# Training in Biomolecular Pharmacology

> **NIH NIH T32** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2022 · $260,181

## Abstract

Abstract
The predoctoral Training Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology at Boston University,
launched in 1991 to meld quantitative principles of biomedical engineering (BME) with
pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, was honored in 1997 with an NIGMS T32
award. In the succeeding 19 years, this university-wide program has provided a
supportive learning environment for predoctoral students. The Program includes an
innovative curriculum, interdisciplinary laboratory rotations, industrial summer
internships, and diverse research training opportunities that span the Medical and
Charles-River campuses. Students enter via the Departments of Pharmacology or BME
and more recently from the university-wide Graduate Program for Neuroscience (GPN)
implemented in 2010. Program trainees in BME and GPN experience an integrated
curriculum, designed to provide enriched training in pharmacology coordinated with
specialized training in their primary discipline. Trainees in Pharmacology gain access to
diverse research and educational experiences that build upon those provided by
pharmacology faculty. The core curriculum stresses fundamental pharmacological
principles including interactions of bioactive molecules, drug delivery for novel
therapeutics, animal models and relevance to the clinic, and challenges for modern drug
discovery. The Program, recently enhanced with an NIGMS supplement on
reproducibility in research, is structured to train students in the skills of rigorous scientific
research, including study design, grant application, and publication. Participating faculty,
originally 21 and now 59, contribute expertise in focus areas, including
neuropharmacology, vascular and cancer pharmacology, genomics and proteomics,
animal models (transgenic and behavioral), structural biology, nanotechnology, systems
biology and medicinal chemistry. Career guidance with oversight by faculty and student
mentors, strengthened by the BU BEST Award, provides opportunities relevant to their
professional goals, whether in academia, government or the private sector. Training
duration averages 5.2 years, and graduates compete well for positions in various
sectors. There are currently 47 students (39 TGE) in the Program, including 6 TGE from
underrepresented minorities. This renewal application seeks funding for 7 trainees each
year, an increase reflecting the greater demand of highly qualified candidates for
pharmacology training and the expanded research opportunities of faculty participants.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10398917
- **Project number:** 5T32GM008541-25
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** David H Farb
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $260,181
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10398917

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10398917, Training in Biomolecular Pharmacology (5T32GM008541-25). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10398917. Licensed CC0.

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