Undergraduate Studies

Pharmacology and Toxicology Major
The fields of pharmacology and toxicology are by nature interdisciplinary biomedical sciences, drawing upon the foundations and approaches of cell biology, systems physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics. A primary objective of pharmacology is to investigate fundamental aspects of cellular and molecular regulatory mechanisms for the purpose of understanding how drugs act and in order to develop new drugs for treatment of disease. Toxicology examines how chemical agents produce adverse effects on the organism, and studies mechanisms by which these materials contribute to cancer, neurological diseases, metabolic disorders and many other diseases and conditions.  The B.S. degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology provides a strong foundation for graduate or professional studies in a variety of biomedical fields. Alternatively, students prepare for employment as research technicians, drug/toxicant specialists or pharmaceutical sales representatives.

For more information on the Pharmacology and Toxicology Major, please contact:

Jack Vanden Heuvel, PhD
Professor of Molecular Toxicology
Email: jpv2@psu.edu

or visit https://agsci.psu.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/pharmacology-and-toxicology