Course Texts:

• An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry 3rd Edition, Graham L. Patrick, 2005
• Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity, 6th Ed, Kotz, Treichel, and Weaver, 2006

• Strengthen thinking skills, improve study habits, and demonstrate ability to learn fundamental principles from large amounts of scientific information.
• Develop a understanding of relevant chemistry in molecular medicine and neuroscience.
• Learn fundamental chemical science principles necessary to understand the scientific basis for molecular medicine

Perhaps most importantly, molecules that enter our bodies are of tremendous human interest, whether these substances be medications, nutrients, toxins, or substances of abuse. Learning science by understanding how these molecules interact with and affect us can be a very rewarding and enriching experience.  Such knowledge and insight can also lead to discoveries that help to improve the quality and length of human life.

The thematic approach being used in the course is organized in the following manner:

• The first half of the course examines the various types of molecular drug targets in the human body and provides a molecular framework for how our body works.  The first half also introduces several important quantitative relationships that underlie much of chemistry and biochemistry.

• The second half of the semester examines a number of specific topics of interest in medicinal chemistry to include anti-inflammatory therapeutics, steroids, cancer treatments, nerve synapse drug targets, neural signaling, psychoactive drugs, and opioid analgesics.

Class Preparation: This is both a very interesting and a very challenging course.  Once a principle is covered during a lesson, students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of that concept throughout the remainder of the semester.  Lecture discussions will assume that students understand material from previous lessons. Graded problems throughout the course often cannot be answered without being able to successfully apply previously discussed principles.  It is very important for students to continuously review course material.  Athletes practice every day, often for years, to master specific skills.  Successful students (and faculty) have learned to continuously reexamine those topics and principles that are not completely clear to them.  Students are also encouraged to study in groups; teaching peers is perhaps the most effective way to learn chemistry.

Students are responsible for all assigned study material and for all material discussed in lecture.  A great deal of important information will be provided during lecture; take excellent notes!!   Lectures are not designed to reiterate assigned readings but to focus on conveying important information from various sources to understand the General Chemistry concepts that represent the molecular basis of modern medicine.  You are expected to spend whatever time it requires to develop and to demonstrate an understanding of these subjects and lecture materials.  You must complete each reading and problem assignments prior to class.  For each class I recommend that you do the following:

• Study previous lecture notes; consider rewriting them.
• Study and review course material topics relevant to previous class discussions.
• Read assigned lesson for upcoming lecture, take notes and identify questions
• Work assigned problems

• Quizzes will be routinely be given, each be worth 30 points, and often be given at the beginning of class.  These quizzes will include questions to evaluate understanding of material covered during the previous lecture as well as questions to evaluate competency in problem solving skills from sets due that day.
• Assigned problem sets will each be worth 15-30 points; only specific problems will be graded.  Problem sets are due at the beginning of class; no credit will be given for sets turned in late.
• Two tests will be given and be weighted approximately 150 points each.
• The cumulative final exam will be worth at least 300 points. You must score better than 50% on the final exam to pass the course.

Attendance: You are expected to attend all class meetings for the full scheduled time. A student who is absent for any reason is responsible for obtaining the assignments from the instructor or a classmate and is responsible for being prepared to take a quiz covering the missed material at the beginning of the next class. Roll will be taken occasionally and the attendance practices of students will be taken into account when final grades are assigned. Absence from a test or quiz without a written doctor's excuse or official University documented justification is inexcusable.  For unexcused absences from graded exercies, the student will receive a zero for that grade as well as a deduction of the missed points from their other points earned in the course. For excused absences, missed exercises will not be included when calculating overall course grades. Official documentation for justification of missed classes must be submitted within one week of the absence to be eligible for consideration as an excused absence.