Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland

MEDSCI 719 - Introduction to Pharmacometrics

Welcome to the MEDSCI 719 website.

Pharmacometrics is the science of applying quantitative principles to the interpretation of pharmacological observations. Rutherford said "Science is either stamp collecting or physics". Pharmacometrics provides a bridge between the stamp collecting (observations) and the physics (understanding) of medical science.

The course is a mix of theory and practice. Students will learn the fundamentals of modelling biological phenomena using examples from pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The methods taught have wide application in all areas of medical and biological science.

For a broader perspective, see:

Aims

The aims of this course are to:

  • Introduce a quantitative approach to biomedical science
  • Train in the use widely used and contemporary pharmacometric tools
  • Prepare for advanced study and careers in pharmacometrics

Learning outcomes

A student who has successfully completed this course will be able to:

  • Appreciate the principles of pharmacology applied in a quantitative fashion
  • Understand how to write their own models for simulation and parameter estimation
  • Know how to interpret and propose models for observations of the time course of drug concentration and response
  • Explain and communicate the results of a personal pharmacometric analysis
  • Create individual reports of coursework assignments
  • Understand and critically evaluate a published pharmacometric analysis

Skills

A student who has successfully completed this course will have:

  • Skills in deterministic simulation, data analysis and model building
  • Used Excel, Berkeley Madonna, Monolix and NONMEM 
  • Experience in data presentation and interpretation, and scientific report writing.

Teaching sessions are held at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the Grafton Campus.