Center Overview

The Center for Cancer Pharmacology is a Type I center within the Department of Pharmacology. It was established in June 1997 with Dr. Ian Blair as its first director. The Center is based in the Biomedical Research Building II/III with 2,000 nsf of laboratory space and 100 nsf of administrative space. The laboratory is equipped with three triple quadrupole mass spectrometers and an ion trap mass spectrometer for state-of-the-art biomedical analysis. The availability of this instrumentation allows both quantitative and structural determinations to be performed in support of Center Investigators. There are some forty members of the Center located in space designated by their particular departments. Investigators comprise a multidisciplinary group with expertise in molecular pharmacology, analytical pharmacology, molecular oncology, clinical pharmacology, clinical medicine, clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic modeling.

The Center sponsors a seminar series in Cancer Pharmacology together with regular Research in Progress seminars in order to promote scientific interactions between Center Investigators. In addition, a graduate program in Cancer Pharmacology has been established within the Department of Pharmacology. Members of the Pharmacological Sciences Graduate Group who are also Center Investigators can mentor the thesis research of graduate students who are admitted to this program. Dr. Peter O'Dwyer has recently been appointed as the Director of a new Phase I program in chemotherapeutic agents. This program will work closely with the Center for Cancer Pharmacology to facilitate the translation of basic discoveries made at the University of Pennsylvania into novel anti-cancer strategies.