Research course
Pharmacology
Entry requirements
We require applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, an Upper Second class Honours degree (or overseas equivalent) in a related subject area for entry to a PhD programme. A Lower Second class Honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a Master's degree with a Merit classification.
Months of entry
January, April, September
Course content
Our PhD/MPhil Pharmacology programme enables you to undertake a research project that will improve understanding of Pharmacology.
Our pharmacology research focuses on a range of topics. These include:
- The pharmacology of drug efflux transporters, particularly ABCB1 P-glycoprotein, ABCG2 breast cancer resistance protein and ABCC multidrug resistance-associated transporters;
- Developing complex, physiologically-relevant in vitro cell systems to investigate transport, metabolism and delivery of therapeutic drugs;
- Understanding the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms that regulate expression and function of drug efflux transporters, particularly in the blood-brain barrier;
- The role of blood-brain barrier drug efflux transporters in drug delivery to the central nervous system and the effects of inflammatory and degenerative conditions, e.g. Alzheimer's disease, on efflux transporter function;
- The biological role of lipid networks in health and disease, particularly their roles in inflammation, cellular communications and tissue responses;
- Employing mass spectrometry-based lipidomic technology, in conjunction with functional, metabolic and signalling approaches to characterise lipid profiles in physiological and pathophysiological conditions;
- Investigating the role of lipids in skin homeostasis and in response to inflammation, injury and wound healing;
- Studying role of local hormones in diseases and conditions associated with the female reproductive tract (e.g. dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis and the detection and prevention of preterm labour);
- Molecularly identifying and pharmacologically characterising receptors expressed in the female reproductive system;
- Understanding the physiological and pharmacological characteristics of the placenta. These studies include the development of placental homing peptide-microRNA inhibitor conjugates for targeted enhancement of placental growth signalling.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- PhD
- full time36-48 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time72-96 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- MPhil
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- admissions.doctoralacademy@manchester.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)161 275 5608