• Sixty percent of all diseases are still incurable. So there are plenty of opportunities to tackle complex challenges. If students are fascinated by the idea of developing new pharmacological therapies and medicines, then this is the Master’s program for them.
  • If students study Drug Discovery and Safety at VU Amsterdam, they will gain insight into drug discovery research from a unique chemical perspective. From the characterization of molecular causes of pathology to the generation of new therapeutics to treat diseases, and from small molecules and proteins to complex diseases and medicines.
  • Students will focus on the chemical and molecular aspects of early drug discovery. From the identification of new protein targets, computational design, and synthesis of new molecules and radiopharmaceuticals, the affinity towards its target and the cellular response, to eventually the metabolism and toxicity of the molecule. Students will choose an in-depth specialization that suits their interests while gaining knowledge in all drug discovery disciplines.
  • In the Drug Discovery and Safety Master’s program, students will examine the interaction between molecules and the human body from a range of perspectives: organic chemical, medicinal chemical, toxicological, pharmacological, and genetic. 
  • In the first year, students will work in a multidisciplinary environment in which they will be challenged to address key questions about the medicines of the future. But students will also choose a specialization that suits their specific interests. There are five different specializations to choose from. Each specialization and profile combination includes a balance between compulsory courses, optional courses, and research training. 
  • Students can specialize in Molecular Pharmacology (how can I modulate a biochemical process?), Synthesis of Drugs (how can I design and synthesize a potential drug for a specific target?), Molecular Toxicology (how are drugs metabolized in the human body and how can they cause toxicity?), Computer-Aided Drug Design (how can I predict the interaction between molecules and proteins?) and Bioanalytics (how can I detect and measure specific molecules in the human body?).
  • Students major research project is an important part of the Master’s program. They can, for instance, explore the synthesis of light-sensitive drugs, the use of nanobodies as oncomodulators, mitochondrial toxicity in human iPS-derived cells, computer simulations to investigate the structure and dynamics of proteins or bioanalysis for assessing venom pathologies as a basis for developing new snakebite treatments.