Creighton Pharmacology Faculty Train Next Generation of Translational Biologists

Four Creighton Pharmacologists from the School of Medicine will play an important role in a new training program that is directed at determining the relevance of molecular and biochemical research findings. The NIH-funded training program will partner pharmacologists from the University of Nebraska and Creighton University to train scientists from around the country in specific research techniques.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have realized that there is a growing need for functional analysis of biological systems to integrate information from the most basic molecular and cellular systems to the whole organism and to relate such studies to the human condition. “The human genome project, along with an explosion of cellular and molecular methods has created a plethora of research findings that need to be tested in intact tissues and organisms” said Dr. Peter Abel, a Creighton Professor of Pharmacology. Unfortunately, most biomedical scientists emerging from training programs in the United States do not have the ability to work with intact tissues or whole animal models.

To address these needs, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has awarded four grants to support workshops for training in integrative and organ systems pharmacology. The courses are intended to provide training opportunities for scientists from academia as well as industry and government. According to Creighton Pharmacologist Dr. Charles Bockman, “In addition to providing much needed training for translational research, we anticipate forming long-lasting collaborative relationships with trainees to enhance our research mission here at Creighton.”

The Integrative and Organ Systems Pharmacology Short Course will be held in Omaha, NE June 6-17, 2005. The course consists of a 2-week intensive experience for 24 scientists followed by an optional internship. The course will focus on the cardiovascular system and neuropharmacology. It includes lectures, demonstrations, and an abundance of laboratory exercises designed to give the participants significant hands-on experience with the effect of drugs on organ systems and on intact conscious animal models. The participants from Creighton University School of Medicine include Dr. Peter Abel, Dr. Charles Bockman, Dr. Frank Dowd and Dr. William Jeffries, all from the Department of Pharmacology.

Relevant Websites:
http://nigms.nih.gov/funding/iosp.html
http://app1.unmc.edu/iosp/index.cfm