Predoctoral Training in Pharmacological Sciences

The Pharmacological Sciences Training Program (PSTP) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary PhD training experience in modern pharmacology. Anchored in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology and closely linked to the Molecular Pharmacology Graduate Program, the PSTP includes faculty from four schools and 12 departments including Anesthesiology, Biological Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health, Immunology, Medicine, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Neurobiology, Obstetrics, Pathology, Pharmaceutical Science, Radiation Oncology and Urology. Trainee research is focused on one of seven core areas—Cancer Biology, Cardiovascular Biology, Cell and Organ System Pharmacology, Drug Discovery, Neuropharmacology, Signal Transduction, and Structural Pharmacology—with guidance from lead faculty and individualized career development teams. Students typically enter via the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Program, completing foundational coursework, ethics, statistics, and lab rotations before joining a thesis lab. The PSTP provides in-depth training in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug metabolism, and modern pharmacology. After the qualifying exam and a dissertation proposal, student longitudinal training centers on tailored research and professional skills, critical thinking, mentoring, and scientific communication. The PSTP prepares trainees for impactful careers in pharmacological research and beyond to improve public health.