ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Pharmacology at School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (SPER), Jamia Hamdard was established in the year 1975. The primary goal of the department is to train the students preparing for careers in pharmacology including teaching and research in an academic or industrial setting or in pharmaceutical companies and government research organizations.
Training in pharmacology equips a student with the ability to understand the molecular mechanisms of drugs, significance of correct dosage, efficacy and safety of medicines etc. and hence provide extensive employment opportunities by pharmaceutical industry and contract research organizations in various areas such as pre-clinical research, toxicology, clinical pharmacology, scientific writing, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and medical affairs etc.
Vision
To become a globally recognised academic and research centre in the area of Pharmacology which generates new and useful knowledge and utilises it to inculcate the rigorous scientific attitude in the students to produce competent pharmacologists to meet the contemporary needs of the society, industry and research organizations in India and abroad.
Mission
The Department of Pharmacology, SPER is committed to deliver excellence in the area of education, research, community engagement and corporate relations. The education mission is to develop and teach the best in the field and up to date curricula of pharmacology and allied subjects up to postgraduate level. The research mission is to create new knowledge in the field of Pharmacology and Biomedical sciences using cutting edge technology and multidisciplinary approach to address the local, National, regional and global priorities. The department is also strives to engage with community especially the vulnerable sections of the society as well as with Industry to address the socioeconomic challenges relevant to public health.
COURSES OFFERED
M. Pharm. Pharmacology (4 semester programme)
M. Pharm. Pharmacy Practice (4 semester programme)
Ph.D. Pharmacology
Ph.D. Pharmacology with specialization in Pharmacy Practice
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Medicine
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Medicine is a unique, first in country program, established in collaboration with Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd, illustrates utilization of academic excellence, professional expertise and optimal fund use by joint University-Industry effort.
The department is well-equipped with research infrastructure. Apart from other laboratories, the department has one specialized laboratory dedicated to research on neurobehavioral pharmacology. This laboratory is funded under assistance from UGC-SAP. The thrust area of the laboratory is to screen molecules for effects on the central nervous system and to investigate the pathophysiological basis of neurological diseases particularly epilepsy and epilepsy-associated problems and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Overall, there is a strong research culture in the department with an emphasis on quality of publications, Ph.D. theses and research projects.
Thrust Area of Research
Interdisciplinary collaboration is a key to successful research. This is true for Pharmacology, which as a discipline, has undergone tremendous change. Today, we combine the approaches of molecular biology, biotechnology and genetics etc. to study the pharmacodynamic basis of drug action. At Jamia Hamdard, there is an added advantage of having such collaborations within the various departments of the University. This is true even within SPER. For instance, the molecules synthesized in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry or the herbal extracts from Pharmacognosy Department or the developed formulations by the Department of Pharmaceutics are evaluated in Department of Pharmacology. The department also has collaborations outside the University both from academic and research institutions as well as pharmaceutical industry.
The Department of Pharmacology has multidisciplinary collaboration with HIMSR and Centre for Translational and Clinical Research, School of Chemical & Life Sciences. The M. Pharm in Pharmacy Practice programme is augmented with the Clinical Research programme of School of Chemical & Life Sciences and Department of Community Medicine of HIMSR. In the HAH centenary hospital of Jamia Hamdard students of the Pharmacy Practice programme assist doctors in possible drug interaction and train patients to understand dosage regimen and other healthcare related queries.
Presently, the department has 09 faculty members with wide range of research interests in the following thrust areas:
-
Neuropharmacology (Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Depression, Stroke, Schizophrenia, Cognition and Drug abuse),
-
Cardiovascular pharmacology (Hypertension, Cardiomyopathy and Myocardial infarction)
-
Endocrinology and others (Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Obesity)
-
Clinical Pharmacology
Research activities within the Department of Pharmacology are well-funded by various agencies such as DST, ICMR, UGC, AICTE, CCRUM etc. In the last 5 years, department has received research grants worth Rs 2 crores from various funding agencies in India.
The department was sanctioned grants under Special Assistance Programme (SAP) of University Grants Commission (UGC), DRS Phase 1 and 2, on thrust area ‘Epilepsy and Osteoporosis’, UGC Major Research Grant on ‘Study of gut microbiota-induced atherosclerosis and obesity and modulation by Embelin in rats’ and ‘Evaluation of guggulipid extract in animal model of focal cerebral ischemia in rats’ and ICMR research grant on antiepileptic drugs associated osteoporosis. The Department has also received Startup Research Grant from UGC.
The faculty members of the department have published >200 papers in national and International journals of repute in the last 5 years.
Activities and Events
60th National Pharmacy Week Awareness drive
Health Camps, Pharmacology
NewsLetter Pharmacovigilance week
Contact Us
Prof. (Dr.) Manju Sharma,
Head, Department of Pharmacology, SPER
Email Id: msharma@jamiahamdard.ac.in