We're delighted to receive news that a former PhD student and postdoctoral researcher, Dr Saroj Kiran Velamakanni, PhD, FRSA has been knighted by Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, Head of the Portuguese Royal House in May! Read more about this honour here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/news/hendrik...

We're recruiting a Research Assistant! They will be working on a British Heart Foundation-funded translational project in the Wilson group. The goal of this project is to optimise a novel, transformative cardiac regenerative therapeutic 💊 Apply here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

PhD Opportunity: Regulation of neuronal excitability using IgG targeting of ion channels and GPCR Join the laboratory of Prof Ewan St. John Smith for a Maxion Therapeutics-associated PhD Studentship. More information: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate...

So nice to be involved with this review by @delladavid-lab.bsky.social & coworkers, examining the emerging landscape of the Extracellular Proteostasis Network & its challenges with age @proteostasisuk.bsky.social @babrahaminst.bsky.social @phar.cam.ac.uk febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Video up now on the @painresforum.bsky.social You Tube channel in case you weren't able to attend live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lalu...

PRF Webinar: Osteoarthritis Pain Research on July 10, 2026

YouTube video by Pain Research Forum

youtube.com

Ewan St. John Smith@psalmotoxin.bsky.social · last mo.

Excited to be moderating this @painresforum.bsky.social webinar on all things osteoarthritis & pain on July 10th, registration 👉 painresearchforum.org/register-for... #PainResearch #neuroskyence #immunosky

I'm delighted to share our Current Opinion in Structural Biology review (led by Nora Haanaes) entitled "Tuning the physicochemical properties of rationally designed protein-based biomolecular condensate": authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S... @phar.cam.ac.uk #condensates

Tuning the physicochemical properties of rationally designed protein-based biomolecular condensates

Biomolecular condensates form through liquid–liquid phase-separation of multivalent biomolecules, enabling the spatiotemporal control of biochemical p…

authors.elsevier.com

Scholar-Elect John Wang talks about his PhD which will explore how to better target drug delivery to tackle antimicrobial drug resistance - www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/h... @fitzwilliamcollege.bsky.social @phar.cam.ac.uk @uniofcam.bsky.social @gatesfoundation.bsky.social

How can we reduce the impact of anti-microbial resistance? - Gates Cambridge

Scholar-Elect John Wang talks about his career to date and his PhD which will explore how to better target drug delivery to tackle antimicrobial drug resistance.

gatescambridge.org

🎙️ New podcast episode! We spoke with Dr Maria Zacharopoulou, Research Fellow at Lucy and @phar.cam.ac.uk about her journey from studying Natural Sciences in Athens to researching Parkinson's disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration. 🔊 Tune in: on.soundcloud.com/nely66YMVsYs...

Great news! The University of Cambridge has placed 1st in the Complete University Guide rankings for Pharmacology 🎊 Check out the full list here: www.linkedin.com/posts/univer...

PhD Opportunity: Regulation of neuronal excitability using IgG targeting of ion channels and GPCR Join the laboratory of Prof Ewan St. John Smith for a Maxion Therapeutics-associated PhD Studentship. More information: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate...

The Cambridge Protein Screening Facility has launched their new website! This facility, aims to enable the development of novel antibody binders for research, diagnostics and therapeutics using phage and yeast display. See our news post here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/news/announc...

10 days to go - New fully funded BHF PhD Programme in Cambridge. Please share widely www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/phd-stu...

Join us for the next Cambridge Lactation Network Summer Symposium on Friday, 12th of June 2026. Please register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/cambridge-... @cam-repro.bsky.social @pdncambridge.bsky.social @phar.cam.ac.uk @cambiochem.bsky.social @aj-twigger.bsky.social @koulman.bsky.social

We are running a Postdoctoral Rsearch Associate talk this Friday! 12 pm, Pharmacology Department. All welcome - in person only, Speakers: Dr Laura Blenkarn, Dr Mateusz Jaskolowski

Excited to have this #PainResearch paper out from our @phar.cam.ac.uk lab: "Monoclonal antibody inhibition of PAR2 reduces phenotype severity and pain in murine inflammatory bowel disease" journals.lww.com/painrpts/ful...

