Handbook of the Pharmacology Training Program

Program Overview

Goals of the Training Program

Training in Pharmacological Sciences at Vanderbilt University pursues several inter-related goals. At the scientific level, we seek to provide a didactic curriculum that assures that each student has an understanding of the core knowledge in pharmacology, including the molecular, cellular, and integrated understanding of drug action, receptor theory, pathways of drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and rational drug design.

Additional Goals of the Training Program
- show, by example, how to construct a rational hypothesis;
- know how to apply the scientific method to test a hypothesis;
- provide a basic understanding of a broad range of techniques;
- provide more in-depth training in those techniques that are particularly germane to a chosen research area of each student;
- communicate effectively research findings to the scientific community, and
- instill a scientific ethic and respect for the pursuit of knowledge.
Other aspirations of the Pharmacological Sciences Training Program are:
- to foster the ability of students to learn how to learn on their own for the rest of their lives, a skill critical for continued excellence in scientific inquiry,
- to free students from the fear of failure
Each of these latter goals is essential for sustained contributions and leadership in any career, and particularly in biomedical research.

Note: Students receiving Vanderbilt University financial support (stipend) must devote full-time to graduate study to the exclusion of other employment. Students cannot accept jobs for pay within or outside the University unless prior approval is given by their advisor, Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate Dean. Engagement in outside employment or failure to obtain approval for University employment may result in loss of financial aid (stipend).

Framework

First Year
The Pharmacology Training Program participates in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences (IGP) and the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program (QCB).
- Students in the IGP program spend the first year in an interdisciplinary core course that blends insights in current topics on bioregulation with fundamental principles governing cell structure and regulation of biological processes. This course also provides exposure to the basic principles underlying modern laboratory techniques.
- During the IGP year, students take four flexible research rotations to familiarize themselves with the science, personality, and working environment in the laboratories of potential research advisors.
- Elective coursework is available in the spring semester.
- Students in the QCB program typically have earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering, or mathematics, and in their first year participate in coursework in one of four areas of interest, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, Systems Biology, and Imaging Science.
- In April of the first year, students select an advisor and a graduate program such as Pharmacological Sciences and begin focused laboratory research during the first summer.
Second Year through Graduation
- For those students who select the Pharmacological Sciences, additional coursework is focused on the core knowledge in pharmacology, including the molecular, cellular, and integrated understanding of drug action, receptor theory, pathways of drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and rational drug design. All courses are taught by faculty.
- Laboratory research continues nearly full-time during the second year of coursework and comprises the student’s entire efforts in subsequent years of study.
- Students are encouraged from the outset to understand science as a question-asking process and to acquire skills in posing questions, selecting and designing appropriate experimental strategies, and outlining possible outcomes and interpretations. This conceptual framework is the basis of didactic course work, experimental design, journal club presentations, and in scientific presentations at the annual fall departmental retreat, student-invited spring Pharmacology Forum, and national meetings.

How to Apply

Individuals pursuing a PhD in the basic biomedical or biological science departments, including Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, join these departments following completion of their first year through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences (IGP) or the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program (QCB).

Potential Pharmacology students may access the Graduate School’s website where they will gain important and relevant general information. This website also gives information about how to apply.

For information on the IGP program itself or the application process, please visit the Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) website.

Please note: At Vanderbilt, we have a long tradition of free expression, which is one of our core principles. We believe in bringing together people of differing viewpoints for a common purpose. Learn more about how we practice free expression at Vanderbilt and read Vanderbilt’s Freedom of Expression policy in the Student Handbook.

Overview of Coursework

Most students enter our program through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences (IGP), the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program (QCB), or the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). Vanderbilt University’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences organizes first-year training of most graduate students who are interested in basic biological and biomedical research. Subsequently, interested students apply to the Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences. IGP and QCB students are admitted to Vanderbilt University uncommitted to a specific department or Ph.D. program and take a two-semester course. During the first year of study, students also engage in rotations in four laboratories chosen by the student. Students who know or expect that they will apply to the Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences should conduct laboratory rotations in approved pharmacology laboratories. At the end of two semesters of coursework and laboratory rotations, IGP and QCB students declare their intent to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmacology and choose the laboratory in which they will conduct their dissertation research. Students enter their selected laboratory the summer after their first year of study.

