Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery

Unique Features

• The University is strategically located within the Boston-area biomedical and pharmaceutical/biotech-industry ecosystem
• The MS program provides opportunities for original research experience in department labs, and the option to do a literature or laboratory-based master's thesis for credit
• The interdisciplinary and comprehensive program is structured with core and elective courses using laboratory and computer-based technologies
• Northeastern’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is consistently ranked first in NIH funding among all private U.S. schools of pharmacy.
• The program offers multiple opportunities for experiential learning through departmental and off campus internships and co-ops
• Program faculty includes industry-practiced scientists in drug discovery
• Those already employed in pharmaceutical/biotechnology careers can take specific courses for advanced training

Program Objectives

Upon completion of the MS in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery program, students will be able to:

• Evaluate critical topics of contemporary focus in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, including how to:
  • Explain current trends in organic synthesis as applied to therapeutics invention.
  • Produce literature reviews encompassing retrieval, critical analysis, assessment, and written/oral presentation of current topics in drug discovery.
• Synthesize novel chemical matter as potential probes/drugs, specifically how to:
  • Use organic-synthesis methodology and instrumentation in drug discovery.
  • Apply experimental techniques to design, synthesize, and profile novel drug-like chemical entities.
  • Maintain and use data, records, and notes/documentation according to ethical standards of research practice and academic integrity.
• Identify major themes, knowledge gaps, and research problems related to drug design, profiling, and clinical application:
  • Conceptualize and communicate to diverse constituencies in good oral and written English the principal concepts in medicinal chemistry as applied to drug discovery/development.
  • Judge how social, economic, and ethical issues may impact drug discovery.
  • Determine shortcomings of extant pharmacotherapeutics and how they may be overcome.
• Advance drug discovery and translational medicine by utilizing modern approaches in chemical synthesis:
  • Predict future trends in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery for synthesis of druggable chemical matter.
  • Apply organic chemistry to advance drug discovery and development.
  • Determine therapeutic areas where synthesis of new drug-like molecules is needed to satisfy unmet medical needs.

Career Outlook

Graduates of the Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery program often work in chemistry labs synthesizing new chemical matter as potential drugs. Some graduates from the department have established careers as independent:

• Industry scientists and administrators (Big Pharma, biotech)
• Clinical laboratory staff
• Academic biomedical researchers
• Science teaching faculty
• Medical liaison specialists
• Pharmaceutical product representatives
• Medical writers