Welcome to Physiology & Pharmacology!
Faculty in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology are involved in the study of the functions of the living organism and the mechanisms by which both drugs and poisons produce their effects on organisms. The primary instructional mission of the Department is the education of veterinary medical students in the physiological, pharmacological and toxicological basis of disease and therapeutics.
In addition to instruction of professional students, departmental faculty are actively engaged in graduate education and research mentorship. Twelve departmental faculty work with more than 40 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and staff on a variety of research projects.
The scope of this research ranges from the use of contemporary animal models of disease states to utilization of molecular biology techniques to reveal physiology of the cell. Research areas include, but are not limited to:
- Neurotoxicology
- Neurobiology of drug abuse
- Neuroplasticity
- Neuroanatomy
- Toxicology
- Neural regulation of ingestive behavior
- Vascular physiology
- Endocrinology of the thyroid and pancreas
- Functional genomics
Funding for these projects is derived from grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, United States Department of Agriculture, American Diabetes Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Hills Pet Nutrition, The Iams Co., Ralston-Purina Co., The Winn Feline Foundation, and Merck and Co. Research funding for the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology has totaled more than $1 million per year. Collaborative training and research efforts with faculty in the departments of Large Animal Medicine, Small Animal Medicine, Foods and Nutrition, Psychology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Animal and Dairy Science enhance our intellectual environment.
Faculty in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology are also leaders in both the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program (ITP) and Neuroscience Program.
Points of Interest
Prospective students should visit Programs of Study for information about our graduate (PhD) and residency programs in physiology and pharmacology.
