Making a
difference.
It's in our DNA.
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About Us

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Through our culture of innovation and collaboration, we will pioneer new therapies, unravel toxicant mechanisms and impact and develop leaders ln science and healthcare who will make substantial contributions to society.

TIMELINE OF EXCELLENCE

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 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.

Over the years, hundreds of people have put their time, energy, passion, and knowledge into making this department truly special. That same commitment can be found in the people who helped create this project. They include Ruby Hatfield, Meagan Kroll, Ken Moore, Wendy Rohen, Stephen Stofflet, Alexandra Watts, and Stephanie Watts. This timeline provides a dramatic look at those people who have contributed so much.

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A rich past,
an exciting future

Our history

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.

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