The coursework is designed to impart to students a common framework of basic principles in Pharmacology and related disciplines. This framework is supplemented by exercises that allow students to use and integrate basic principles. All coursework is taught by faculty. An overview of the Program, including the IGP or QCB year, is presented below.

The Ph.D. in Pharmacology requires 72 total credit hours with a minimum of 24 hours of formal, didactic coursework toward the Ph.D. degree (including the 16 hours in the first year IGP, QCB or MSTP).

Note: A grade below B(-) in the required Pharmacology courses is considered a failing grade.

Year	Fall	Spring	Summer
1-IGP	See IGP curriculum Visit with Departments Rotations	See IGP curriculum Rotations At least one Elective Course	Students enter the Pharmacology Program and start their thesis research.
1-QCB	Coursework for the Ph.D. degree is selected based on the student’s undergraduate training and the primary research track that the student is interested in. Laboratory Rotations.
2	Fundamentals of Pharmacology and Drug Discovery (PHAR 8320; 6 hrs). Scientific Communication Skills, Part I, Oral (PHAR 8322; 2 hrs). Attendance at Journal Clubs (PHAR 8310) (see Note 1) Attendance at seminars & WIPs (PHAR 8311) (see Note 2) Attendance at thesis defenses Present at Department Retreat Ph.D. Research	Scientific Communication Skills, Part II, Written (PHAR 8323; 2 hrs) Experimental design, statistical methodology, and responsible conduct (PHAR 8328; 2 hrs) Journal Club attendance (PHAR 8310) (see Note 1) Seminar attendance & WIPs (PHAR 8311) (see Note 2) Attendance at thesis defenses Electives – no minimum program requirements Attendance at Student-Invited Forum Ph.D. Research	Qualifying Examination Ph.D. Research
3-6	Ph.D. Research Meetings with the Dissertation Committee are held at six-month intervals or more frequently if needed. Continued departmental requirements: Annual presentation at Department Retreat JC presentation in the first spring semester and second fall semester 3-MT presentation in the second spring semester 20-minute WIP presentation in the third academic year One-hour WIP presentation in the fourth academic year Involvement in annual Student-Invited Forum Weekly attendance at JCs (PHAR 8310; see Note 1) and WIPs (part of PHAR 8311; see Note 2) Attendance at 12 seminars per term, of which at least six must be in the Pharmacology Department (part of PHAR8 311; see Note 2) Attendance at dissertation defenses
5	Four years after graduate students have taken an RCR course, the course has to be retaken (e.g. IGP 8004 or another RCR course of their choice)

Note 1: Students in the Pharmacology program within the first to the third year are required to attend all Journal Clubs. They will be granted two Journal Club absences per term if the course director is informed in advance. Students in the Pharmacology program beyond the third year are encouraged to attend Journal Clubs to support the younger students. Anchorlink is used to track mandatory attendance.

Note 2: Students in the Pharmacology program within the first to the fourth year are required to attend 12 seminars/term. Included in these 12 seminars are all mandatory endowed lectures and at least six seminars in Pharmacology (these include the endowed lectures which are mandatory). The remaining six seminars can be in any basic research program covering any topic that is relevant to a student’s project or is of interest to the student. To ensure that all requirements are met, students will submit the list of attended outside seminars to the DGS and the program manager at the end of each semester. Students in the Pharmacology program within the first to the fourth year are required to attend all Works-in-Progress (WIP) presentations.

Beyond the fourth year, students in the Pharmacology program must attend endowed lectures and thesis defenses. Beyond that, we hope that students will take advantage of all the offerings at Vanderbilt, but the program will not keep track of attendance at regular seminars. Anchorlink is used to track attendance at Pharmacology events.

