Introduction to the Discipline of Pharmacy

The Pharmaceutical Discipline,relying on the Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology (Northeast Forestry University)ranks as one of thekey disciplines of Heilongjiang Province. It was approved and established in 2003, currently consisting of both pharmacognosy and pharmacochemistry disciplines. It is committed to educating and training high-level talents in pharmaceutical research.In the past ten years, this discipline has made great achievements in discipline construction, faculty training, teaching, and scientific research.This discipline attaches importance to the improvement of the faculty team. It currently boasts a team composed of knowledgeable and rigorous scholars, including 1 Cheung Kong Scholars (Prof. Fu Yujie). It has a faculty team of 25 people, including 9 professors, and 12 associate professors. Among them, 20 teachers (or 80% of the teaching faculty) hold a doctoral degree.

 

After effective construction and development, this pharmacy discipline formed its own characteristics and advantages. Our scientific research is mainly focused on natural medicinal compounds in traditional forest-originated plants, such as Panax ginseng C. A. Mey, Astragalusmembranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge,and Acanthopanaxsenticosus (Rupr. Maxim.) Harms. These compounds we focus on belong to alkaloids, oligosaccharides, polypeptides and phenolic compounds, etc. We attempt to discover the active ingredients in these medicinal plants by highlighting the regulation mechanisms, distinctive features, efficient separation and activity-screening mechanisms of the active components. In addition, active ingredientsare structurally modified to promote their water-soluble properties and pharmacoactivities. We had built up a solid foundation in phenolic chemistry, peptide chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, and bio-inorganic chemistry. Some disciplines and research achievements have reached international top level.

 

Currently, weare undertaking a number of key research programs and have achieved several Science awards, including 3 Natural Science Awards (class two) at provincial and ministerial levels. In the past five years, this discipline has obtained 15 patents, and published 320 research papers (260 cited by SCI). We have established a number of technical platforms for pharmaceutical research, including a drug screening center, an MS center, a bioassay platform, and a regular chemical analysis platform. The platform is equipped liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry instruments (LC/MS), a surface plasma resonance sensor, a computer-assisted drug design workstation, capillary electrophoresis, a spectral scanning multimode reader, and small animal imaging systems. These instruments not only provide technical support for research and teaching activities of the University, but also provide sample test services and technical training for society. 

 

The Pharmaceutical Discipline has extensive cooperation and communication with universities, research institutions, and pharmaceutical enterprises from Germany, UK, and so on. It has employed 3 foreign honorary professors and 2 guest professors. Widespread communication at home and abroad has been remarkably improving the overall academic strength.In the next few years, the Pharmaceutical Disciplineof Northeast Forestry University aims to develop into a comprehensive and national top-level pharmaceutical discipline.