School of Pharmacy
Encyclopedia
The School of Pharmacy is a constituent college of the University of London
. It was founded by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
in 1842 as the College of the Pharmaceutical Society, and was granted a royal charter in 1952. In 1926 it became a school of the University of London
. It was later renamed The School of Pharmacy in 1949 when it became independent of the Pharmaceutical Society
and was incorporated into the University of London
.
Designed by Herbert Rowse, construction of the current building began in 1938 however, construction work was stopped on the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The building was not completed until 1960. To its alumni and colleagues in the profession it is known as "the Square", which refers to the fact that it was originally located in Bloomsbury Square
and now in Brunswick Square
.
The School is the only free standing institution in the United Kingdom that is dedicated to teaching and research in pharmacy
and the pharmaceutical sciences
. The only undergraduate degree
it offers is the four year MPharm, Master of Pharmacy
. It also offers a number of Masters Degree programmes, in subjects including Drug Discovery
, Drug Delivery
, Pharmacognosy
and Pharmacy Practice
. The School of Pharmacy also offers PhD
research degrees. The school offered BSc degrees in Toxicology
and Pharmacology
until 2001.
It was decided on 13th May 2011, after a consultation and development process, that the School of Pharmacy, University of London would merge with University College London
(UCL). The merger process is expected to be finalised by January 2012.
Departmental staff help teach the undergraduate MPharm degree in the areas of drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacognosy/medicinal plants, and an MSc in Pharmacognosy is to be offered for the first time this year.
The research focuses on the nervous system, and a wide range of approaches are used to study normal brain function and the causes of many neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Their research in Materials Science and Processing is centred on the fundamental properties of materials and their adaptation to optimise processing and enhance drug delivery. They have many joint ventures, such as in the Centre for Paediatric Pharmacy Research, a joint venture with Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, and in the Clinical Pharmaceutics with University College Hospitals and Camden and Islington's NHS Trust.
The Microbiology Research Group is also well-established, with work focusing mainly in overcoming antibiotic resistance and obtaining new actives from natural sources. The Group has been particularly successful in investigating new approaches to the treatment of the ‘superbug’ MRSA.
They are a diverse group of pharmacists and social science researchers who have developed a wide network of associations with other academic disciplines, including anthropology, economics, mathematical modelling, and psychology. Their academic collaborators include University College London, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, the Institute of Education and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They also have strong links with several major London hospitals including Guy's and St Thomas’s, University College Hospitals, Hammersmith, Barts and the London, and Great Ormond Street.
Practice and Policy staff are involved in curricular development and teaching across all four years of the MPharm course, and the School has one of the largest postgraduate programmes in Europe. Its student body includes hospital pharmacists studying for a range of Certificate, Diploma and MSc qualifications.
Biomolecular Structure Group; Cancer Research UK Gene Targeted Design Research Group; Molecular Neuroscience Research Group; Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy; Centre for Pharmaceutical Analysis; Centre for Drug Delivery Research; Centre for Toxicology; Centre for Paediatric Pharmacy Research; Centre for Behavioural Medicine; and Centre for Cancer Medicines
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. It was founded by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was formerly the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales...
in 1842 as the College of the Pharmaceutical Society, and was granted a royal charter in 1952. In 1926 it became a school of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. It was later renamed The School of Pharmacy in 1949 when it became independent of the Pharmaceutical Society
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was formerly the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales...
and was incorporated into the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Designed by Herbert Rowse, construction of the current building began in 1938 however, construction work was stopped on the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The building was not completed until 1960. To its alumni and colleagues in the profession it is known as "the Square", which refers to the fact that it was originally located in Bloomsbury Square
Bloomsbury Square
Bloomsbury Square is a garden square in Bloomsbury, Camden, London.- Geography :To the north of the square is Great Russell Street and Bedford Place, leading to Russell Square. To the south is Bloomsbury Way. To the west is the British Museum and Holborn tube station is the nearest underground...
and now in Brunswick Square
Brunswick Square
Brunswick Square is a public garden in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is overlooked by the School of Pharmacy and the Foundling Museum to the north and the Brunswick Centre to the west...
.
The School is the only free standing institution in the United Kingdom that is dedicated to teaching and research in pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and the pharmaceutical sciences
Pharmaceutical sciences
The pharmaceutical sciences are a group of interdisciplinary areas of study involved with the design, action, delivery, disposition, and use of drugs...
