The Residential School on Medicinal Chemistry: Biology and Chemistry of Drug Discovery is a week-long graduate level course organized to provide an accelerated program for medicinal chemists, biologists and other industrial and academic scientists who wish to broaden their knowledge of small molecule drug discovery and development. The School’s aim is to concentrate on the fundamentals that are useful in drug discovery spanning initial target validation through clinical development.
Most chemists and biologists have received little formal training in the range of subjects required for small molecule drug discovery. These topics include target validation, assay development, initial identification of active “hit” compounds, development of structure-activity relationships, lead optimization, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, metabolism and toxicology.
Although drug discovery is an interdisciplinary subject, the course is more than a simple compendium of information. It will concentrate on the fundamental issues common to a wide range of therapeutic areas. The purpose of the School is to impart the basic principles needed by both chemists and biologists to pursue successful collaborative drug discovery programs.
The week-long course is structured around lectures, smaller seminars and case histories that illustrate the discovery and early development of recent successful drug discovery programs. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussions with faculty members. The School not only provides an atmosphere of learning and understanding but also the opportunity to establish contacts with colleagues from many different organizations, which is an important component of a successful career in drug discovery.