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Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics involves the discovery of new drugs, the investigation of how drugs work and the use of drugs to probe mechanisms of disease. But pharmacology also involves the elucidation and manipulation of macromolecular structures, the analysis of regulatory mechanisms in cell biology and development, and the translation of this information into clinical research. Emerging concepts in drug development also involve in vivo targeting or ex vivo engineering of Immune Cells to "retrain" the human immune system to achieve control of disease and more optimal health. Thus, the science of pharmacology spans the most fundamental aspects of basic research, through transgenic animal models, to clinical investigation.
Pharmacology at Penn addresses all of these issues in an exciting, collegial and interactive environment. To learn more visit our welcome page.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
The Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania is committed to building diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive.
We will advance and build our research by assessing hiring practices and performance review procedures to attract, retain, and develop talented faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. We must lead with our values and be an advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves. We need to create an environment where people are chosen based on their qualifications and not judged based color, race, gender, national origin, religion, disability, sexual preference or age. The Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics has made a commitment to making a difference and utilizing our resources including our scientific platforms to promote change for the future.
As decades of research and experience have shown, every unit and individual in this department benefits from diversity when there is an environment where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively to ask and solve questions.
New Structural Biology Program Available
I am delighted to announce the formation of a new Structural Biology Program established in the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) led by Dr. Vera Moiseenkova-Bell, Professor at the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics. Formation of this new Program at PSOM reflects the convergence of technological advances in instrumentation and approaches to solve structures of biological molecules, an increased appreciation for structural biology in fundamental and translational biomedical science, and a growing community of users of these technologies at Penn. This Program, a joint effort of the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics together with PSOM will highlight the use of cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and other cutting-edge approaches and provide accessible technology and intellectual support to the broader Penn community. This new Program will catalyze novel advances in the areas of structural biology and will meet structural biology needs on the UPenn campus.
Dr. Moiseenkova-Bell has been the Faculty Director of the Beckman Cryo-EM Center and Electron Microscopy Resource Laboratory since 2018, and has helped nucleate the PSOM structural biology community. We are delighted that she will be leading this new Program. Dr. Moiseenkova-Bell is a membrane protein biochemist and a structural biologist with expertise in cryo-EM. Her research is focused on structure-function analysis of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels and their interaction with agonists/antagonists to enhance our understanding of their function at the molecular level. In addition, her laboratory research program seeks to understand how TRP channels regulate cellular functions and the role of their dysregulation in human disease. Her expertise in these areas will be a major asset to the Program and community. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Moiseenkova-Bell on this well-deserved promotion and wishing her continued success in her new role as the Director of the new Structural Biology Program.
For more information on instrumentation that will be available in the Structural Biology Program, please see information on this website: https://www.med.upenn.edu/electronmicroscopyresourcelab/.