Graduate Program in Pharmacology

The Graduate Program in Pharmacology is destined to the formation of professors and researchers in the diverse areas of knowledge in the field of Pharmacology, aiming at awarding the Master's and Doctorate degrees in the area. The students academic formation is mainly composed of the successful attendance of the graduate program courses offered by the program, as well as the carry out of research projects, utilizing functional, biochemical and molecular techniques in lab animals and/or human beings. The major research areas in the program are: (1) Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Genitourinary Tract; (2) Pharmacology of  inflammatory processes and immunotoxicology; (3) Clinical Pharmacology, (4) Toxinology and (5) Endocrine control of metabolism Pharmacology  and (6) Rational Use, Adverse Events and Quality Control of Medications. Currently we have 14full time advisors acting in at least two research topics mentioned above. Our advisors are characterized by their intense research activity as well as their national and international collaborations.

The doctorate and master's degree programs last a maximum of 48 and 30 months, respectively. The minimum time for completion is 12 months for the Master's degree program and 24 for the Doctorate degree program. During the master's and doctorate course students need to earn 23 credits in in the disciplines offered by the graduate program in Pharmacology. These credits must completed as a criterion that qualifies the student to defend their thesis or dissertation.

The building of the Department of Pharmacology, where most professor laboratories are located, occupies physical area of 1200 m²  (FCM 10 building), distributed as 12 research laboratories, 01 office, 01 amphitheater, 02 rooms for graduate school activities  and 01 warehouse. There are still permanent researchers laboratories located outside the Pharmacology building, comprising a physical area of approximately 200 m². The research laboratories house modern equipment that allows the development of in vivo, cell cultivation and flow cytometry studies.  We have a center at UNICAMP named LACTAD (Central Laboratory of High Performance Technologies in the Life Sciences). This facility provides services to researchers of our program in the areas of Cell Biology, Proteomics, Genomics and Bioinformatics.

The Department maintains three unique vivariums for the program students to use. Such vivariums rely on the dedication of 4 professionals. The three vivariums are designed to receive, separately, rats and mice or snakes and arachnids.

Research topics and professors

1. Pharmacology of inflammatory processes and immunotoxicology

The projects encompassed in this research topic aim at gaining knowledge on the inflammatory and immunotoxicological response from pathological conditions such as obesity, diabetes, exposure to bacterial toxins and sepsis, gestational stress, and recurrent infections.

 2. Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Genitourinary Tract

The projects set out in this research topic aim at understanding the pathophysiology, physio pathogenesis and pharmacological bases of blood pressure, lower urinary tract syndrome and erectile dysfunction in rodents and humans.

 3. Clinical Pharmacology

The projects set out in this research topic focuses on the bioavailability and bioequivalence studies of drugs, and potentially related success or failure factors of treatment regimens used in our midst.

 4. Toxinology

The projects encompassed in this research topic aim at deepening the knowledge of the action mechanism of snake, insect, arthropod and amphibian venoms as well as their isolated toxins in biological models in vivo and in vitro.

5. Pharmacological Control of Metabolism and Endocrine System

This research topic includes projects that focus on investigating the participation of hormone receptors in metabolic control and endocrine regulation. In particular, it evaluates the circadian changes in these parameters.

6. Rational Use, Adverse Events and Quality Control of Medications

This research topic focuses the rational use of medicines, aiming at patient safety and effectiveness of therapy, observing quality, proposing formulations or substitutions, accompanying pharmacotherapy and the existence of adverse events.

Application Process

BEFORE YOU ACCESS THE NOTICE READ THE GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CANDIDATES INTERESTED IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PHARMACOLOGY (FCM / UNICAMP)

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ATTENTION: The enrollment in the graduate program in Pharmacology is only intended for students who have already chosen their advisors. In case they have not, students must consult the Program Advisors List, contact their chosen professor and according to their area of interest, find out if the professor is accepting new students during that specific semester. The list containing the professors and participants is available online at the program's website (professors and research topics).

Entrance into the School of Medical Sciences Graduate Program in Pharmacology at UNICAMP usually happens between May and June, and October-November of each year.  The applicant must be aware of the deadlines and the date for publication of the notice.

Candidates for the direct-entry master's and doctorate degree programs should be approved in the selection exam in Pharmacology whereas the conventional doctoral candidates (those who already have a Master's title) are not obliged to perform this test.

The selection exam for the above mentioned direct-entry master's and doctorate degree candidates will cover general knowledge at the undergraduate level in (1) Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, (2) Pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system, (3) Cardiovascular Pharmacology, (4) Pharmacology of the neuromuscular junction, and (5) Inflammation and anti-inflammatory drugs.  This examination will be done in the form of a written and/or multiple-choice questions test, and the cutoff grade will be defined by the SCPG-Fa and disclosed prior to the exam date. The following references can be consulted: The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. Goodman & Gilman; FARMACOLOGIA. H.P. Rang & M.M. Dale; FARMACOLOGIA Básica e Clínica. Bertram G. Katzung; e FARMACOLOGIA ILUSTRADA. Richard A. Harvey & Pamela C. Champe.

Candidates for the conventional doctorate and direct-entry doctorate should perform the defense of their project, which consists in presenting the doctoral project to a panel of three professors. The presentation should be in Microsoft PowerPoint lasting an average of 30-40 min, following the normal presentations structure (Introduction, Objectives, Methods for use, and preliminary results, if any). After the presentation, the candidate will be questioned by the committee at the end of which he will be considered passed or failed by the committee. In case of failure, the committee will prepare a detailed report on the nature of the failure.

One should observe that the direct-entry doctorate program candidate has to undergo two distinct situations: to take the written exam and to present their project to the committee. If the candidate does not pass the written exam (entrance exam), naturally he will not be allowed to pass to the second stage in the selection process (presentation of the doctoral project). If the candidate is approved in the written exam (entrance exam) and not approved in the presentation of the project, they will be allowed to enroll in the master's degree program, if they desire to do so.