Medicinal chemistry

Medicinal chemistry is a rapidly advancing field of chemistry focussing on the design, development, biological activities and properties of drugs. Medicinal chemists seek to find new active chemical compounds, particularly from natural products such as rainforest plants and microbes, and also to design novel synthetic compounds.

Medicinal chemistry at Monash University Malaysia provides broad knowledge in organic chemistry, synthetic chemistry, analytical chemistry and pharmaceutical science. Students learn about the design and chemical synthesis of bio-active molecules and pharmaceuticals with the aim to discover and develop new drugs and therapeutic agents for clinical use. The importance of understanding the interaction of chemical structure in biological systems and the experience of hands-on experiments which involve recent research advances in this area will be emphasised in this major. The major in Medicinal chemistry is synergistic with the Malaysian National Key Economic area in health care comprising three sectors: pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, medical technology and health services.

Graduates with a major in Medicinal chemistry find employment in research institutes and companies, universities, and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Availability

Medicinal chemistry is listed in the Bachelor of Science at Malaysia as a major.

Outcomes

In addition to achieving the broad outcomes of their course, students successfully completing this major will be able to:

• demonstrate a broad understanding of scientific principles, concepts and skills in the major areas of chemistry; including synthetic chemistry, medicinal and biological chemistry, analytical chemistry, and pharmacology
• demonstrate understanding of the mechanisms of drug action and related principles of affinity, efficacy and potency
• collect, organise, analyse, evaluate and interpret chemical and pharmacological data using appropriate statistical and computational tools, and analytical and critical thinking skills.