Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences

Abstract The Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University trains Ph.D. students in the broad area of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology for careers in academia, government, and industry. The Program is based in the Department of Pharmacological Sciences in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, but is interdisciplinary and interdepartmental in nature. It includes 42 potential mentors, 31 of whom are from other (i.e., non-Pharmacological Sciences) University Departments or the nearby Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. Students take courses in Basic Principles and Systems Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, and Experimental Methods. The Training Program provides training in quantitative research skills, scientific communication and writing, and supports multiple career development activities, training in rigor and reproducibility and in the responsible conduct of research. The interdisciplinary training environment includes active seminar series and participation in research symposia, workshops, and retreats. Training also involves teaching in courses offered to undergraduate majors in pharmacology. First year students participate in three laboratory rotations to prepare them to undertake dissertation research in any of the laboratories of the Training Program Faculty. The Training Program has trained more than 170 Ph.D. students in its 45-year history who have launched successful research-intensive or research-related careers after graduation, as well as 52 highly diverse current trainees who are on track for future career success.