The graduate training program in Physiology and Pharmacology is an interdisciplinary curriculum that leads to the PhD degree in Physiology and Pharmacology.

The major goal of the program is to train students for independent research and teaching in Physiology and Pharmacology for careers in academia, government or the private sector. The program faculty have primary or joint appointments in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.

The program of study is designed to provide a firm background in the basics of physiology, pharmacology and neuroscience at the molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral levels, while also providing advanced course work designed to meet the objectives of the students and the laboratories in which dissertation research is performed.

Areas of research focus of the program include drug abuse, alcohol abuse, neurodegenerative disorders, pediatric development and pharmacology, perinatal, cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric disorders, and cognitive behavior.

The Department of Physiology and Pharmacology has a significant presence in the biomedical community at large, ranking 3rd in the nation among Pharmacology Departments in NIH funding during 2003.