Pre-requisite: BSc with a major in Pharmacology. BMedSc with 18UOC at Level III in Pharmacology. Credit or greater (>=65) weighted average mean (WAM) for BSc or BMedSc degree or a WAM of between 60 and 64 an average of >=65 for all Level III courses.

This is a one-year course where students commence in session 1 and end in session 2 of the same year (24UOC per session). The main aim of the course is to introduce undergraduate students to medical research. Students gain laboratory experience by undertaking a research project which is proposed and supervised by either a staff member of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology or by a researcher within an affiliated research institution or hospital department. Research projects in Pharmacology focus on a variety of topic and range from the role of peptides in the nervous and gastrointestinal systems and adrenergic receptors in cardiac tissue, drug therapies for arthritis and the mechanisms of paracetemol and related phenolic compounds, biological markers of aging and Nitric Acid Dihydrate (NAD) and its role in neurodegenerative disease to DNA intercalating and alkylating agents. Projects can include techniques such as isolated organ pharmacology, radioligand binding, autoradiography, confocal immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, cell culturing, NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing methods. Students considering Honours are advised to check the SOMS website "Future Students" Honours pages for the full list of Pharmacology projects which are currently available. Assessment consists of a written literature review assignment and introductory seminar at the end of session 1 and a final seminar, written project manuscript and student interview at the end of session 2. Attendance at the SOMS Research Techniques Seminar series (in session 1 only) is compulsory, as is attendance at the Research Seminars (in session 1 & 2) of either a SOMS department or an affiliated research institution (if studying off campus). For more information regarding the course structure and assessment details, please visit the SOMS website "Current Students" Honours pages.