Dylan Glatt, a second-year graduate student, talks about why he chose the PhD in pharmaceutical sciences program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and what led him to molecular pharmaceutics.

PhD in Molecular Pharmaceutics including An Emphasis on Pharmacoengineering

Cutting-edge research in drug development and delivery at one of the best public universities for students with backgrounds in engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy and biology

Molecular pharmaceutics deals with ways to deliver and maintain the desired amount of a therapeutic agent at a target site for a desired period of time. This discipline has been and continues to be crucial for turning a new molecular entity into a safe and effective medication. Current research involves improving the efficacy and delivery of a broad range of therapeutic agents, including biologicals such as proteins, antibodies, oligonucleotides, genes, and cell-based therapies.

The Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy—known as MOPH—focuses on education and research in targeted drug delivery that will ensure optimal efficacy of pharmacologically and immunologically active agents. We conduct multidisciplinary research using knowledge in

• chemistry (physical-chemical aspects of drug molecules, polymer sciences, analytical chemistry),
• engineering (nanotechnology, biophysics), and
• biopharmaceutics (pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism). Two emerging areas in which we are engaging our students are pharmacoengineering and molecular imaging.

The MOPH faculty is a highly collaborative and entrepreneurial group; they have applied 18 patents based on their research, and they have established seven new pharmaceutical and biotech companies in recent years. Several are members of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, which offers a wide array of core facilities that support their research activities.

Learn More About the MOPH PhD Program

• PhD requirements
• PhD curriculum
• Research environment at UNC
• Career opportunities for MOPH graduates
• Admissions information
• Pharmacoengineering: Beginning in fall 2013, MOPH is offering the PhD program in pharmaceutical science with an emphasis on pharmacoengineering, an emerging discipline that integrates engineering methods with pharmaceutical sciences.
• Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery: MOPH is home to the CNDD, directed by Mescal S. Ferguson Distinguished Professor Alexander "Sasha" Kabanov, PhD.

MOPH PhD Contacts

Michael Jay, PhD
Division Chair
mjay@unc.edu
919-843-3775

Phil Smith, PhD
Division Director of Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies
pcs@email.unc.edu
919-962-0095