CBMC 807: Molecular Foundations in Chemical Biology
Prerequisites: Students are expected to have a solid understanding of introductory organic chemistry as taught at the undergraduate level.
This course provides a review of important concepts in organic chemistry as they apply to biological research. Topics include a review of intermolecular interactions as they apply to biological structures and function, a discussion of how small molecules interact with their targets, an overview of synthetic methods that relate particularly to drug molecules, and basic strategies of drug design.
CBMC 805: Molecular Modeling
Prerequisites: None
This course provides a general introduction to the field of Molecular Modeling while providing relevant applications of theory to both academic and industrial research endeavors.
PHRS 801: Common Core in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Prerequisites: None.
This course provides an interdisciplinary environment for students from each of the four Divisional PhD programs in UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Students will learn about and develop skills in topics related to responsible conduct of research, pharmaceutical development, professional development, and independent development.
PHRS 899: Seminars in Chemical Biology
Students must register for PHRS 899 each semester of their graduate program. However, only 4 credits of PHRS 899 (2 credits for MS) may count toward requirement for the PhD degree. Seminars are conducted jointly with the Division of Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry. Attendance at all Division seminars is mandatory and two unexcused absences will result in a grade of F. As an additional component of the seminar requirements of the graduate curriculum, attendance by all students is required during a student’s Doctoral Defense. These Defense seminars are held outside of the normal seminar series.
Each student is required to present a seminar in PHRS 899 either in the student’s third year or in the beginning of his/her fourth year and will be considered in assigning the grade in PHRS 899. In this seminar, the student critically reviews the area pertinent to his/her thesis topic making sure that s/he discusses studies that include his/her group’s contributions and those of other laboratories and includes a description of the student’s ongoing studies that add to this body of research. Faculty members will evaluate the student seminar. Students receiving an overall failing evaluation on the presentation will receive an “incomplete” grade in PHRS 899 for that semester and must consult with the seminar coordinator before giving a make-up seminar at a later date. Additionally, students receiving “incomplete” grades may be advised to seek further training in presentations. In those cases where the student’s research contains intellectual property (IP) and where disclosure risks the IP, a student can provide a comprehensive review of a different subject in medicinal chemistry. Permission to do so will require approval of the thesis adviser and the seminar coordinator. Each seminar topic, title, summary, and research article must be approved by the student’s research adviser and seminar coordinator. A student presenter should send the title of their seminar talk to the Graduate Program Coordinator upon request.
PHRS 991: Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Research Rotations)
During the first two semesters, the student conducts three ~10-week research rotation projects, each under the supervision of a different faculty member. These rotation projects are considered as course work for PHRS 991. Students select rotations from any of the CBMC Faculty. With approval of the DDGS, students may also perform rotation projects with faculty outside the labs of the CBMC Faculty, especially when the rotation will provide training in an area that is outside of the expertise of the CBMC Faculty.
To select an adviser for each research rotation, the student should interview members of the CBMC faculty about possible projects. Prior to each rotation, the student will turn in a RESEARCH ROTATION LAB SELECTION FORM (Appendix A) to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Over the course of the first year each student is encouraged to schedule individual interviews with all members of the CBMC faculty. Although varied slightly from year to year, the rotations usually start in the late August and end in the late April in the next year. The schedule for the 2022-2023 academic year is as follows:
Fall: Monday, August 22 – Friday, October 28 (OK to start before August 22)
Winter: Monday, November 7-Friday, January 20
Spring: Monday, January 30 – Friday, April 7
Students admitted in the fall semesters can begin their rotations the summer before. In that scenario, the student must contact the Graduate Program Coordinator at least four weeks prior to the start of the rotation. The summer rotation will be considered as one of their three required rotations. A waiver for one research rotation may be granted if a student has previously completed substantial independent research. Students seeking such a waiver must petition the DDGS, and provide information (e.g. reports, manuscripts, grant proposals, and/or letters from research advisers) about their previous research. If a student has obtained a specific fellowship to work with a CBMC faculty member, then research rotations may be optional.
During lab rotations, students are expected to work in the laboratory at least 20 hours per week. Students are fully integrated into the laboratory during their rotation projects and are involved in lab meetings and journal clubs. At the beginning and end of each rotation, the rotation adviser and student review a written or oral statement of expectations for the student’s performance in the laboratory. These discussions provide the student with the advisers’ expectations and critical comments on areas of excellence and weakness. Guidelines for the research rotations are described in the PHRS 991 syllabus.
At the end of each rotation, students will submit a written report using the Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Student Evaluation Form (Appendix B) to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Students will also present the results of their rotation projects to their Student Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC committee, in consultation with the rotation adviser, will provide a brief summary and evaluation and submit a grade to the Graduate Program Coordinator and the DDGS to be entered at the end of the semester. After the third rotation, students will present the work of their rotation in the CBMC End of Year Mini-Symposium.
The DDGS serves as the temporary advisor for the first-year students who enroll in PHRS 991. The SAC committee provides additional mentoring and consists of three CBMC faculty. The SAC is formed at the beginning of the first semester based on a student’s request and availability of faculty members.
CHEM 701 (Introduction to Laboratory Safety)
Prerequisites: first year graduate student status or permission of instructor
This course provides an overview of safety rules and regulations, guidance in safe laboratory practice, and creates a culture of laboratory safety.
CBMC 804A: Biochemical Foundations of Chemical Biology.
Prerequisites: CHEM 466, BIOC 505, 601, or PHCO 643; or permission of instructors.
This course covers core biochemical and molecular biology techniques, concepts, and tools used to conduct research at the interface of chemistry and biology. Topics include enzymology, characterization of drug-target interactions, mechanisms-based inhibitor design, assay design and development, targeting kinases and GPCRs, biopharmaceuticals, gene therapy, nucleic-acid binding agents, information-based drugs, chemical tools to study epigenetics, harnessing biosynthetic pathways for chemical diversity, and other recent advances and techniques in drug discovery.
CBMC 804B: Foundations of Chemical Biology Journal Club.
Prerequisites: Enrollment in CBMC 804A.
This course is a series of presentations by students that run in concert with CBMC 804A.
Biology Core Course
Each student has the option to choose one 3- or 4-credit hour course on campus that is focused on biological systems or techniques. A good starting point to find such a course is the BBSP website. Some examples include PHCO701 (Introduction to Molecular Pharmacology), BIOC706 (Biochemistry of Human Disease), GNET631 (Advanced Molecular Biology), CBIO643 (Cell Structure and Function) and CBIO893 (Advanced Cell Biology).
PHRS 802: Drug Development and Professional Skills Development
Prerequisites: None.
This course provides an interdisciplinary environment for students from each of the four Divisional PhD programs in UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Students will learn about the general process of drug development and develop associated professional skills.
Elective Course: Students have the option to take one elective course of their interest. There is no requirement on the number of credit hours of the course. Students typically choose a course that provides specific skills and knowledge their thesis work needs.
PHRS 994: Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Thesis Research)
The students begin to register 3 credit hours PHRS 994 each semester once they have chosen the thesis adviser. Guidelines for the thesis research are described in the PHRS 994 syllabus.