. The only undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
it offers is the four year MPharm, Master of Pharmacy
Master of Pharmacy
A Master of Pharmacy is an academic degree in the field of pharmacy, which may be undergraduate or postgraduate depending on the country concerned. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy as the prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist...
. It also offers a number of Masters Degree programmes, in subjects including Drug Discovery
Drug discovery
In the fields of medicine, biotechnology and pharmacology, drug discovery is the process by which drugs are discovered or designed.In the past most drugs have been discovered either by identifying the active ingredient from traditional remedies or by serendipitous discovery...
, Drug Delivery
Drug delivery
Drug delivery is the method or process of administering a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or animals. Drug delivery technologies modify drug release profile, absorption, distribution and elimination for the benefit of improving product efficacy and safety, as well...
, Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well...
and Pharmacy Practice
Pharmacy practice
Pharmacy practice is the discipline of pharmacy which involves developing the professional roles of pharmacists.-Areas of practice:Areas of pharmacy practice include:*Disease-state management...
. The School of Pharmacy also offers PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
research degrees. The school offered BSc degrees in Toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
and Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
until 2001.
It was decided on 13th May 2011, after a consultation and development process, that the School of Pharmacy, University of London would merge with University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(UCL). The merger process is expected to be finalised by January 2012.
Organisation
The School is organised into four academic departments, each with one or more associated specialist research centres. The work of the School is further supported by staff in the Administration and Library and Information Services Departments. The Dean and Principal of the School is Professor Anthony W Smith.Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry
Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry is the largest of the four Departments at The School of Pharmacy, and the research conducted there is very wide-ranging. Much of this research is focused in cancer, natural products and phytomedicines, molecular neurosciences and biopharmaceutical analysis.Departmental staff help teach the undergraduate MPharm degree in the areas of drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacognosy/medicinal plants, and an MSc in Pharmacognosy is to be offered for the first time this year.
Pharmacology
The Wellcome Department of Pharmacology is one of the oldest departments of pharmacology in the UK. The Department has played a major role in the development of Pharmacology in the UK and many pharmacologists who trained here are to be found in academies and in industries all over the world.The research focuses on the nervous system, and a wide range of approaches are used to study normal brain function and the causes of many neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Pharmaceutics
The Department of Pharmaceutics is home to a wide range of research activities, such as in Materials Science and Processing and Clinical Pharmaceutical Science.Their research in Materials Science and Processing is centred on the fundamental properties of materials and their adaptation to optimise processing and enhance drug delivery. They have many joint ventures, such as in the Centre for Paediatric Pharmacy Research, a joint venture with Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, and in the Clinical Pharmaceutics with University College Hospitals and Camden and Islington's NHS Trust.
The Microbiology Research Group is also well-established, with work focusing mainly in overcoming antibiotic resistance and obtaining new actives from natural sources. The Group has been particularly successful in investigating new approaches to the treatment of the ‘superbug’ MRSA.
Practice and Policy
The clear goal of the Department of Practice and Policy is to make the use of medicines safer and more effective through teaching, service and research.They are a diverse group of pharmacists and social science researchers who have developed a wide network of associations with other academic disciplines, including anthropology, economics, mathematical modelling, and psychology. Their academic collaborators include University College London, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, the Institute of Education and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They also have strong links with several major London hospitals including Guy's and St Thomas’s, University College Hospitals, Hammersmith, Barts and the London, and Great Ormond Street.
Practice and Policy staff are involved in curricular development and teaching across all four years of the MPharm course, and the School has one of the largest postgraduate programmes in Europe. Its student body includes hospital pharmacists studying for a range of Certificate, Diploma and MSc qualifications.
Research Themes
In 2006, the School of Pharmacy ranked fifth out of a total of 146 institutions in the UK for research income as a percentage of total income. Their research focuses on advancing and understanding medicines and health care, and in creating new medicines. It is organised into four divisions.- Drug Discovery
- Formulation Sciences
- Neurosciences
- Medicines Use and Health
Research Centres
Cancer Research UKCancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
Biomolecular Structure Group; Cancer Research UK Gene Targeted Design Research Group; Molecular Neuroscience Research Group; Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy; Centre for Pharmaceutical Analysis; Centre for Drug Delivery Research; Centre for Toxicology; Centre for Paediatric Pharmacy Research; Centre for Behavioural Medicine; and Centre for Cancer Medicines
See also
- PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great BritainRoyal Pharmaceutical Society of Great BritainThe Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was formerly the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales...
- List of schools of pharmacy in the United Kingdom