Required Coursework

Pharmacology PHAR-GS 8320. Fundamentals of Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

This course is divided into three five-week modules. The first focuses on the pathophysiology and current pharmacology of representative disease indications to highlight key concepts in pharmacologic approaches to disease treatment. The second focuses on fundamental aspects of pharmacological targets: receptor theory, enzyme kinetics, and cell signaling pathways. The third focuses on fundamental aspects of in vivo pharmacology and drug discovery. These include quantitative modeling of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, as well as target selection and validation, identification of early drug leads, optimization of those leads into compounds suitable for clinical development, transitioning from discovery to the early clinical development phase, and medical and marketing considerations that impact progress of a drug discovery program. The course will be taught by a team of faculty members with considerable real-world experience applying these concepts to drug discovery. In addition to guided readings and lectures, students will participate in active learning exercises designed to enhance students’ understanding of recent developments and the application of fundamental concepts. FALL. Davies, Niswender, Konradi. [2 per module for a total of 6].
PHAR-GS 8322. Scientific Communications I

This interactive course gives students experience in preparing and delivering scientific presentations that effectively communicate scientific research. In the course, students will prepare and present a 10-minute journal club, a 10-minute specific aims talk for the Pharmacology Retreat, and a 15-minute presentation of their scientific research for a lay audience. Following the course, the student will also be required to present a 30-min Journal Club to the Pharmacology Department during the spring semester. As preparation for their retreat talk, students will also write a draft Specific Aims page and a 2-page Background and Significance section that will be further developed into a full fellowship proposal during the Spring Scientific Communication II course. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Pharmacology Ph.D. program or consent of course directors. FALL. Davies, Schneider. [2]
PHAR-GS 8323. Scientific Communication Skills II

This course will leverage the writing assignments of the fall Scientific Communications course (8322) to accelerate the preparation of a draft NRSA fellowship (or equivalent such as AHA) application. During the fall course, a draft Specific Aims page is written and critiqued. In this spring course, students will write the next two sections of their application and have it peer-reviewed. These writing assignments are intended to be self-guided with significant support by the student’s mentor. The applications will subsequently be submitted for funding to the proper agency. Pre-requisite: Completion of PHAR-GS 8322 and Enrollment in the Ph.D. program. SPRING. Davies and faculty. [2]
PHAR-GS 8328. Experimental Design, Statistical Methodology, and Responsible Conduct

This course provides the fundamentals necessary to conceptualize all components that lead to responsible research approaches, including methodical experimental design, analytical assessment of relevant literature, and proper interpretation of data. Students learn how to design experiments with rigorous and reproducible results and how to appropriately develop experimental models. Topics include research integrity, bias, scientific transparency, data- and material sharing, proper record maintenance, accurate data presentation, and statistical analysis. The course covers RCR and R&R. SPRING. Konradi. [2]
PHAR-GS 8310. Pharmacology Journal Club

Students in the Pharmacology program within the first to the third year are required to attend all Journal Clubs. They will be granted two Journal Club absences per semester, if the course director is informed in advance.
Students in the Pharmacology program beyond the third year are encouraged to attend Journal Clubs to support the younger students. Anchorlink is used to track mandatory attendance. FALL, SPRING. Konradi. [0]
PHAR-GS 8311. Pharmacology Seminars

Students in the Pharmacology program within the first to the fourth year are required to attend 12 seminars/semester. Included in these 12 seminars are all endowed lectures (which are mandatory) and at least six seminars in Pharmacology (these may include the endowed lectures). The remaining six seminars can be in any basic research program about any topic that is relevant to a student’s project or of interest to the student. To ensure that all requirements are met, students will submit the list of outside seminars attended to the DGS and the program manager at the end of each semester.
Students in the Pharmacology program beyond the fourth year are required to attend endowed lectures and thesis defenses. Beyond that, we hope that students will take advantage of all the offerings at Vanderbilt, but the program will not keep track of attendance at regular seminars. Anchorlink is used to track mandatory attendance. FALL, SPRING. Konradi. [0]

Note: A grade below B(-) in the required Pharmacology courses is considered a failing grade.

Examples of Elective Coursework

The program does not require any hours of electives, although students are encouraged to take advantage of the educational opportunities on campus. Any student who wants to take an elective on any topic related to their area of thesis research, such as Cancer Biology, Diabetes, Cardiology, Ion channel pharmacology, pharmacogenetics/-genomics, neuropharmacology, or any other course that is offered by any program at Vanderbilt University, should talk to the program DGS to get support signing up for their course of choice. Below is one elective course offered by the Pharmacology Program for students interested in neuropharmacology, though that is just one area of interest of our students and faculty. This course is open to all graduate students on campus. An overview of other courses offered at Vanderbilt can be found in the Graduate School Catalog linked from the University Registrar's website.

