400 Level
400 Level Pharmacology Course Details
PMCOL 401/402
Pharmacology Tutorial
*These courses are identical other than that PMCOL 401 is offered in the Fall and 402 the Winter term
Coordinator: Dr E Posse de Chaves
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and 344. Available only to students in the Pharmacology Specialization program or students who are granted consent by the Department of Pharmacology.
Grading: The final grade is based upon the following: laboratory performance (20%), laboratory notebook (20%), an abstract (15%) and a poster presentation (45%) on the research findings of the student.
Independent research course. "Hands-on" experience is seen as a valuable asset for students graduating from BSc programs. With this in mind, this course provides an opportunity to work with a Faculty member on a research project during the Fall (PMCOL 401) and/or Winter (PMCOL 402) semester. The student and supervisor will mutually agree upon the details of the project. This is an excellent opportunity to learn current laboratory techniques, data analysis, laboratory notebook maintenance and presentation skills. Literature-based projects may also be available in which the student will be required to identify a research question and meet with the supervisor at regular intervals for discussion and guidance on preparation of a term paper and poster presentation.
Please note that projects must be supervised by primary members of the Department of Pharmacology or adjunct faculty. Students wishing to pursue research in the lab of an unaffiliated faculty are not eligible for this course.
PMCOL 403
Advanced Topics in Pharmacology
Prerequisites: PMCOL 303, PMCOL 306, PMCOL 343, PMCOL 344 or consent of instructor.
This course is designed to allow students to explore current topics and issues in pharmacology via projects such as critical literature reviews, simulated grant applications, community outreach and service projects.
Before registration students must secure a supervisor from the Department of Pharmacology who will guide them through the course. Supervision by Professors from other Departments may be possible, provided that a sponsor from the Department of Pharmacology is identified and the project is relevant to the discipline of Pharmacology. Successful completion of a written report and a presentation is required at the conclusion of the project. Restricted to Pharmacology Specialization students or Honor students in Stream B in the fourth year of their program. Honors students in Stream B should consider enrolling in this course if they wish to focus within a singular Pharmacology topic but without the hands-on/lab experience. Please contact the course coordinator for registration in the course.
PMCOL 408
Clinical Pharmacology
Winter Term, M W F
Coordinator: Dr. Y Al Hamarneh
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343, PMCOL 344. or consent of the Department.
This course will provide an overview of the pharmacotherapy of selected clinical conditions of interest, and the factors (e.g. age, weight, pregnancy, co-morbidities) than influence the clinical use of drugs. Assessment of clinical trials and clinical case reports will also be discussed.
PMCOL 412
Drugs and the Nervous System
Fall term only, M W F 14:00
Coordinator: Dr S Sipione
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and 344 or 371 or ZOOL 342 or consent of instructor
Grading: The final grade will be based on a midterm and a final examination
The goal of PMCOL 412 is to learn about the molecular basis of disorders of the nervous system, current therapies in use, as well as novel potential treatments that are in clinical trials or at the preclinical experimental stage. Research frontiers in pain and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis among others, will be explored. Novel therapeutic targets and the potential treatments of tomorrow will be discussed.
PMCOL 415
Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Fall term, M W F 11:00
Coordinator: Dr R Schulz
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and 344
In case of limited space, preference will be given to students in the Pharmacology program.
Grading: TBA
Critical discussion and analysis of current research papers in cardiovascular pharmacology, grouped into themes. Recent developments and use of the literature will be emphasized. In-class participation during roundtable discussion to critique assigned papers is essential. Each theme will be accompanied by the student's written analyses of papers assigned but not discussed in class, in the format of a condensation/critique.
PMCOL 425
Problem Solving Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Winter term, T R 14:00 - 15:20 / 15:30 - 16:50 /14:00 - 15:20
Coordinator: Dr F Plane
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and 344 and consent of instructor
This course is restricted to students in the Pharmacology Program.
Grading: There is no midterm or final examination. Marks are based on the following: a midterm paper based on one of the problems covered in class; a final paper in which the student must construct and solve a therapeutic problem; participation in the group discussions.
