Mailing Address: 30 S. 2000 E. Room 307, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112
Office Hours: Monday – Friday; 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, excluding holidays and University closure days
Website: http://pharmacy.utah.edu/medchem
Phone: 801-585-5891
Email: medchem@pharm.utah.edu
Department Chair: Kerry McPhail, Ph.D.
Graduate Director: Raphael Franzini
Graduate Advisor: Kelsey Krause
Contact for Prospective Students: kelsey.krause@pharm.utah.edu
Mission Statement
Our mission is to create new knowledge for the discovery and development of new pharmaceutical drugs. Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their innovative scientific contributions in basic and applied research.
Overview
Medicinal Chemistry is the branch of chemistry dealing with the design, synthesis, and characterization of biologically active molecules. It is an interdisciplinary science that draws upon organic and physical chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology in the definition of research problems of biomedical importance.
Medicinal Chemistry is a major contributor to the professional pharmacy curricula.
Types of Degrees
Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Program
Matriculated students begin their first year in either the Molecular Biology or Biological Chemistry programs, completing required coursework, and participating in research rotations with 3 faculty members from the College of Pharmacy. After the successful completion of the first year, students will select a dissertation advisor and transfer into their chosen department to complete additional required coursework and begin dissertation research.
Students are required to meet with their advisory committee each academic year to review current research and progress toward degree completion. Time from matriculation to degree is approximately 5 years. Milestones for degree include:
Successful capstone exam
Successful preliminary exam
Completion of required courses with a B- or better
Successful defense of dissertation
Seminars are held on Thursdays at the college and department levels. Students are offered the opportunity to network directly with presenters via meet & greet sessions, lunches, and a Q&A session.
The department coordinates several events during the academic year, in which all department members can socialize outside of the lab and work environment to encourage a healthy department community. In addition, the department sponsors the Student & Postdoc Activity Group (SPAG), an organization managed by current students and postdocs that facilitates socializing between peers and newly matriculated students.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for additional details about the graduate program and requirements for graduation. https://pharmacy.utah.edu/medchem/prospective-students/graduate-program
Additional Information
Financial Aid/Support Information
At the time of this writing, students who matriculate into the Medicinal Chemistry program, and meet the eligibility requirements each semester, are supported by the Tuition Benefit Program which includes paid employment as either an RA or TA, yearly sponsored student health insurance premium, and tuition coverage up to 12 credits during the Fall and Spring semesters for required graduate courses. https://gradschool.utah.edu/funding/tbp/index.php
For the most up to date information about available TA & RA positions, including stipends, please reference the department website or email the Graduate Student Advisor.
Each academic year, the College of Pharmacy accepts applications from current senior students for the Skaggs Fellowship program. Awardees are provided with a stipend, tuition support and paid health insurance premium for the year of the award.
Additional opportunities can be found on the Graduate School website. https://gradschool.utah.edu/funding/fellowships-scholarships-awards/index.php
Facilities, Centers, or Labs
Current faculty research areas include:
Discovery and validation for new anti-cancer drugs targeted at lipid signaling
Computational modeling and simulation of biomolecular structure, dynamics and interactions
Synthesis of novel anticancer and anti-HIV drugs
Chemical biology of cell surface-bound carbohydrates such as heparan, chondroitin, dermatan and keratan sulfates
Discovery of marine natural products with anti-cancer activity
Synthesis and testing of novel anti-infective and anti-parasitic drugs
Application of mass spectrometry and NMR to the elucidation of protein, nucleic acid, and small molecule structures
Elucidating bacterial and fungal biosynthetic pathways to harness their medical potential
Synthesis and evaluation of novel biopolymers for site-targeted drug delivery
Fabrication of biocompatible materials for tissue engineering and wound repair