PHAR-GS 8338. Principles of Pharmacology in Neurobiological Research

Most biological research depends on principles of pharmacology. Neuroscience is no exception. This course will focus on the application of fundamental principles in pharmacology for understanding the brain and behavior in rodents, as well as how this relates to observations in humans. In the first part of the course, we will discuss traditional and modern tools used to answer precise questions about the neural control of behavior, while in the second part of the course we will examine the challenges of applying pharmacological principles to the multi-dimensional features of mental disorders. The course will incorporate a historical and modern perspective, highlighting neuroscience’s roots in pharmacology and the future of applied neuropharmacology. Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Neuroscience I (NURO 8345) is strongly encouraged. Exceptions will be determined on a case-by-case basis. SPRING. [3] Konradi.

Note: Graduate students in the Pharmacology Program receiving Vanderbilt University financial support (stipend) must devote full-time effort to graduate study. Students cannot accept jobs for pay within or outside the University unless prior approval is given by their advisor, their Director of Graduate Studies, and the Dean for the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training. Exceptions to this rule include part-time internships and activities that contribute to career development and that do not exceed the time commitment outlined by the National Institutes of Health, and occasional and temporary part-time pursuits (e.g. house sitting). Engagement in outside employment without obtaining approval may result in loss of financial aid, including stipends.

Qualifying Examination and Exam Committee

Information about Paperwork

The Office of the University Registrar has implemented Kuali, an online workflow product to assist with various processes on campus. All workflow has to be entered by the student through their individual Vanderbilt student account. Neither the Program Manager, nor the DGS, has access to these student accounts and therefore cannot submit these documents. Detailed information is found in the Doctoral Access User Guide. The following requests are examples of what has to go through the student’s account, but be aware that new workflow is added on a continuous basis:

Appoint or Modify the Ph.D. Committee
Schedule or Modify the Qualifying Exam – Note: The Graduate School must be notified at least two weeks in advance.
Schedule or Modify the Dissertation Defense – Note: The Graduate School must be notified at least two weeks in advance.
Extend Deadline for Qualifying Exam – Note: The Graduate School must be notified at least two weeks in advance.
Extend Candidacy

Qualifying Examination (QE) for Admission to Candidacy

The admission to candidacy for a Ph.D. in the Pharmacological Sciences requires successful completion of the required course work (no grade below B- in the required course work), at least 24 hours of formal, didactic coursework, and passing of the Qualifying Examination (QE). The goal of the QE is to assess the student’s ability to think critically, solve problems, interrogate novel questions in pharmacology, and challenge conventional wisdom whenever warranted or possible. Students should be able to formulate questions and solve problems in their research area using their general foundational knowledge of pharmacology gained in their course work. Emphasis is placed on principles of molecular pharmacology and how they may be applied to the student’s area of research.

General Overview of the Qualifying Examination

The QE has a written section followed by an oral exam. Initially, the student writes a grant proposal about their thesis research (see details below). This will ensure that the student is familiar with relevant literature, gains experience with scientific writing, and can formulate testable hypotheses based on foundational work in their field. Grant-writing requires that the student is able to design experiments with necessary controls, is familiar with principles and limitations of methods, has the ability to interpret data that may – or may not – align with their hypothesis, and is able to clearly explain their reasoning. Ideally, this document forms the foundation for a proposal that will be submitted to the NIH or another comparable funding entity. The subsequent oral exam of the QE should evaluate the student’s ability to think scientifically and apply fundamentals of pharmacology to research questions relevant to their proposal and the broader scientific field. While it requires a solid knowledge of pharmacology, it is not a didactic exam, nor a critique of the proposed research. The proposal indicates to the examiners the area that the student should be tested in and serves as a springboard for probing the thoughtfulness and scientific aptitude of the candidate. It examines how pharmacological principles play into the proposal and how these principles can be applied to address questions that might come up to further evaluate prospective data and adjust hypotheses. As always, if you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the DGS.

