6.60	Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Head: Daniel S. Sitar
Graduate Chair: Donald D. Smyth
General Office: A203 Chown Building, 753 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0T6
Telephone: (204) 789 3553
Fax: (204) 789 3932
Email: pharmacology@umanitoba.ca
Website: umanitoba.ca/medicine/units/pharmacology
Graduate Program Assistant: Angie Ekosky
E-mail: angie_ekosky@umanitoba.ca

Academic Staff

Program Information
Pharmacology is a key medical discipline dealing with the mode of action of therapeutic and recreational drugs and how the body metabolizes these drugs. The department offers both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. A joint M.D.-Ph.D. program is available to students in Medicine.

Fields of Research
Research and facilities are provided in several overlapping areas in which the department specializes. Current research interests include cardiovascular pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, hepatic pharmacology, neuropharmacology and renal pharmacology. The department is among very few pharmacology departments in North America that provide expertise and training in whole animal pharmacology.

Research Facilities
The main research laboratories are located at two sites: the Bannatyne Campus (2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Chown Building) and the St. Boniface Research Centre (4th floor). These locations are modern, well equipped facilities with equipment for experimentation in areas ranging from whole animal to molecular biology.

M.Sc. in Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. Qualified students holding B.Sc., M.Sc., B.Pharm., D.V.M. or M.D. degrees may apply for entry into Graduate Programs. Ancillary work in Pharmacology may be arranged for students pursuing their major studies in related departments.

Application Deadlines
The Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics allows students to begin their program on either 1 September or 1 January. For consideration of admission for each of these start dates, Canadian students should send in their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics no later than four (4) months before the intended start date. Non-Canadian students should send in their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics to arrive no later than seven (7) months before the intended start date.

Program Requirements
Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. Normally, a student will have a prospective advisor identified as a requirement for admission. Unique to our department, some students may enter into the research rotation program of the department in which the student spends two terms of three months in separate laboratories in order to gain experience in multiple techniques/areas. An advisor would be identified following these rotations. Course requirements will depend on prior degree held and research experience. Year 1 courses may include Cell Biology IMED 7090 (6 credit hours), Physiology PHGY 7240 (6 credit hours) and Fundamentals of Neuroscience IMED 7100 (6 credit hours). Year 2 courses include Pharmacology PHAC 7130 (6 credit hours). Normally, one Statistics Course (3 credit hours) and at least one Seminar Course 1 (3 credit hours) are required. These may be taken at anytime in the program. In each year of the program students are expected to attend weekly seminars and present an oral research presentation on their work. At the end of each year, for the first two years, students take an oral exam which encompasses the year’s course activities. Seminar courses include Cardiovascular Regulation and Drug Action PHAC 7040, Drug Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion PHAC 7060, Neuropharmacology PHAC 7160, Recent Advances in Pharmacology PHAC 7180, Pharmacokinetics of Drug Disposition PHAC 7190, Liver Pharmacology PHAC 7200, Clinical Trial Design PHAC 7210 and Molecular Pharmacology PHAC 7220.

Second language reading requirement: none

Expected time to graduate: 2 – 3 years

Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. A joint M.D.-Ph.D. program is available for students enrolled in Medicine.

Application Deadlines
The Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics allows students to begin their program on either 1 September or 1 January. For admission for each of these start dates, Canadian students should send in their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics no later than four (4) months before the intended start date. Non-Canadian students should send in their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics to arrive no later than seven (7) months before the intended start date.

Program Requirements
Program requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. Course requirements will depend on prior degree held and research experience. Entry with a B.Sc. (Hon) degree (or 4 year equivalent) may require a course schedule similar to that described for the M.Sc. degree above. Normally at least 3 seminar courses are required. Students entering with a graduate degree (M.Sc.) will have a course schedule which is dependent on previous course work.

Second language requirement: none

Expected time to graduation: 3 – 5 years