Department of Pharmacology

On April 24, 2026, PharmaBlock’s 2026 Spring Drug Discovery Conference wrapped up successfully in Nanjing, China. The event brought together over 100 distinguished guests from the global drug discovery field, including top academic institutions, multinational pharmaceutical companies, innovative local biotechs, and AI-driven drug discovery startups. Industry leaders and R&D experts gathered in Na…

Congratulations to the newest confirmed Pharmacology Graduate Students: Sinead Claffey, Paul Lai, Linnea Meier, Chloe Renken, and Rachel Scissors. The School of Medicine celebrated our first-year BIMS students at the UVA Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS) Lab Coat Ceremony on April 17. This event marks the students’ transition to the next phase of their graduate careers […] The post Welc…

UVA’s Nikolay V. Dokholyan, PhD, and colleagues have developed a suite of artificial intelligence-powered tools, called YuelDesign, YuelPocket and YuelBond, that work together to transform how new drugs are created. The centerpiece, YuelDesign, uses a cutting-edge form of AI called diffusion models to design new drug molecules tailored to fit their protein targets exactly, even […] The post New A…

Congratulations to Mark Beenhakker on his receipt of the 2026 UVA All-University Teaching Award! This award program is designed to recognize outstanding teaching in all schools of the University. The All-University Teaching Award is given for excellence in undergraduate, graduate, or professional teaching. Please see more information on the All-University Teaching Award here. The post Dr. Mark Be…

Bland lab neuroscience graduate student Omina Nazarzoda received 3 years NIH F31 funding for her project titled: “Effects of early-life infection and immune signaling on neural development.” Congratulations Omina, we are very proud of you! The post Bland Lab Student Omina Nazarzoda Receives F31 Funding appeared first on Department of Pharmacology .

A new analysis of federal funding for RNA vaccine research highlights the vast potential of the technology not just for preventing infectious diseases but treating devastating conditions ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s. Researchers led by UVA Health’s Taison Bell, MD, MBA, surveyed RNA vaccine research funded by the National Institutes of Health using the agency’s […] The post Bayliss Lab Alum…

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Schappe on his appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research: “seeks to uncover the molecular logic and circuit architecture that allow sensory pathways to detect physiological danger and coordinate protective reflexes. For instance, breathing is one of our [……

Samantha DiGruccio, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is a physician‑scientist trained through the University of Virginia Medical Scientist Training Program and completed her internal medicine residency and endocrinology fellowship at Washington University/…

A group in University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology has identified a group of nerve cells in the brainstem – a region that controls vital automatic functions – that act as a stabilizing system for blood pressure. The new research suggests these cells help prevent fluctuations when the body shifts between everyday […] The post Abbott Lab and Collaborators Map Brain’s …

Kinga Pluta, a participant in this year’s Visiting Research Graduate Training Program (VRGTP), also known as BioLab, was selected to participate in the Poland Clinical Scholars Research Training Program at Harvard Medical School. This one-year certificate program is intended for clinician scientists and features practical training focused on healthcare research. Topics of workshops and lectures i…

Congratulations to the Guagliardo Lab on their recent publication in Endocrinology titled “Osmolarity Controls Oscillatory Calcium Signaling to Reduce Autonomous Aldosterone Production in Zona Glomerulosa Cells.” Primary aldosteronism is a major contributor to hypertensive cardiovascular and renal disease and is highly prevalent—affecting 5–10% of individuals with hypertension and up to 20% of th…

Dr. Martens has been elected to be a Fellow for the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Learn more about the fellows. The post Congratulations Jeffrey Martens! appeared first on Department of Pharmacology .