Preparation for the Qualifying Examination

In preparation for the exam, the student is expected to...

select potential members for their committee (in consultation with their research advisor; more on that below)
get approval of the potential committee from the DGS
ask the potential members of the committee if they are able to serve
ask one of the Pharmacology committee members to serve as the chair and inform the DGS and the Program Manager about the choice
fill out the “Appoint or Modify the Ph.D. Committee” form in Kuali
send out a poll to find a date for the exam and inform the Program Manager and the DGS about the date
work with the Program Manager to reserve a room for the exam. The scheduled date, time, and room have to be submitted by the student via Kuali. The Registrar’s office has a detailed manual how to use the system
submit the grant proposal (“Written Proposal”, see below) to the committee at least four weeks before the exam
meet with each committee member before the examination
practice for the QE with peers

The Program manager has to be informed in advance of the committee composition and of the chosen date for the QE to send out required paperwork to the chair. The student must submit committees and changes to committees via Kuali to the Graduate School at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.

The Qualifying Exam (QE) Committee

All committees must be approved by the DGS. Students are encouraged to select examiners who will likely participate in their future Ph.D. thesis committee. This can include reviewers for the document developed in Scientific Communications II. The student’s research advisor cannot be on the QE committee and will not be present at the examination. Because the Graduate School considers a student’s QE committee identical to their Ph.D. thesis committee, Graduate School rules for thesis committees must be followed (see next), with the exception that the mentor will be part of the thesis committee but not of the QE committee.

Graduate School rules for Ph.D. thesis committees

Committees consist of not fewer than four members of the Graduate Faculty who possess a terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D.). Three of the members must be Graduate Faculty from the Vanderbilt Department of Pharmacology and one must be from outside the program. The outside member may be anyone who does not have an appointment in the Vanderbilt Department of Pharmacology (primary or secondary), may be internal or external to Vanderbilt University, and from any appropriate academic field. Faculty members from outside universities may be appointed to serve on a Ph.D. committee. This requires a short letter of justification explaining the expertise this person brings to the student’s committee along with a copy of the faculty member’s curriculum vitae.

The Written Proposal for the Qualifying Examination

All members of the committee receive the written proposal from the student at least two weeks before the exam. The written proposal is based on the document developed during the course “Scientific Communications II”, with careful incorporation and refinement through feedback and exercises provided throughout the course. The written proposal is formatted either as an NIH grant submission (F31 for PhD, F30 for MSTP students) – or a format such as NSF, AHA or other foundations. Formats to accommodate international students and individuals who are not eligible for research grants should include a specific aims page and 5-6 pages of approach section with literature citations in an addendum. Prior approval for non-NIH formats must be justified and obtained from the DGS and the course director of Scientific Communications II. An NIH-style document should contain a specific aims page, the full proposal and citations to support the student’s proposed research. Other sections, such as mentoring plans, resources, environment, etc. are not required and will not be reviewed or considered for the examination. The proposal will be judged on the appropriateness and timeliness of the topic, organization, clarity, and interpretation of previous work in the field that forms the foundation of these ideas. Strong proposals will have feasible aims with the potential to advance the chosen field and contain insightful background and rationale, ample justification for the specific aims, and detailed experimental strategies.
Upon receipt of the document, QE committee members will review the document as soon as possible – within the first week – and decide if the document is of sufficient quality to proceed. If the document is acceptable the QE will proceed as scheduled. If the committee deems it not satisfactory they will inform the student which modifications are needed. Modifications will focus on logic, reasoning, and foundational literature and will not be about the field or specific experimental approaches (unless those experiments do not have appropriate controls or logic). The student will have two weeks to make the changes and will send the document back to the committee for approval. Once approved the exam can be rescheduled, either for the initial date or a later date, if necessary. The student must submit changes to the schedule via Kuali to the Graduate School at least two weeks before the meeting. As with all meetings, the Program manager has to be informed by the student of all dates and all changes to dates.

