Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant

This application requests 5-years of financial support for training in the pharmacological sciences for six outstanding predoctoral fellows at Saint Louis University. The leadership team includes three experienced research educators who will guide the efforts of 30 well-funded preceptors from eight departments in the Colleges of Medicine, Arts & Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering. Our training program is based on the premise that pharmacology is a broadly-based subject requiring a multidisciplinary and integrative approach. We have two goals. The first and most immediate goal is to ensure competency in modern principles of drug action and related disciplines. Our second and long-term goal is to develop a diverse pool of capable scientists trained to address the challenges presented by barriers to successful treatment of human disease. To achieve these objectives, we designed a training program that includes didactic and interactive instruction in the principles of drug action, grant construction, responsible conduct of research, and methods to enhance reproducibility; seminar and journal club series specifically targeted to drug discovery and medicinal chemistry; career development seminars that include presentations by scientists pursuing alternative career paths; instruction in presentation and teaching skills including an active role as teacher in an undergraduate course completely administered and taught by pharmacology graduate students; and, competitive student presentations at a yearly retreat. Past graduates of our training program now pursue successful careers in research, academics, and industry, including several trainees who hold significant leadership positions in universities and businesses.