About Department
Pharmaceutical Chemistry is the study of the molecular and mechanistic aspects of pharmaceuticals. The discipline emphasizes the chemistry of drug design and development, drug action, drug transport, drug delivery, and targeting. The development of new pharmaceuticals is critically dependent on a molecular-level understanding of biological processes and mechanisms of drug action. Progress in the field now depends on the design and synthesis of new molecules using tools such as structure activity relationships, combinatorial chemistry, and computer-aided drug design. In recent years rational design of drugs tuned to specific target sites is becoming a reality due to concurrent advances in chemistry and biology, including elucidation of the human genome. Chemists continue to be at the forefront of drug design, synthesis, testing, and development. A bachelor’s program in Pharmaceutical Chemistry will emphasize the molecular basis underlying the creation of new drugs and health applications of bioactive compounds. The proposed program will prepare students to fully and confidently participate in health and biomedical careers.