Graduate Students

Graduate students in the Department of Pharmacology enter through the UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. All students (except those in the Medical Scientist Training Program) take a core curriculum the first year and perform laboratory rotations. They then select a laboratory in which to carry out their doctoral research. Any faculty member in the Department who has an appointment in the Graduate School can serve as a training mentor.

Graduate students are free to join any of the 10 graduate programs, regardless of laboratory mentor. Qualifying exams are taken in the second year, after which students advance to candidacy. Students generally work in labs for an additional two to four years before receiving their Ph.D. See Resources for Graduate Students at UT Southwestern for more information about graduate student training at UT Southwestern.

Graduate training in the Pharmacological Sciences may be integrated with any of the graduate programs. The curriculum includes high-level, specialized courses and a journal club. The Department of Pharmacology has been the recipient of a predoctoral training grant in Pharmacological Sciences from the National Institute of General Medical Services (National Institutes of Health) for more than three decades.

The Alfred Gilman Memorial Student Award for Excellence in Research is awarded every year by the Department of Pharmacology to honor the scientific achievements of a senior student in the Department. The award comes with a monetary prize and a name placard that is displayed outside the Department of Pharmacology's office.

Postdoctoral Scholars

The Department of Pharmacology is currently home to around 50 postdoctoral scholars. Please check below for postdoctoral positions currently available. See Postdoctoral Training Opportunities for more information about postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern.