Pennsylvania State University Park Campus

Pharmacology and Toxicology addresses adverse effects of chemicals on animals and humans and includes exposure assessment, hazard identification, dose-response analysis, and risk characterization. This discipline relies on cutting-edge biotechnological approaches to gain insight into drug and toxicant action at the molecular level. Students will develop an understanding of the principles by which chemicals affect the health of humans and animals either adversely, as toxic agents, or beneficially, as therapeutic agents. Through a combination of laboratory and lecture experiences, students will learn about: mechanisms of action of drugs and toxicants on organ systems of the body; general principles for assessing the safety of chemicals and therapeutic efficacy of drugs; and state-of the- art molecular, biological, and genetic approaches to understanding drugs, toxicants, and disease.