Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Research using advanced imaging and electrophysiological techniques to examine the cellular and intracellular mechanisms of the heart and microcirculation
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
New Akerman group paper reveals links between sleep, synaptic inhibition, and the plastic changes that underlie learning in the brain
25 February 2025
Pharmacology researchers have discovered a key mechanism linking sleep and wake to synaptic plasticity in the brain, shedding light on how learning and memory may be affected by rest. Their study, published by Alfonsa et al. in the journal Current Biology, reveals that intracellular chloride levels shift during sleep and wakefulness, influencing synaptic plasticity processes in the brain’s cortex.
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.