Welcome to the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics

I am pleased to welcome you to the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and to its associated Centers in Cancer Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics. The Department is also closely involved with the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), home to the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) and in the leadership of the Penn Genomics Institute. In 2006, we established the Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) funded by the NIEHS. Through interactions between CEET and the Community Outreach and Engagement Core (COEC), the University of Pennsylvania Superfund Research and Training Program (Penn SRP) Center arose with the local community in Ambler, PA, who live close to one of the largest asbestos Superfund sites in the country. This resulted in the development of the environmental science and biomedical research projects in direct response to concerns of the local community. The highly interactive projects formed the basis of establishing Penn SRP Center as another component of CEET.

The Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at Penn is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the country, and we are at the forefront of the discipline in the new millennium. We rank first for NIH funding among such Departments. Our science uses the tools of molecular and cellular biology, Immunology and Immune Profiling analytical and structural biology and mechanism based clinical investigation to discover and elucidate the action of novel therapeutics. The traditional strength of the Department has been in neuropharmacology. However, in the past decade we have expanded this considerably and have established robust programs in cardiovascular pharmacology and cancer pharmacology. Genomics and proteomics are becoming increasingly important tools throughout the Department. Moreover, with the revolution in Immunotherapy of Cancer and after disease the study of Immune-based drugs and immune effects of Therapeutics is becoming a major area of interest. These interests have attracted a large number of faculty with expertise in cell signaling, Inflammation and Immunology, Circadian Rhythm, Neurobiology, and Genomics, and models of human disease. The Proteomics Core of  ITMAT is led by Ian Blair, Vice Chair of the Department, and housed adjacent to Departmental space.

There are almost 100 full-time students in the rapidly growing Graduate Group in Pharmacology, and distinct programs have been established in Pharmacogenetics, Cell Signaling, Cancer Pharmacology, Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Neuropharmacology, Pharmacological Chemistry and Environmental Health. There are approximately 70 postdoctoral fellows in the Department and its Centers.

This Department has a rich tradition of which its members are proud. There is a mutually supportive environment and sense of community which we enjoy. We constantly strive for the next level, as individuals and as a Department.

If you seek a vigorous, challenging, yet communal research environment, this Department is for you. We are unusual in combining the rigorous pursuit of excellence with a remarkable breadth of interest and ready accessibility to expertise in clinical translation. Welcome to our web site, the portal to our world.