapy, and will include drug resistance and the roles of receptor kinases and G protein-coupled receptors in existing and novel cancer therapies.

Pharmacology 4370A/B - The Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse

This course will cover the pharmacological and pathophysiological effects of non-medicinal drug use including mechanisms of action, tolerance and addiction, long-term effects, side effects and toxicity, treatment of addictions and overdoses. Pharmacokinetics will also be examined including routes of administration, activation, deactivation, elimination, and drug-drug interactions.

Pharmacology 4380A/B - Neuropharmacology

This course will focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of drugs on the central and peripheral nervous systems. The focus will be on recent developments in the field of neuroscience and their impact on our understanding of the actions, and development of, new drugs.

Pharmacology 4430A/B - Pharmacology and Toxicology of Natural-Sourced Medicines

Contemporary use of medicines derived from natural sources. Regulatory aspects of their use and the scientific basis for assessment of efficacy, quality, and safety of these products will be discussed. The mechanism(s) of beneficial and harmful effects of selected natural health products, including herb-drug interactions, will be included.

Pharmacology 4540A/B - From Genes to Therapies: Targeted Strategies in Medicine

An examination of how mechanisms that regulate cell proliferation affect normal tissue repair and cause abnormalities, such as tumour formation and poor regeneration after injury. The course explores the basic molecular and cellular processes of relevant human disorders and the clinically useful pharmacological and regenerative medical therapies.

Pharmacology 4620A/B - Molecular and Structural Basis of Drug Action

This course will present mechanisms of major receptor, ion channel, exchanger and other protein actions that drive cell signalling processes in health and disease. Pharmacological interventions and drug design will be discussed in relation to dysfunctional cell signalling pathways and available protein structure information.

Pharmacology 4660A/B - Human Toxicology

A course dealing with the pharmacological and toxicological principles underlying the adverse effects of xenobiotics in humans. In addition to reviewing mechanisms of toxicity in humans, the course will include overviews of the principles of management of human poisoning, the principles of chronic toxicity and of drug safety in humans.