Activities
Seminars
PGG students attend a weekly seminar organized by the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics. Listening to talks given by invited speakers - prominent scientists from Penn and other research centers in the USA and abroad - and direct interaction with the speakers at the seminar and during post-seminar lunch keeps our students updated on cutting edge research and expands their horizons. Additionally our PGG students participate in the annual ITMAT Symposium. Our students also attend talks given by invited speakers at specialized monthly seminars organized by the:
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT)
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET)
- Center for Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine (CT³N)
Learn to Lead: Expanding Opportunities for BGS Graduates
A Seminar Series of lunchtime conversations on career options. These seminars are open to PGG students along with all BGS students and postdocs.
Journal Club
During the academic year, students attend weekly meetings of the Journal Club to read, discuss, and analyze scientific literature. Each week, a different student chooses the paper to be discussed, enlists a faculty adviser, and serves as moderator for the meeting. The Journal Club is a student-run activity accompanied by free food to stimulate conversation and cerebral activity.
Outreach
Pharm4GOOD: Pharmacology Graduate Opportunities for Outreach and Development
Pharm4GOOD is a student-run group whose mission is to create a community for PGG students to develop personally and professionally by providing opportunities for volunteering, community outreach and teaching. The goal is to promote an inclusive environment that triggers leadership and teamwork while teaching exciting principles of pharmacology to the broader community.
Recent Activity: UPWARD BOUND College Prep Saturdays
Pharm4GOOD has partnered with Upward Bound to provide interactive Pharmacology-themed lessons and activities. Their first activity was ‘Testing Stimulants and Depressants on California Blackworms.’ Students were assigned a mystery drug (alcohol or caffeine) and observed behavioral changes in their worms. In addition to learning about how stimulants and depressants differentially affect behavior, they learned about dose-response relationships and how scientists typically use model organisms to test drug safety.
PGG Student Symposium
At the Pharmacology Graduate Group Student Symposium, an all-day, off-campus "retreat" held early in the fall semester and highlight of the academic year, students have the opportunity to give slide presentations or posters on their research projects. It is a time to welcome new students and to talk with PGG members and guests including featured speakers – renown scientists of international caliber.
The Pharmacology Graduate Group's 35th Annual Student Symposium was be held this past year on November 12th at the National Constitution Center. The Keynote Speaker was Lisa Shipley, Ph.D., Vice President of Global Digital Analytics & Technologies at Merck & Co.
Previous PGG Student Symposiums
Previous Symposium's include:
