- Platform
- FutureLearn
- Provider
- University of Birmingham
- Effort
- 4 hours/week
- Length
- 2 weeks
- Language
- English
- Credentials
- Paid Certificate Available
- Part of
-
Good Brain, Bad Brain program
- Course Link
Overview
Where do drugs come from?
We’ll start by reflecting on the nature of medicines and look at the history of some everyday drugs that have been taken by humans for centuries.
This will show us that many commonly used drugs were found somewhat accidentally - and often without any understanding of the science behind how they worked. Over time, this apparently random process has been refined and improved, so we’ll go on to consider recent advances in identifying potential drugs.
This course is aimed at anyone with an interest in finding out where the drugs that keep us healthy come from. To take the course, the only experience you need is to have taken a drug - even just a throat lozenge.
Taught by
Alison Cooper
Where do drugs come from?
We’ll start by reflecting on the nature of medicines and look at the history of some everyday drugs that have been taken by humans for centuries.
This will show us that many commonly used drugs were found somewhat accidentally - and often without any understanding of the science behind how they worked. Over time, this apparently random process has been refined and improved, so we’ll go on to consider recent advances in identifying potential drugs.
This course is aimed at anyone with an interest in finding out where the drugs that keep us healthy come from. To take the course, the only experience you need is to have taken a drug - even just a throat lozenge.
What topics will you cover?
- What is meant by the term “drug”
- What do we need drugs for
- How drugs are discovered: from natural substances to rational drug design
- What factors have to be considered when developing the chemical molecule with therapeutic potential into a drug that patients can take
- How is the safety of the drug tested and monitored
Taught by
Alison Cooper