Effective May 2, the University of Florida College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacodynamics has been renamed as the Department of Cellular and Systems Pharmacology. The new name better reflects the department’s research scope and strengthens its efforts to recruit graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
“The updated name aligns with modern trends in pharmacology and highlights the department’s focus on drug discovery and cellular mechanisms,” said Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean and professor in the UF College of Pharmacy. “It will enhance the department’s visibility and strengthen its connection with prospective students, faculty and collaborators.”
Department and college leaders began exploring the name change several years ago. The proposal, supported by department faculty, Dean Peter W. Swaan, UF Senior Vice President for Health Affairs David Nelson, M.D., and the Office of the Provost, received final approval from the Faculty Senate and the UF Board of Trustees in March.
In selecting a new name, department leaders aimed to reflect a growing emphasis on research that bridges molecular mechanisms with physiological systems — critical in both drug discovery and its translation toward development.
“Our department faculty work at the intersection of pharmacology, physiology and neuroscience,” said Charles J. Frazier, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Cellular and Systems Pharmacology. “We advance the drug discovery mission of the college by revealing how detailed cellular-level mechanisms are connected to systems-level physiology and behavior, in both health and disease.
The department has welcomed seven new tenure-track and research faculty in the past year. The Department of Cellular and Systems Pharmacology’s website can now be found at http://csp.pharmacy.ufl.edu/