The goal of the Medicinal Chemistry program is to further the understanding of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences through research, instruction, and professional development. The Medicinal Chemistry graduate program emphasizes small molecule investigations that seek to better understand the molecular relationships and mechanisms that underlie diseases of the nervous system, cancer, and pain. It is one of six programs coordinated through the Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Umbrella. We are committed to serve the citizenry and international scientific community.<br><br>The mission of the Medicinal Chemistry graduate program is to design and synthesize small molecule ligands that enable the study of protein structure and function. Highly selective compounds are designed, evaluated, and developed for more precise characterization of these biomolecular targets using SAR, molecular modeling and chemo- and bioinformatics. Molecular tools are synthesized using these small molecule templates to develop fluorescent, irreversible and radiolabeled ligands, for topological mapping (PET), elucidation or pharmacological action, and clinical potential. This professional program differs from other Medicinal Chemistry programs in its novel emphases on neuroscience and training in business.