{"id":132,"date":"2017-12-06T22:58:40","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T22:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.uthscsa.edu\/physiology\/?page_id=132"},"modified":"2026-01-08T13:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:02:22","slug":"phd","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lsom.uthscsa.edu\/physiology\/education\/phd\/","title":{"rendered":"Ph.D. Physiology & Pharmacology"},"content":{"rendered":"

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    Overview:<\/h2>\n

    The Physiology & Pharmacology <\/strong>graduate training discipline encompasses the study of fundamental mechanisms that underlie cellular and systems level function and dysfunction. \u00a0In addition, this discipline examines how drugs influence these systems, with the ultimate goal being to better treat human disease. \u00a0This discipline offers distinct curricular tracks for training in both classical, and modern Physiology and Pharmacology. \u00a0It provides the opportunity for inter-disciplinary training that \u00a0bridges these fields and provides exposure to knowledge and skills ranging from the detailed characterization and principles of drug-receptor interactions through to systems level analyses of physiological processes. \u00a0A vibrant environment supports student development through team science, translational opportunities and clinical collaborations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Major Areas of Research:<\/h2>\n

    Addiction:\u00a0 <\/strong>
    \nUT Health San Antonio is home to the Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (ARTT).\u00a0 Students apply a variety of approaches to the study of addiction including behavioral pharmacology, biochemistry, electrochemistry, electrophysiology, molecular pharmacology and neuropharmacology.\u00a0 Human laboratory studies and clinical trials are also ongoing.<\/p>\n

    Aging:\u00a0 <\/strong>
    \nOur students conduct cutting-edge research in the molecular networks that govern the basic biology\u00a0of aging. \u00a0They test genetic and pharmacological interventions in invertebrate and vertebrate animal models for their ability to retard aging and minimize its deleterious effects. \u00a0Specific diseases and physiological deficits\u00a0associated with aging that are targeted include sarcopenia, metabolic dysregulation\/diabetes, cognitive impairment, dementia and Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

    Behavioral Pharmacology: <\/strong>
    \nOur students, applying basic principles of pharmacology to the study of behavior, investigate the effects of drugs with an emphasis on effects in the whole organism in order to better understand the pharmacologic mechanisms that underlie conditions, such as depression, autism, pain, and addiction.<\/p>\n

    Cardiovascular Function in Health and Disease: <\/strong>
    \nFaculty laboratories investigate mechanisms of myocardial and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (myocardial infarction and stroke), renal and neural mechanisms regulating blood pressure (hypertension), neural control of respiration (sleep apnea) and heart rate (arrhythmias).\u00a0 Laboratories emphasize therapeutic targeting of pathogenic mechanisms.<\/p>\n

    Neurological Diseases of Aging: <\/strong>
    \nOur students investigate molecular and biochemical events that cause neurological diseases of aging, including Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s disease.\u00a0 They use genetic manipulations in rodent and invertebrate models, behavioral, biochemical and immunohistochemical approaches, in vivo<\/em> brain optical and functional imaging including MRI and PET, in vivo<\/em> brain blood flow measures, and cellular and molecular biology tools to understand the initiating molecular events in dementias, and determine the effects of potential drug candidate molecules.<\/p>\n

    Neuropharmacology: <\/strong>
    \nDiseases\/disorders of the central nervous system (e.g. depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, drug abuse, Parkinson\u2019s Disease, Alzheimer\u2019s Disease, migraine, epilepsy, etc.) are prevalent. While all of these are treated with drugs, there are serious drawbacks to current pharmacotherapy, including lack of efficacy and high incidence of adverse effects. Students perform research to understand mechanisms that underlie current drug action and to develop improved medications to treat these devastating diseases.<\/p>\n

    Neurophysiology: <\/strong>
    \nFaculty laboratories investigate mechanisms of mood disorders (depression, anxiety, PTSD), social interaction (autism\/fragile X syndrome), neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson\u2019s, ALS, MS), dementia (Alzheimer\u2019s), drug addiction (opioids, amphetamine, cocaine) as well as \u00a0regulation of food intake and energy expenditure (obesity & exercise). \u00a0Emphasis is placed on genetic mechanism, neural-glial interactions as well as synaptic and ion channel plasticity.\u00a0 Laboratories emphasize therapeutic targeting of pathogenic mechanisms.<\/p>\n

    Metabolism and Regulation of Energy Homeostasis: <\/strong>
    \nOur students use cell culture and tissue-specific transgenic and knockout animal models to understand the molecular mechanisms leading to various metabolic diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. They also identify and characterize novel secretory molecules from human and mouse sera with the hope to develop effective therapeutic treatments to improve energy homeostasis.<\/p>\n

    Pain Physiology and Pharmacology: <\/strong>
    \nOur students conduct research on pain mechanisms, including nociceptor transduction, sensitization and activation.\u00a0 This includes studies developing novel, non-opioid, non-addictive analgesic drugs using high throughput screening methods.\u00a0 Parallel clinical trials allows our students to learn translational research.\u00a0 A weekly pain journal club and a team science environment fosters these outstanding training opportunities.<\/p>\n

    Pharmacology of Anticancer Drugs: <\/strong>
    \nOur students conduct modern drug discovery from diverse sources to identify the next generation of anticancer drugs.\u00a0 They identify the molecular mechanisms of action of new and current drugs to facilitate the optimal use of these drugs clinically.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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