• Question: Is any neuroscience involved in pharmacology?

    Asked by 985prmc54 to Alex, Laura, Lesley, Richard, vediacan on 16 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Richard Prince

      Richard Prince answered on 16 Jun 2015:


      Hi 985prmc54
      yes, quite a lot! Some of the most important clinical drugs work on the brain e.g. antidepressants, drugs to treat schizophrenia, and then you have drugs that act on nerves in the rest of the body like pain killers. Even a lot of drugs that act on the cardiovascular system act on signalling pathways from nerves to blood vessels or nerves to the heart, so that’s neuroscience too. I teach a second year unit called “Drugs and the Brain”. It’s compulsory for students doing Pharmacology and students taking Neuroscience. However, it’s a topic that loads of other students are interested in e.g. Biochemists, Biologists so the course is always really full. It’s nice to be popular but it comes round to bite after the exams when we have to mark all the exam papers!
      Are you thinking of studying neuroscience?
      Best wishes
      Richard

    • Photo: Alex Agyemang

      Alex Agyemang answered on 16 Jun 2015:


      Hi 985prmc54,

      Neuroscience and the study of the nervous system are important parts of pharmacology. Neuroscience and neuropharmacology were my favourite modules during my pharmacology degree.

      Actually, most of the drugs that I am currently working on is for diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and depression that affect the central nervous system.

      I hope this is helpful.

      Best wishes,
      Alex

    • Photo: Laura Newton

      Laura Newton answered on 16 Jun 2015:


      Hey 985!

      As the others have said, yes there’s a lot of neuroscience in pharmacology. In fact half of the pharmacology researchers here at my uni do neuroscience research!

      Best wishes,
      Laura

    • Photo: Vedia Can

      Vedia Can answered on 16 Jun 2015:


      Hey 985prmc54,

      Yes indeed there is neuroscience involved in Pharmacology 🙂 It’s always important to consider if the drug we develop can cross the blood brain barrier, and identify if it needs to cross the blood brain barrier, if so, how much is acceptable etc.

      The rest of the guys have answered this question, I thought, I should add a bit more to it 🙂

      Best Wishes,

      Vedia

Comments