Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
PA40159 Cardiovascular pharmacology |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 20%, EX 80% |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take PA20016 |
|
Aims: The aims of this unit are to provide a knowledge base of recent developments in understanding the cardiovascular system and its role in human diseases, and to examine how such understanding can lead to identification and exploitation of novel drug targets for future therapy.
Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this unit, the student should be able to: synthesise an in-depth knowledge of recently identified target molecules and processes in the cardiovascular system, evaluate critically the role of these targets in particular therapeutic areas and utilise a range of ICT and cognitive skills in acquiring knowledge and understanding and applying them to complex, incomplete or contradictory situations. Skills: Scientific skills (T/F/A). Study skills, handling information, working with others (T/F). Problem solving (T/F). Content: Following an introduction and brief overview of earlier core units, a number of topics will be discussed covering recent advances in cardiovascular pharmacology. Topics will be selected on the basis of their currency at a given time - examples may include regulation of blood vessel tone, calcium and potassium channels, endothelium-derived vasorelaxant factors, vascular disease, including stroke and pulmonary hypertension; blood platelet regulatory mechanisms, cardiac arrythmia and channelopathies, including long QT-syndrome. |