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about pharmaceutics
 Pharmaceutics is a multidisciplinary science that examines the development, production and characterization of dosage forms, as well as the disposition and action of drugs in the body. As pharmaceutical scientists have been engaged in the development of novel biomaterials for sophisticated drug delivery systems, scientists in this field have expanded into research with applications in the development of medical devices and tissue engineering. In the Division of Pharmaceutics at The University of Iowa, our faculty members are engaged in training and research in three focus areas: Physical & Applied Pharmaceutics, Drug Disposition & Dynamics, and Drug Delivery & Tissue Engineering.
Physical & Applied Pharmaceutics
Pharmaceutical product quality can be defined in terms of the ability of a drug product to be a safe and efficacious therapeutic agent. Drug product quality is dependent on the rational and scientific design and development of drug formulations, pharmaceutical packaging, drug delivery devices, methods of manufacturing and quality control technologies. The disciplines of physical and applied pharmaceutics encompass the scientific foundations of pharmaceutical product quality including topics in physical, analytical and biophysical chemistries and material sciences. Graduates of this program are expected to understand how to apply fundamental scientific principles and research techniques to solve the problems encountered in the design and development of pharmaceutical products of the highest quality. Faculty members in the Division of Pharmaceutics are engaged in applied and fundamental research aimed at improving and re-engineering the pharmaceutical product and process design and development.
"My training in the Division of Pharmaceutics equipped me to be successful in an industry setting. Thanks to my education at Iowa, I have been able to make contributions to an industry that is benefiting many peoples' health."
Dr. Kerry "Gus" Hartauer (Ph.D., 1989)
Director
Biopharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical R & D
Eli Lilly and Company |
Drug Disposition & Dynamics
Understanding the time course of drug in the body is a critical element in the development of dosage regimens (how much drug to give how often and by what route). The development and application of mathematical models to describe this process and its interface with drug action is a critical step in the development of new drugs, as well as improving the use of existing agents. In addition, understanding the processes by which drugs are absorbed, metabolized and eliminated are key to understanding drug effects after administration. Such knowledge can allow clinicians and scientists to anticipate and manage drug interactions and adverse effects, while maximizing the desired therapeutic effects. Researchers can also use these tools to gain an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of disease. Faculty of the Division of Pharmaceutics are actively engaged in research in this area at the molecular, biochemical, cellular, and whole body level.
Drug Delivery & Tissue Engineering
The development of novel drug delivery systems has improved the efficacy and safety of many important therapeutic agents. Understanding the release characteristics of drugs from these dosage forms is essential for their optimal use. In addition, knowledge of the physicochemical and biological factors that influence drug release is critical for product design. As delivery systems may be designed for either systemic or local delivery, researchers in drug delivery often function at the interface between the physical and biological sciences. Faculty members in the Division of Pharmaceutics are currently investigating the development of novel drugs delivery systems for both small and large molecules, include delivery of genetic material.
Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and the biological sciences to offer the possibility to create completely natural tissue and replace failing or malfunctioning organs. Tissue engineering involves the transplantation of cells removed from the patient or a close relative and seeded into a polymer scaffold which serves as both an adhesive substrate and a physical support for the isolated cells. Research of the drug delivery and tissue engineering groups in the Division of Pharmaceutics focuses on the rational design and development of novel biodegradable polymer scaffolds with customized properties tailored to deliver growth factors, DNA plasmids, or genes in a time-dependent manner to induce specific tissue regeneration. Another area of intense research activity in the Division in the field of tissue engineering is the development and integration of minimally invasive strategies to deliver these scaffolds in vivo.
Graduates of the pharmaceutics program at The University of Iowa are placed throughout the pharmaceutical industry and academia. The reputation of our program draws representatives from industry for onsite recruitment. If you’re looking for a program that will provide you with the tools to launch a career in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, or government regulatory agencies (e.g., FDA), we encourage you to consider the Division of Pharmaceutics at The University of Iowa.
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