Department Overview
John Hancock, Chairman
The Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology (IBP) is interested in the cell biology, physiology and pharmacology of cell regulation and communication. Our major research themes include the molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal dynamics of membrane signaling, intracellular and metabolic signaling, the biology and physiology of cell-cell interactions, and the use of computational, structural and systems approaches to decipher signaling networks. These efforts are aimed at understanding how normal and abnormal cell function translates into whole animal physiology and pathophysiology, and exploring the molecular pharmacology of existing and novel therapeutics. In this context, IBP has research programs in cancer cell biology, cardiovascular biology, tissue regeneration and plasticity (especially in nerve and muscle), and neuronal signaling in injury, inflammation and pain. We also investigate GI and renal physiology. Our investigators make extensive use of a wide range of genetically tractable model organisms including: mice, Drosophila, Zebrafish, Aplysia and Arabidopsis; they use computational techniques, including classical and advanced molecular dynamics simulations, structural bioinformatics and novel bioinformatic approaches to interrogate gene expression data sets; as well as contemporary molecular cell biology, biochemistry and electrophysiology. IBP has a, purpose-built, advanced cell-imaging center that provides for confocal, TIRF, electron, wide-field and confocal FLIM microscopy, high content screening as well as an IVIS system for small animal imaging. In addition there is a new departmental core for electrophysiology.
Members of the IBP faculty teachPhysiology and Pharmacologyto medical students and actively participate in 4研究生院programs:Biochemistry and Cell Biology,Cancer Biology,NeuroscienceandTherapeutics andPharmacology.We also participate in theCenter for Membrane Biologywithin the McGovern Medical School and in several training grants including those inInterdisciplinary Pharmacological ScientistsandComputational Cancer Biology
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