At CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, programs are designed with real student experience in mind. The Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program introduces students to the cutting-edge world of drug discovery, formulation, development, and translational science. With strong faculty leadership, and hands-on lab experience, the program prepares graduates to take the step from student to expert in the drug development field. Natalie Carter and David Angarita, graduating master’s students in pharmaceutical sciences, exemplify how the program and faculty truly encourage a wide range of interests, while supporting students who come from a diverse healthcare background.
Carter got her first taste in patient care working in hospital pathology after obtaining her bachelor’s degree. That environment created a passion inside her to want to have more impact on not only the patient’s she was working with, but the drugs they were taking as well. “I wanted to make a bigger impact and be able to reach a broader population of cancer patients,” she said. “The master’s program offered a pathway to do that, through research that connects laboratory discovery with clinical need.”
Angarita had a passion for the health sciences, but no prior experience in lab work or research. His drive came from his curiosity about healthcare and medicine. Drawn to the science behind medications, his concentration is in biotechnology and drug delivery. He entered the program to better understand how drugs are designed, delivered and improved. “I’ve always been curious about drugs,” he said. “I really wanted to get hands-on and learn how drugs are actually made and tested. The program’s focus on pharmaceutical sciences offered me that opportunity.”
Both students’ research and lab work focus on nanotechnology; the manipulation of materials on a tiny scale, and drug delivery. Carter’s work focuses on using nanoparticles to precisely deliver chemotherapeutics to cancer cells. The goal? Improving effectiveness while minimizing the side effects in patients. Angarita’s research looks at nanoparticle drug delivery systems and new cancer therapeutics, with the underlying motivation to improve existing treatments and make new therapies possible for cancer patients.
One thing both students mentioned having in common? The immersive hands-on learning and experience the program has to offer. Students aren’t only trained in the classroom; they are heavily involved in active research learning, where they control their experiments from start to finish. Faculty mentorship also plays a big role. Small class sizes and close, constant collaboration give students the opportunity to engage with their professors not only as learners, but emerging professionals as well. Carter described CU Anschutz Pharmacy faculty as “wanting you to be a colleague, not just their student.” Angarita noted the confidence that comes from having mentors who actively seek student advice and value their input.
As graduation approaches, neither students’ story at CU is coming to an end. Both Carter and Angarita have been accepted into the PhD program, where they will remain in their labs and continue to build on their research they began as master’s students. Research driven by mentorship, passion and the hope to make a lasting impact in the future of cancer treatment.