Class Schedules – Spring 2026

Class schedules for the current semester are listed below.

Please email phcostudentservices@unc.edu to register for all PHCO courses.

Please note that for all classes: The instructor, in consultation with UNC officials, will monitor classroom conditions and make appropriate instructional adjustments to support achieving course learning outcomes.

PHCO 667 – Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods*

(BIOC 667)

(2 cr hr)
M/F @ 1:25 – 3:15 PM (January 7 – February 27)
Location: Medical School Wing-Rm 0124
Course Instructor: Dr. Nate Nicely

This is a practical workshop for students of protein crystallography. The course is hybrid lecture and laboratory. Attendance is absolutely essential especially for the laboratory components. Students will crystallize proteins then collect and process x-ray diffraction data. There is no specific text required, but several options for further study will be recommended. Students are recommended to pair this course with BIOC 669. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Permission of course director.

PHCO 669 – Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods II*

(BIOC 669)

(1 cr hr)
M/W @ 1:25 – 3:20 PM (March 3 – April 7)
Location: GMB 2007
Course Instructor: Dr. Stuart Endo-Streeter

Protein x-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy are two of the principle techniques used to experimentally determine the structures of macromolecules. While the data collection and initial processing steps are quite different, the fields converge at the model building, refinement, and analysis stage. This course addresses the fundamental concepts and best practices of how to build, refine, and analyze macromolecular structures with an in-depth treatment of the software and methodologies. Students will solve and build protein structures from provided data, or if available, their own, and analyze the quality of the structures using current best-practices and gold-standard metrics.

PHCO 702 – Principles of Pharmacology and Physiology*

(3 cr. hr)
M/W/F @ 9:05 – 9:50 am (January 7 – May 7)
Location: MEJ 3116
Course Directors: Dr. Terry Kenakin

This graduate level course introduces students to the major areas of pharmacology and physiology and serves for a basis for advanced courses. Three lecture hours a week.

Registration is by permission of the instructor.  This is a graduate-level course.

Who can enroll: Anyone (BBSP, Undergrad and Non-PHCO)

Requisites: Prerequisite, CHEM 430; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.

PHCO 728 – Neuropharmacology of Alcohol and Substance Use*

(3 cr hr)
Tuesday @ 9:20 – 11:15 am (January 13 – May 1)
Location: MEJ 3103
Course Instructor: Dr. Joyce Besheer

This graduate-level course concentrates on up-to-date views of intercellular signal processing, with emphasis on signal transduction mechanisms as they relate to cellular/physiological responses in both normal development and disease. Signaling mechanisms that will be discussed include autocrine, paracrine, juxtacrine signaling and cell-matrix interactions.

Any graduate student can enroll.

Students meet as a group with faculty members to develop skills in critical reading and to summarize and discuss selected aspects of current pharmacological literature. Fall and Spring

Open to Pharmacology students only.

PHCO 745 – Intracellular Signaling in Development and Disease*

(BIOC745)

(1 cr h r)
T/Th @ 2:00 – 3:15 PM (January 7 – February 11)
Location: GMB 4007
Course Instructors: Dr. Yuliya Pylayeva-Gupta and Dr. John Morris

This graduate-level course concentrates on up-to-date views of intercellular signal processing, with emphasis on signal transduction mechanisms as they relate to cellular/physiological responses in both normal development and disease. Signaling mechanisms that will be discussed include autocrine, paracrine, juxtacrine signaling and cell-matrix interactions.

This graduate-level course concentrates on up-to-date views of intercellular signal processing, with emphasis on signal transduction mechanisms as they relate to cellular/physiological responses in both normal development and disease. Signaling mechanisms that will be discussed include autocrine, paracrine, juxtacrine signaling and cell-matrix interactions.