NST IB Course

Welcome to the NST IB Course Page

This page is a short summary of information regarding the NST IB Course. The key contacts are:

Course Organiser

Dr Sarah Millington
E-Mail: slb95 [at] cam.ac.uk

Undergraduate Administrator

Mrs Christine Roberts
E-Mail:Undergrad [@] phar.cam.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1223 334059

Please note that there will be significant course changes from October 2027.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Explain, using the principles of drug-receptor interactions, how small-molecule drugs influence cell signalling pathways by acting on different classes of receptors.  
  • Apply the principles that govern the absorption, distribution and elimination of drugs to predict the time course of drug concentrations in the body and consider the implications of these principles for the therapeutic use of drugs in different populations. 
  • Understand varied approaches to drug development. 
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the mechanism of drug classes used to restore, or manipulate, physiological functions in the cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, peripheral nervous and central nervous systems. 
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the mechanisms of drug classes used to control inflammation and immune responses or to kill bacteria, viruses, parasites or malignant cells.  
  • Experimentally interrogate drug action to describe and quantify drug-receptor interactions to explain effects on cells and tissues.  

Course Structure

Lectures take place at 11:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, mostly in the Large Botany Lecture Theatre, Department of Plant Sciences. Practical classes are held from 2:00–5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in the Department of Pharmacology, Tennis Court Road.

Practicals provide a hands‑on introduction to the experimental foundations of pharmacology. They offer a more informal learning environment than lectures and give you experience with both traditional pharmacological techniques, which remain central to drug discovery, and cutting‑edge experimental methods used in modern research.

During the Lent Term, you will also complete a Drug Review Project, producing a three‑minute video in which you independently research and communicate the development story of a chosen drug in depth.

Course Aims

The NST1B Pharmacology course will enable you to understand drug actions on biological systems. The course covers the pharmacological principles required to understand the use of current drugs in research and therapeutic contexts, and the principles required for successful drug development.

Lecture Topics

Lecture topics change yearly. Below is an example lecture set:

  • Drug-Receptor Interactions
  • Synaptic Pharmacology
  • Small Molecule Drug Discovery
  • Antimicrobial and Antiviral Drugs
  • Growth Factor Signalling
  • Anticancer Drugs
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Inflammation
  • Cardiovascular and Renal Pharmacology
  • Endocrinology
  • Neuropharmacology

Useful information can also be obtained from Moodle.