Students will be presented with problem cases involving patients with conditions, possibly needing drug therapy. They will identify the issues needing resolution, work collectively to find information to resolve them, and present these and their application to each patient to the group. The group will work to resolve outstanding issues after the presentations. Intended for senior undergraduate students.
PMCOL 450
Diabetes and its Pharmacotherapy
Winter Term, M W F 15:00
Coordinator: Dr PE MacDonald
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and PMCOL 344 or consent of instructor
Grading: Students will be required to write three papers over the course. Each section students will choose one topic for a 5 page report. The top 2 marks will be taken (and will contribute to 60% of the overall mark). The final exam (40%) will consist of a mixture of short essay questions.
This course will provide an overview of the current understanding of blood glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion and action, the actions of other important blood sugar-regulating hormones and the pathology of diabetes. Current pharmacological approaches for lowering blood glucose will be discussed, as will the latest experimental approaches in identifying potential drug targets and new treatments for diabetes. At the end of the course, students should have an appreciation for the mechanisms that control glucose homeostasis in health and diabetes, the diversity of drug targets and mechanisms by which diabetes drugs promote glucose control, and current rationale and lines of research leading to potential new treatments.
PMCOL 475
Signal Transduction Systems as Pharmacological Targets
Fall Term, M W F 11:00
Coordinator: Dr E Posse de Chaves
Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and 344
Grading: Please contact the course coordinator.
Regulation of various aspects of cell regulation, including proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, survival, motility, and gene transcription, occur mainly via protein phosphorylation in a complex array of well-organized signal transduction pathways. This course will cover topics related to the pharmacological investigation of cellular transduction systems, the discovery of small molecules that alter cell signaling, and how pharmacological manipulation of these signaling pathways may be useful in the drug treatment of a diverse range of diseases, including metastatic, cardiovascular, inflammatory, immune, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.
PMCOL 497
Individual research project open to undergraduate Pharmacology Honor students (Stream A) who have identified a supervisor in the Department of Pharmacology. Normally taken in conjunction with PMCOL 499, this 6-credit course is the first part of a 12-credit program in two terms resulting in an honors research thesis in Pharmacology. During PMCOL 497 students will develop background knowledge in an area of pharmacology research within the supervisor's expertise, design an experimental plan (in conjunction with their supervisor) to investigate a particular research question, learn the methodologies to be used ,and begin experiments to answer this research question. Complete of this course requires a written proposal summarizing background information and experimental design and methods for the project, as well as an oral presentation to an examining committee. Students aiming for Graduate School should consider taking this course as it embraces the research process from developing the research question, to planning the experimental design, collecting and analyzing data, writing a final paper, and presenting research findings. Please contact the course coordinator for registration in the course.
Honors Research Project in Pharmacology II
Winter Term
Coordinator: Dr S Sipione
Prerequisites: PMCOL 303, PMCOL 306, PMCOL 343, PMCOL 344, and PMCOL 301 or PMCOL 302 or documented summer student research experience.
Individual research project open to undergraduate Pharmacology Honor students (Stream A) who have identified a supervisor in the Department of Pharmacology. Taken in conjunction with PMCOL 497, this 6-credit course is the second part of a 12-credit program in two terms resulting in an honors research thesis in Pharmacology. Upon satisfactory progress in the first term, PMCOL 499 students will continue their research and produce a written honors thesis on their project. An oral presentation and thesis defense will occur at the end of term and be evaluated. Registration must be approved by the Department of Pharmacology. Prerequisite: PMCOL 497 and consent of the Department of Pharmacology.
PMCOL 498
Pharmacology Research Program: Fall and Winter Terms
Coordinator: Dr S Sipione
Prerequisites: Consent of Department. Normally available to fourth-year Honors students only.
Grading: The final mark will be determined based on laboratory performance, laboratory notebook, a paper based on the research findings of the student and two ten-minute presentations based on a midterm and final examination.During their fourth year all Honors candidates are required to carry out a program of directed research under the supervision of a staff member. This program will be related to the special interest of the student and will involve experimental work as well as two presentations and a written report on the part of the student. Students are encouraged to make arrangements with a supervisor of their choice before the fall term begins.