The Oral Part of the Qualifying Examination

The oral exam should be scheduled for late May or early June after successful completion of the second year of coursework. The exam begins with a ~5 min presentation by the student based on the significance, background and rationale of the written component. Students should also touch on the approach, but not go into minute detail. This is intended to build confidence and relieve nervousness. The student will be allowed to finish the presentation without interruptions. After the presentation, questioning will begin. The student will be examined on the application of pharmacological principles to their scientific area of interest. While the student requires a solid knowledge of pharmacology, the exam is not a didactic exam, nor a critique of the proposed research. The proposal indicates to the examiners the area that the student should be tested in and serves as a springboard for probing the thoughtfulness and scientific aptitude of the candidate. The committee examines how pharmacological principles play into the proposal and how these principles can be applied to evaluate prospective results, adjust hypotheses, and use pharmacological approaches to test further hypotheses. The questioning aims to probe the student’s ability to appropriately develop and test hypotheses as well as accurately interpret data. General knowledge of pharmacology, cell signaling, molecular biology, and statistics is needed to address these questions.
The total time for the oral exam will be approximately 90 minutes, but a 2-hour time period should be allotted to allow for committee discussions before and after the exam.

Potential Outcomes of the Qualifying Examination

At the end of each exam, the faculty will fill out a redcap form assessing student performance in key areas and decide if the student passed. The Chair of the exam committee will write a letter summarizing the view of the committee and send this to the student as well as the Program Manager for the Pharmacology Graduate Program.

The exam has three possible outcomes:

Pass. This is self-explanatory. No further action is required of the student and they advance to candidacy.

Conditional pass. If a student has overall strengths, but shows a significant weakness in one specific area, the committee may decide to give a conditional pass, with the stipulation that the student shows improvement in the area of weakness. This may require a written report, a 30-minute exam limited to the area of weakness, or both. The report or the limited exam should take place within one month of the initial exam. The committee letter should state the expectations in detail, and in-person meetings of the student with committee members within a couple of days after the initial exam should provide further clarification.

Fail. This is self-explanatory.

Note: Students may log into their personal RedCap account to download the committee letter and the committee evaluation logged in the SACS form.

Even the Best Student Can Have a Bad Day…

A student who fails the QE will have one more opportunity to take the exam. In most cases, the student is expected to retake the QE within 4 weeks. However, the DGS will confer with the examination committee, the oversight committee (if necessary), and the student, and allow for more time, if needed. A written set of comments outlining areas of deficiencies must be given to the student and the retake exam does not need to cover areas where the student already showed competence. All faculty in the Pharmacology Program are committed to individually mentoring the student to rectify any deficiencies. Per Graduate School rules, a student is allowed only two opportunities to pass the qualifying examination, though in the past 15 years, all students in the program who failed on the first try passed on the second try. Should a student fail twice, the DGS of the Pharmacology Program will help to examine other options that may be available.

Thesis Committee and Thesis Committee Meetings

Assembling the Thesis Committee

After passing the QE, the student needs to set up their thesis committee. Details about Graduate School rules for thesis committees are found above. Thesis committees might have the same members as their Qualifying Exam Committee, with the addition of their mentor, or they can be assembled from a different group of faculty. In all cases the mentor is part of the thesis committee and Graduate School rules must be followed (see also the Graduate School Catalog found at the University Registrar's website). The mentor cannot be chair of the committee. All committees must be approved by the DGS. Students must file the form "Appoint or Modify the Ph.D. Committee" via Kuali, as detailed in the Doctoral Access User Guide.

In setting up the thesis committee, the student needs to...

select potential members for their committee (in consultation with their research advisor; these can overlap or be the same as the QE committee)
get the approval of the potential committee members from the DGS
ask the potential members of the committee if they are able to serve
ask one of the Pharmacology committee members to serve as the chair (this cannot be the mentor) and inform the DGS about the choice
upon approval of the committee, send out a poll to find a date for the first meeting
work with the program manager to submit all necessary paperwork to the Graduate School.

First Committee Meeting

The first committee meeting should be between 3 and 6 months of passing the QE. The time frame is provided to the student by their Qualifying Exam committee and the student is in charge of polling their committee for a date and time for a 2-hour meeting. The program manager needs to be informed about data and time to set up SACS forms for the committee chair and help to schedule a room.

The student will present their specific aims and research approach (an updated version of the NRSA/grant proposal) and have the committee approve them as the basis of the dissertation work. The student will present their overall research plan, experimental approach, and preliminary data collected to date. The updated NRSA/grant proposal has to be e-mailed to the committee no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled meeting, and slides used for the student’s presentation should be submitted 24 hours before the meeting. This first Committee Meeting is intended as an in-depth discussion of the student’s research project, preliminary data, and potential early adjustments to the project, and should be scheduled for a 2-hour duration.

