The laboratories in the Department of Pharmacology conduct research in a wide variety of research areas. A traditional focus of the department has been molecular pharmacology and understanding the mechanisms of signal transduction. Several groups study signaling through G-protein coupled receptors and regulation of protein function through covalent modifications. Recent advances include the use of fluorescent reporters to monitor real-time signaling in live cells. Members of the department also study the regulation of cell cycle checkpoints, transcriptional regulation by orphan members of the nuclear receptor family, and the roles of novel RNAs and synthetic nucleotides in manipulating gene transcription. Other laboratories are engaged in studies to develop new drug therapies to treat cancer and protozoal infections. The trafficking of proteins within cells is another area of interest for several laboratories in the department.

The department is also home to the Cecil H. and Ida Green Comprehensive Center for Molecular, Computational, and Systems Biology, which is directed by Dr. Rama Ranganathan. The mission of the Center for Systems Biology is to discover and quantitatively understand the principles of organization in biological systems and how this organization arises through the process of evolution. The Cecil and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences is also housed within the department. The Center for Reproductive Biology is working to uncover the intricacies of sperm maturation and stem-cell biology.