About Department of Pharmacology
The Department of Pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
enjoys a tradition of excellence in basic science research. Our legacy includes
the award of the Nobel Prize
in Physiology or Medicine in 1971 to Earl W. Sutherland Jr. for his discovery
of the now famous "intracellular messenger" cAMP. Several generations of scholars
have continued this tradition through their nationally and internationally recognized
contributions to biomedical sciences. In 1994,
Alfred Goodman Gilman, an M.D., Ph.D. graduate of the department, was awarded
the Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine for his characterization of signal transduction via G-proteins,
while the 1998 Nobel Prize
in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to alum
Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., recognizing his discovery of the role of nitric
oxide in intercellular signaling.
The research mission of the Department of Pharmacology builds upon this heritage
by seeking to discover specific mechanisms that control physiological processes
at cellular and molecular levels. An understanding of these mechanisms provides
the innovation necessary for discovery of new therapeutic interventions. Thus, our
research focuses on the future. From bioorganic chemistry and molecular biology
to signal transduction and the cell biology of cytoskeletal assembly, the Department
of Pharmacology provides a scholarly continuum that uses an understanding of molecular
interactions to unravel clinically relevant drug targets.
Because modern pharmacology is a multifaceted discipline, we have created a rich
interdisciplinary training program in pharmacological sciences by joining
our primary faculty with affiliated faculty from other departments. This ensures
that our research and educational offerings have the necessary breadth and depth
for training the newest generation of molecular pharmacologists.