About Us
Established in 1966, the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Michigan State University strives to pioneer new therapies, unravel toxicant mechanisms, and develop leaders in science and healthcare who will make substantial contributions to society. Our faculty and students engage in groundbreaking research that explores various aspects of pharmacology and toxicology with drug discovery, development, and repurposing woven throughout our funded research activities. Our research foci include cancer, immunology, neurobiology, cardiovascular pharmacology, computational biology, hepatocellular toxicology, gastroenterology, urology, and environmental toxicology.
Since matriculation of the Department’s first graduate student in 1967, our hundreds of graduates have gone on to achieve prominent positions in academia, medicine, government, and industry. We are home to multiple cutting-edge post-graduate educational programs, including a vibrant PhD program, an NIH-funded training program, and two online MS programs. We also deliver pharmacology and toxicology to students in the Colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine and support an undergraduate minor in Pharmacology and Toxicology.
Our commitment to service is best evidenced by the storied history of our faculty as leaders in the Society for Toxicology, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and the American Physiological Society.
A rich past,
an exciting future
Prior to 1965, pharmacology was taught in the College of Veterinary Medicine by faculty in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. With the establishment of the College of Human Medicine in 1966, a new Department of Pharmacology was housed in 4,000 sq. ft. of laboratory space in the basement of Giltner Hall. In 1971, the Department moved to 30,000 sq. ft. of laboratory and office space in the newly built Life Sciences building, where its offices and many faculty still reside.
The name of the Department was officially changed to the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in 1978 to better represent the research interests of many faculty members and the close scientific ties between the two disciplines. During the same year, the Center for Integrative Toxicology was established as a multidisciplinary academic unit that coordinates research and graduate studies in toxicology. The CIT now resides in the Food Safety and Toxicology Building with many Pharmacology and Toxicology faculty in its ranks.
Decades later, we continue to uphold this strong legacy by educating the next generation of pharmacologists and toxicologists while engaging in meaningful research across MSU.
Employment Opportunities
Explore Careers @ MSU for a variety of open positions across campus, including those in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.
Visit Us:
The Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology welcomes visitors throughout the year. Selected applicants to the PhD program are invited to visit campus and to meet with faculty and current graduate students, typically in the spring.
Pharmacology & Toxicology Business Office
Phone: 517-353-7145
Fax: 517-353-8915
phm@msu.edu
1355 Bogue Street
B440 Life Sciences Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
Pharmacology & Toxicology Student Services Office
Phone: 517-884-0409
Fax: 517-353-8915
For transcripts, program and course inquiries, email phm@msu.edu.
