Neuropharmacology
Neuropharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on the nervous system, aiming to develop compounds to benefit humans with psychiatric and neurological disease
Read moreWelcome to Pharmacology
The Department of Pharmacology is one of the pre-clinical science departments that form part of the University’s Medical Sciences Division and is focused on basic life sciences research, undergraduate teaching for medicine and biomedical sciences students and the training and development of graduate students.
Latest News
Minichiello group discovers a novel stem cell population in the subventricular zone
17 July 2026
A new study by the Minichiello group, published in Cell Discovery, has identified a previously unappreciated population of deeply quiescent neural stem cells in the largest germinal zone in the adult mammalian brain, lining the walls of the lateral ventricles, so-called the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ).
Top of the QS World University Rankings for Pharmacy and Pharmacology 2019-2021
Founded in 1898
20 research groups
50+ graduate students
Research
The Department of Pharmacology is at the forefront of research into the effects of drugs and other molecules on biological systems with a view to understanding the mechanisms of the human body. Pre-clinical research in the Department aims to examine cellular and molecular pathways in living systems as the first step towards a greater understanding of disease and effective treatment.
Teaching
Academic staff in the Department lead lectures, seminars and tutorials for undergraduate students on the Medicine and Biomedical Sciences courses. The Department also hosts an internationally-renowned one-year MSc taught course in Pharmacology and has a community of around 40 DPhil students.