The Program Through the Years

From the early 1980s up to the graduate program’s commencement, our department primarily worked with the Biomedical Sciences PhD. program and housed only a few fulltime faculty volunteer adjuncts.

The graduate program began its educational and research missions for students to attain their Master of Science in Pharmacology & Toxicology with the Research-based (thesis) program of study in 2001. This program of study continues to this today, allowing students to write and defend a pharmacological or toxicological thesis related to a personal research project, while completing 27 credit hours of core curriculum and 3 credit hours of electives. Students are able to choose between traditional laboratory-centered research or clinical and translational research for their project.

In 2009, the non-thesis program of study was created to continue student growth in the department. Around this time, the program had expanded to twenty incoming students.

In 2012, the first graduate level certification was approved. The CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) graduate certificate continues strongly to this day. Our CBRN students come from a variety of fields, including: medical, military, government, education, and private sector research companies.

The non-thesis track was re-branded the Leadership/Administration program of study in 2014. The program of study was revised for students to be able to show scientific education as well as business and leadership training. The program requires 21 credit hours of core curriculum and 9 credit hours of electives. Around this time, new student intake increased from twenty to thirty students per academic year.

As need and interest began to grow in our program, in 2014 courses specific for leadership in the business and management worlds were created, and Six Sigma courses were incorporated into the curriculum using local industry professionals as our instructors.

In 2015, Clinical Investigation dual-degree program was established. This program allows medical students interested in pharmacological and toxicological research to attain their MS in conjunction with their MD. Each year, five students are selected to join to the concentration.

To continue growth and outreach in a world that continues to need more and more online availability, in 2018, the curriculum for the Leadership/Administration program of study was revamped to make available a one-year online option for students to attain their MS degree.

In partnership with the Naval Medical Research Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, our curriculum was utilized to create the Graduate General Toxicology Certificate for members of the Navy.

In 2020, the Clinical Trials Coordination concentration was approved. This program of study focuses on management, regulation, and implementation of clinical research studies for government funded and private-sector funded trials. Students complete 30 credit hours of core curriculum while also completing 40 hours of hands-on clinical experience.

Most recently, in 2021, the Clinical Trials Coordination graduate certificate was created, allowing students to complement their credentials with firsthand clinical practice. 

Throughout the years, our department has continued to grow in curriculum diversity and specialization, utilizing industry professionals as adjunct instructors. The graduate program continues to average between twenty-five to thirty-five new students each academic year, with a combined graduation rate of 92%. Currently, for the Fall 2021 semester, we had a record year for new student intake with 45 individuals joining our program! Our faculty currently operate three departmental cores (Proteomics Analysis Laboratory, Preclinical Pharmacology Core, and the Pharmacology Translational Unit), and are actively involved in numerous areas of pharmacological and toxicological research. Our departmental education committee and Vice Chair continue to expand our educational outreach. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently creating an MS concentration and graduate certificate program related to Healthcare & Homeland Security, which we hope to have available for Fall 2022.

Pharmacology Toxicology Department Chairs and Graduate Program Directors

Chairs

Mariana Morris, Ph.D.—1997 through 2013
Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, and Professor
Assistant Vice President for Graduate Studies, Wright State University

Norma Adragna-Lauf, Ph.D.—2013 through 2015
Interim Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, and Professor
Director of Cell Biophysics Division

Jeffrey B. Travers, M.D., PhD., FAAD—2015 to Present
Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, and Professor
Professor, Department of Dermatology
Principal Investigator, Pharmacology Translational Unit, Wright State Physicians

Graduate Program Directors

Robert Grubbs, Ph.D.—2001 through 2005
Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Director, Master of Science in Pharmacology & Toxicology Program

James Lucot, Ph.D.—2005 through 2008
Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Director, Master of Science in Pharmacology & Toxicology Program