Pharmacology
Pharmacology is defined as the science of chemical substances and how substances interact with living organisms.
The field of pharmacology covers everything from composition and production of such substances to their toxic effects and medical applications. Pharmacological research will often seek to characterize a disease or atypical condition - mainly on a molecular and genetic level - so as to find better ways of treatment.
Pharmacological research at Karolinska Institutet reflects the wide content of the field of pharmacology. Pharmacological studies with a clear link to physiology and clinical (patient-oriented) research are common.
The research conducted in pharmacology at our department aims to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that cause pain and diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and severe psychiatric diseases. By understanding more about these processes, our goal is to develop biological markers to be able to make the correct diagnosis or be able to decide which drug is suitable for a specific individual. Another goal is that the knowledge we generate will lead to the discovery of new targets that can be used to develop new drugs.