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Therapeutics & Pharmacology

The discovery, development and application of therapeutics is a rapidly growing field that includes disease biology, identification of novel molecular targets, molecular modeling, chemistry to synthesize and identify small molecule inhibitors, drug design and understanding metabolic pathways — and that’s just for starters.

Welcome to TAP

The discovery, development and translation of therapeutics is crucial for the advancement of clinical practice. Excitingly, innovative therapeutic strategies continue to emerge as the era of precision medicine becomes a clinical reality and we, the Therapeutics and Pharmacology (TAP) Program at the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, are proud to be at the forefront of expanding the boundaries of therapeutic knowledge.

Our mission is to serve as a network for scientists-in-training that promotes the communication, application and translation of emerging concepts that fall under the broad spectrum of therapeutics. These concepts include (i) exploiting vulnerabilities in cancer biology, (ii) modulating/disrupting  genetic & epigenetic mechanisms, (iii) developing immunotherapies, (iv) applying computational and medicinal chemistry strategies for rational drug design, (v) harnessing nuclear medicine for drug development – to name a few. Our program is uniquely designed to potentiate students from a variety of backgrounds with diverse career goals that are interested in translational research. As a result, our students and faculty are particularly focused on taking discoveries across all areas of the basic sciences from “bench-to-bedside.” To achieve this, our students receive a solid background in the principles and mechanisms of therapeutics along with hands-on training in the laboratory of their choice. Importantly, TAP is designed to center around the objectives of the trainee by allowing coursework customization and facilitating access to industry internships.

Overall, we are a tight-knit community with student-led initiatives to socialize and collaborate with peers and scholars across a wide variety of disciplines. Furthermore, we provide students valuable resources for professional development and finding careers in their desired fields. With our unique emphasis on translational research, we train students to be prime candidates for positions within academia, government, pharmaceutical industries, and intellectual property protection. The benefits of our training platform are reflected in our proud alumni who have gone on to pursue successful careers in sectors ranging from biotechnology to regulatory affairs.

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Activities, Events, and Awards

  • Trainee Seminar

    The TAP Program hosts a monthly, student-organized activity that allows students the opportunity to meet and connect with other trainees working in labs with a focus on therapies such as immunotherapy, radiation, drug therapies and more. For more information regarding the TAP Trainee Seminar, please contact Dawn Wolf-Taylor at [email protected].

  • Distinguished Lecture Series in Experimental Therapeutics

    Students are encouraged to attend the monthly faculty seminar series sponsored by the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. For more information regarding the seminar series, contact Grace Taupo at [email protected].  

  • Annual Program Retreat

    Every year the Therapeutics and Pharmacology (TAP) Program sponsors a student-organized research retreat, which includes student talks, poster sessions, and keynote speakers. The retreat is considered to be a valued time where students can interact with faculty while enjoying a simple reprieve from the lab. For more information regarding the TAP Retreat, contact Dawn Wolf-Taylor at [email protected]

  • TAP Travel Award

    The TAP program offers travel awards of up to $750 to defray student expenses for presenting posters or talks at conferences or for travel to attend outside courses. TAP program primary students are eligible to apply.

    TAP Travel Award Application 

  • TAP Program Steering Committee

    TAP Steering Committee Members

    Chandra Bartholomeusz

    2023-2026

    Kendra Carmon

    2023-2026

    Deepa Sampath

    2023-2026

    Ali Azhdarinia

    2023-2026

    Sunil Krishnan

    2023-2026

    Anna DeBruine

    Student representative though August 31, 2025

     

Events

News

Anna DeBruine at conference in Italy

Therapeutics and Pharmacology student Anna DeBruine recognized at Italy conference for outstanding work in cancer cachexia research

Therapeutics and Pharmacology student Anna DeBruine was honored with the Women in Cachexia Student Spotlight Award at the 8th Cancer Cachexia Conference in Turin, Italy, for her poster on estrogen-related...
October 14, 2025
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left to right: Morgan Riba, Gemalene Sunga, Brandy Walker, Tray Waldrop

T32 Trainees shine at ACTS Conference in Washington, D.C.

We are proud of our T32 Clinical and Translational Sciences Training Program trainees for their outstanding contributions and leadership throughout the 2025 Association for Clinical and Translational Science...
April 24, 2025
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Anna DeBruine and Vihang Narkar, PhD

Therapeutics & Pharmacology student Anna DeBruine awarded pre-doctoral cancer prevention fellowship

Therapeutics & Pharmacology PhD student Anna DeBruine will use the support from her pre-doctoral fellowship in the UTHealth Innovation in Cancer Prevention Research Training Program to support her ...
March 11, 2025
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TL1 trainees attend ACTS Translational Science 2024

TL1 trainees attend ACTS Translational Science 2024

Six trainees with the Predoctoral & Postdoctoral Training in Clinical & Translational Sciences at UTHealth Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center (TL1) participated in the Association of Clinical...
May 1, 2024
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Photo of Zhiqiang An, PhD, in his lab.

Faculty member An named first vice president of drug discovery at UTHealth Houston

Zhiqiang An, PhD, has been named UTHealth Houston’s first vice president of drug discovery. In this new role, An will work in close collaboration with researchers across campus, as well as the...
November 13, 2023
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2024-25 TAP Student Council

The mission of the TAP Student Council is to cultivate community within the TAP program. The Student Council represents the perspectives and concerns of the student body by providing a variety of events, activities, programs, outreach, and services to enliven, encourage, and mobilize the TAP community.

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Jack Adams
Chair



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Anna DeBruine
Co-Chair
Communication Chair 
TAP Steering Committee Student Representative



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Tyler  Bateman
Events/Retreat Co-Coordinator

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Gabrielle Krouse
Retreat Coordinator

      

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Camellia (Yueh-Ming) Shyu
Recruitment Coordinator

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Kevin Bowman
Journal Club Coordinator


Contact Us

Azhdarinia-Ali

Ali Azhdarinia, PhD
TAP Program Director
Associate Professor, Center for Translational Cancer Research
Institute of Molecular Medicine
McGovern Medical School
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Tel: 713-500-3577
Email: [email protected]
Office: South Campus Research Building 3/4, 3scr6.4676

Krishnan-Sunil

Sunil Krishnan, MD
TAP Program Co-Director
Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
McGovern Medical School
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Phone: 713-202-8063
Email: [email protected]
Office: South Campus Research Building 3/4, 3scr6.4680

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Dawn Wolf-Taylor, MA
TAP Program Coordinator
Phone: 713-745-0682
Email: [email protected]
Office: BSRB S3.8332a

TAP Program Bylaws