Pharmacology - U6UPHCLG

In this module, you’ll dive into the fascinating interplay between physiology and metabolism in animals, including humans. You’ll explore major organ systems in the body including cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, and digestive systems, learning how energy metabolism and body temperature are carefully regulated. This provides a foundation for understanding how animals adapt to their environments and maintain metabolic balance for survival.

Through practical sessions, you’ll gain hands-on experience, examining how physiological and metabolic processes control organ systems. You’ll also uncover the biochemical basis of ordinary life activities and see how these mechanisms are affected under pathological conditions. This blend of theory and practice offers a well-rounded understanding of systems physiology and metabolic homeostasis.

This module provides an introductory overview of drug action and pharmacokinetics within the human body. You will explore the main drug targets and learn how drug effects at these targets can be measured. The module also covers the key processes that influence how drug concentrations change in the body after administration, including how optimal concentrations are achieved at the site of action. Through a combination of lectures, workshops, and laboratory practicals, you will develop essential skills in pharmacological data analysis using computational tools. The module also encourages you to consider the ethical and sustainability issues associated with the practice of pharmacology.  

This module will introduce you to the essential skills required for your career and provide hands-on experience of the basic techniques required for life scientists. We’ll cover statistical methods for data analysis, provide an introduction to digital competencies for life scientists and investigate ethical standards in research. 

You will also explore data acquisition techniques and enhance your ability to critically read and interpret scientific literature. The module emphasises effective communication of scientific material through various media and will encourage reflective practice in the development of these, and other skills. 

The module will also explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, considering global challenges through scientific innovation and responsibility. 

This module provides a foundational understanding of organic chemistry with a focus on biomolecules essential to life, such as amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleotides. You’ll explore how biological systems synthesise and utilise these molecules, examining key chemical reactions, pathways, and the critical role of stereochemistry in biological processes.

Additionally, the module introduces the chemical principles underlying therapeutically relevant drug molecules, including their design, structure, and interactions with biological targets. By bridging biochemistry and organic chemistry, this module equips you with the essential knowledge needed for advanced studies in the life sciences.

This module will give you a good grounding in the basic principles of the nervous system of humans and other animals. Topics will include neuroanatomy, cellular neuroscience, neuropharmacology, sensory systems, neuroendocrinology, memory, behavioural neuroscience and diseases of the nervous system. These will be delivered through weekly lectures and practical classes.

In this module, you will explore how drugs are used to manage diseases affecting major body systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, metabolic, infectious and immune-related conditions. You’ll learn how drug actions relate to disease mechanisms and gain insight into how pharmacological strategies are developed and applied in clinical and biomedical settings.

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

• identify key drug classes and explain how they work in relation to specific diseases

• describe drug mechanisms at the molecular level and link them to therapeutic outcomes 

• critically assess scientific literature to draw evidence-based conclusions

You will also engage with materials covering complex health issues such as chronic illness, mental health, eating disorders and life-threatening conditions, building a deeper understanding of the real-world challenges in disease treatment.

Primary objective of the module

This is a practical module to introduce students to experimental pharmacology, experimental design, data analysis, and how to write a scientific report.

Module Content

Students will carry out a series of practicals and workshops that will be closely tied-in with the lecture material delivered in the other pharmacology modules. Through this module, students will develop their practical skills, as well as their data analysis and scientific writing skills

This module focuses on advancing the essential skills needed by life science students for your academic and professional development. Building on fundamental skills training in year one, it develops understanding of experimental design, statistical methods for data analysis, enhances digital competencies relevant to life sciences, and continues to examine ethical standards in research. You will delve deeper into data acquisition, computational techniques and the critical evaluation of research and scientific literature.

The module places a strong emphasis on effectively communicating scientific concepts across various media while fostering reflective practices for skill development. Additionally, it addresses global challenges through the lens of scientific innovation and responsibility. Practical and workshop classes will provide hands-on experience with techniques essential for life science professionals. Teaching sessions and assessments will be tailored to different student degree groups: Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Sports & Exercise Science.s.

In this module, you'll embark on a comprehensive exploration of the protein life cycle, from translation and folding to action and eventual degradation. You'll learn about the diverse roles of proteins, understanding how their structure enables them to function as enzymes, molecular machines, cellular receptors, ion channels, and transporters, which are key targets in pharmacology. Through selected examples, you'll uncover how proteins drive biological processes such as metabolism and signalling, and how disruptions in protein activity can lead to various diseases.

You'll delve into proteins as therapeutic targets, investigating drug-protein interactions and the use of proteins as industrial tools and therapeutic agents. By the end of this module, you'll grasp the core principles of protein science and understand how these principles underpin vital biological processes. This module will equip you with the knowledge to appreciate the significance of proteins in health and disease, and their applications in biotechnology and medicine.

In this module, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts behind effective drug exposure and the toxicity of drugs and chemicals. You'll learn about the processes that affect the concentration of drugs reaching their targets within the body, such as absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Additionally, you'll develop basic quantitative skills for estimating and interpreting drug exposure parameters.

The module will also delve into the mechanisms and consequences of drug and non-drug toxicity on various body systems, and how toxicity can be assessed using different methods. Through interactive workshops, case studies, and practical exercises, you'll enhance your analytical and problem-solving skills, preparing you for a career in pharmacology, toxicology, and drug discovery.

In this module, you’ll explore the dynamic relationship between science and society, delving into how scientific advancements influence and are influenced by the world around us. You’ll examine the ethical frameworks that shape the practice of science in modern societies and consider the pathways by which discoveries are transformed into commercial or therapeutic applications. 

You’ll also investigate how scientific knowledge is communicated to the public and its role in addressing pressing global and societal challenges of the 21st century. This module encourages a critical perspective on science's impact, offering valuable insights into its potential for both progress and controversy. 

Primary objective of the module

To build on the detail and add further complexity to the drug discovery problems studied in year 2, with a focus on how the interpretation of quantitative pharmacology data can be dependent upon the signalling pathways measured.

Module Content

The lectures will be linked to a series of drug discovery problems. Topics covered include signal transduction, spare receptors, amplification, biased signalling, and molecular biology applied to pharmacology (biotechnological techniques, cloning receptors, recombinant proteins for therapy, gene manipulation in animals, mutants and their uses). Kinetics of drug binding, enzymology, ion channel pharmacology, non-GPCR targets, and mode of action of drugs targeting enzymes.

This module will enable students to experience contemporary research methods.

Students will perform a laboratory based research project on a topic related to the interests of a member of the academic staff. They will produce a dissertation explaining what work was performed and a discussion of the results obtained.

This module enables you to apply pharmacology, neuroscience and biochemistry to the process of drug discovery and development. You'll learn the drug discovery process, including an overview of the drug discovery/drug development process, target identification, high-throughput screening, target validation, safety pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics, linking through to clinical trials.

This will be linked to future/novel targets in cardiovascular disease, obesity, immune diseases, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurological disorders, for example. You'll gain an understanding of the impact of disease on pharmacokinetic aspects of drugs and how the pathophysiology of diseases can lead to new therapeutic targets. You'll also learn how to interpret in vivo drug data and determine human dose prediction.