Note: Students may log into their personal RedCap account to download the committee letter and the committee evaluation logged via the SACS form.

Subsequent Committee Meetings

Thesis committee meetings are scheduled by the student and can be no more than 6 months apart, but sooner if either the committee or the student requires. Meetings last for 2 hours. Students are asked to find a date for their next committee meeting within one month after the last committee meeting, and inform the program manager as soon as they have a date and time. The program manager will have to set up SACS forms for the committee chair and will help to schedule a room.

A progress report has to be submitted to the members of the thesis committee no later than 2 weeks before each meeting. Slides used for the student’s presentation should also be submitted 24 hours before the meeting. While the format for the progress report is open and will change as the student progresses, it might contain the following:

short overview of the project (each time)
potential modifications of the research plan
short summary of data shown at previous committee meeting(s)
progress since last meeting
- new data
- presentations at meetings attended
- honors and awards received
- manuscripts in preparation or submitted
- papers published
contributions to the community
- committee assignments
- teaching
- outreach
Plans for the next months

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate, students need to fulfill a number of requirements set by the Graduate School and the Pharmacology program. Among those requirements are:

72 tuition hours, 24 of which are approved courses taken for credit other than thesis and dissertation research courses. This must include the core courses in Pharmacology
Admission to candidacy, i.e. passing the qualifying examination
A dissertation that demonstrates that the candidate has technical competence in pharmacology and has done research of an independent character. The subject of the dissertation must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser and Ph.D. committee. Note: The dissertation must be completed within four years after a student has been admitted to candidacy for the degree
Mastery of the field of pharmacology
Multiple publications with at least one publication related to the dissertation subject on which the candidate is first (main) author.
Successful defense of the dissertation
The mentor must have submitted all grades for all semesters

The average time to degree in the Pharmacology Program is currently 5.2 years.

Professional Development Requirements

Throughout graduate training, students are expected to engage in scholarly activities, such as studying the scientific literature with the goal of integrating this new information into their own research questions, and attending lectures, journal clubs, and scientific meetings in order to keep abreast of the most recent scientific achievements. Meeting these and other expectations will foster a student’s professional development, establishing a scientific life-style of learning that will persist throughout the professional career.

Department of Pharmacology Seminar Series

Learn More
Works in Progress Research Seminars

Senior students (year 3 and year 4 in the Pharmacology program) present their research accomplishments in Works in Progress seminars. Students in year 3 in the program give a 20-minute Works-in-Progress seminar, and in year 4 a one-hour seminar. This provides an opportunity for these individuals to have their data and presentation examined by a critical audience composed of faculty, fellows, and students in the department. It furthermore allows students and fellows to polish presentations targeted to potential postdoctoral mentors and employers. Post-doctoral fellows are encouraged to present as well.
Graduate Student Journal Club

After completion of Scientific Communication Skills (PHAR 8322), the graduate students in the Pharmacological Sciences Training Program participate as speakers in an ongoing Journal Club series. Students select a paper which is submitted to the faculty in charge of the Journal Clubs in advance for approval, and once approved forwarded to the program manager for distribution.
Students will work with their advisor to choose a recent (published within last 18 months) and seminal (major impact on field) paper with general relevance either to pharmacology or to the student’s proposed thesis work. The paper’s authors cannot be from Vanderbilt and the findings must be of significant general interest to members of the Vanderbilt Pharmacology community. The final paper must be approved by the Journal Club faculty advisor (currently Christine Konradi) and the instructors for Scientific Communications (Sean Davies and Claus Schneider).
3-Minute Talks

Students in year 2 in the program give a 3-minute talk. Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD students. The exercise cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
Rules
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description are allowed.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (eg. no poems, raps, or songs).
Thesis Defenses

Students are required to attend all department thesis defense presentations.
Joel G. Hardman Student-Invited Pharmacology Forum

Learn More
Vanderbilt-Meharry Annual Pharmacology Retreat

Learn More
GPCR - Invited Postdoctoral Seminar Series

Learn More
Pharmacology Department Endowed Lectures

Learn More

Lee Limbird Dissertation Enhancement Award

Established in 2005 by private donation, this fund has been used by students for dissertation expenses and travel expenses and for special training opportunities.

Photo Credit: Valentina Cigliola (Headline)