Monoclonal antibody inhibition of PAR2 reduces phenotype... : PAIN Reports

mising therapeutic target for visceral pain management in IBD. Objectives: We set out to determine signaling mechanisms deployed by PAR2 in the lumbar splanchnic nerve and whether inhibiting PAR2 with the mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb), PAR650097 (mPAR650097) provided therapeutic benefit in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Methods: We first used ex vivo electrophysiological recordings of mouse lumbar splanchnic nerve to determine how stimulation of PAR2 alters afferent activity and the intracellular signaling mechanisms involved. Second, we used the DSS model of colitis in mice and determined how mPAR650097 altered disease activity, behavior, colon histology, and the activity of nociceptive circuitry. Results: Protease-activated receptor 2 stimulation in the colon activated visceral afferent fibers and sensitized them to mechanical and chemical stimuli. We found that endosomal internalization and protein kinase A/C signaling mediate both activating and sensitizing effects of PAR2 in visceral pain. We further show that inhibiting PAR2 with the mAb mPAR650097 reduces DSS-induced colitis severity and pain. mPAR650097 also reduced several colitis-induced pain correlates at key points along the pain-signaling axis, including peripheral nociceptive neuron signaling and sensitivity, expression of proinflammatory mediators, spinal cord signaling, and, fundamentally, behavior. Conclusion: These findings illustrate that mAb inhibition of PAR2 represents a promising approach to provide relief from abdominal pain in those living with IBD....

journals.lww.com

Want to know what we got up to during the Cambridge Festival? Check out our news post about it here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/news/pharmac...

Will be speaking online at this free Protein Engineering festival- check out lots of cool #synbio talks: www.eusynbios.org/eusynbioscal... @eusynbios.org @phar.cam.ac.uk

Great to see our Department represented at the annual @camneuro.bsky.social conference 😀

Ewan St. John Smith@psalmotoxin.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Into the last session and our next speaker is @florianmerkle.bsky.social from our very own @phar.cam.ac.uk talking about studying anti-obesity drug mechanisms in human cells

We're recruiting for a Research Assistant/Associate in DNA Nanotechnology! 🔬 This closes on April 27 2026. Please click here to apply: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

Applications for our Summer Studentships close in four days!

Department of Pharmacology | University of Cambridge@phar.cam.ac.uk · 5mo ago

We are open for applications for our new Robert Henderson Summer Internships! The studentships are open to undergraduate students of any level (1, 2 and 3 years) across the UK, and are expected to last for two months. Applications close on 30 March. Apply here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/outreach/rob...

Pre-print Alert! Naked mole-rats hold secrets to healthy ageing that may be revealed if we can dissect their cellular mechanisms. Led by Fangze Tong (an amazing MPhil student), we report live-cell findings about NMR autophagy. @phar.cam.ac.uk @psalmotoxin.bsky.social biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We have a new funded PhD Opportunity! As part of the Bulmer Group, the PhD student will be working on a project titled "Can we inhibit rectal sensation to treat bowel urgency?" More info here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate...

The Department will be hosting a stall at the Cambridge Festival's Family Weekend! This will be from Saturday, 28th March to Sunday, 29th March. We will be running activities to showcase concepts related to our ongoing research.

Our next Seminar Series is this Friday! We welcome Professor Yeun Joon Kim, for his talk on Culture Creation and Change in Medical Institutions: Stage 1 Findings at IMS-MRL 🔖

We are open for applications for our new Robert Henderson Summer Internships! The studentships are open to undergraduate students of any level (1, 2 and 3 years) across the UK, and are expected to last for two months. Applications close on 30 March. Apply here: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/outreach/rob...

We have two study opportunities closing this week: Funded PhD Studentship: Regulation of neuronal excitability using IgG targeting of ion channels and GPCRs - Closes Thursday 26 February MPhil in Therapeutic Science - Deadline: Thursday 26 February

Seminar Series: Our next speaker is Dr Ellen McDonagh, EMBL-EBI. Her talk is on Variant interpretation at scale for safer and more effective disease treatment In person only

We have two study opportunities closing this week! 📚️ Funded PhD Opportunity: www.phar.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate... Deadline Thursday 26 Feb Masters/MPhil Opportunity: www.ats.cam.ac.uk/mphil-therap... Deadline Thursday 26 Feb

Our Seminar Series continues this Friday! This time, our speaker is Professor David Shorthouse, University College London. He will be speaking on AI (and robots!) for Accelerated Discovery in Pharmaceutical Science 🤖

This opportunity closes on Thursday, 26 February! Make sure you submit your applications before the deadline.

Department of Pharmacology | University of Cambridge@phar.cam.ac.uk · 10mo ago

Apply now for the #MPhil in Therapeutic Sciences at the University of #Cambridge, starting Oct 2026! 1-year full-time course with a 6-month research placement, combining world-class academic & industry training. Developed with the Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences. 🔗 bit.ly/3KdJrk9