College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics

Harnessing the Power of Precision Medicine

Pharmacogenomics is a fast-growing field that explores a patient’s DNA sequence to determine how they are most likely to respond to medications. Pharmacogenomics supports precision medicine, which incorporates a patient’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle to create a personalized treatment plan that will best suit the patient. The goal of this modern approach to medication therapy is to optimize response and beneficial outcomes while limiting adverse effects and toxicities.

With a Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics degree from WNE, you will be ready to make the most of emerging opportunities from basic or industrial research to clinical implementation through a well-rounded program that aligns with your personal career goals.

Why Choose the Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics?

The design of the WNE Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics has purposely integrated all major aspects of this field, from basic genetics to clinical implementation. This results in the program including introductory and advanced medical genetics and pharmacogenomics, pharmacology and pathophysiology, genetic data analysis and laboratory techniques, healthcare outcomes and statistical analysis, research design and application, genetic counseling, and clinician or patient interactions at medical sites.

Having such broad experience will provide graduates with insight into how to study genetic variant effects on patient response, implement the advancing knowledge of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice through collaboration with clinicians and patients, and gain financial support for these services based on improved healthcare outcomes data.

What Will You Study?

The 41-credit MS in Pharmacogenomics program can be completed in three full-time semesters (fall, spring, and summer). Through courses in Genetics and Genetic Counseling, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacogenetics, and others, you’ll be well-versed to enter the field of precision medicine.

Courses are taught in the state-of-the-art classrooms and labs of the Center for the Science and Pharmacy, and will prepare you for career opportunities in basic research, the pharmaceutical industry, at genetic testing laboratories, or clinical sites. As a WNE graduate, you will also possess the skillsets prized by employers: divergent thinking, communication, teamwork, leadership, and an entrepreneurial mindset—essential to careers in discovery and innovation.

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Curriculum Academic Calendar Current Course Offerings Dual Degree

Top Five Reasons to Choose the MS in Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics

Earn a unique degree in a growing field

We offer the only degree of this type in New England, which prepares graduates for careers that will revolutionize the delivery of healthcare.

A well-rounded education

Our curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for a wide array of careers in the field of Pharmacogenomics, from basic laboratory research to clinical implementation of personalized healthcare.

Hands-on experience

Our program provides multiple opportunities for students to work with state-of-the-art instrumentation and complete a broad range of laboratory techniques through structured and independent guided courses, so they feel comfortable in the laboratory or the clinic, and confident in their skills and abilities.

Students with professor in hospital setting

Exposure to a clinical environment

Students will work directly with clinical pharmacists and other practitioners at healthcare facilities that utilize genetic testing, which will allow for students to develop skills and expertise necessary for careers in medical institutions.

Individualized Attention

WNE is committed to giving our students the opportunity to develop strong relationships with their peers and professors, as well as receive any necessary support along the way.

Dr. Shannon Kinney, PhD

What is your related educational background and current research focus?

I earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Roswell Park Cancer Institute in association with the State University of New York at Buffalo. My thesis research focused on epigenetic changes in prostate cancer. I also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at New England Biolabs, where I continued to study epigenetic gene regulation. I now run a research lab where I study the roles of DNA modifications in gene expression in normal and cancer models. I also complete educational research on best practices for teaching pharmacogenomics.

What piqued your interest in pharmacogenomics?

When I was a first year graduate student, my father was diagnosed with leukemia. He was treated with chemotherapy and had very severe toxicities that resulted in him being admitted to the ICU. He eventually did recover, but dealt with long-term effects of the treatment. Although I am grateful for the years that I still had with him, as I learned more about the links between genetics and response to medication, I began to wonder if use of pharmacogenomic testing could have limited the toxicities that he experienced. Now, when I teach others about pharmacogenomics, I try to emphasize that genetics may only be one point to consider while treating a patient, but for some patients it could be the difference between life or death.

What is the best aspect of the WNE Masters of Pharmacogenomics program?

I learn from doing, so for me, the best part of this program is how hands on it is. Many courses are designed to be interactive and problem based. In addition, students get into the laboratory for a pharmaceutical techniques course during the spring semester and then spend the whole summer semester either in the lab or working with clinicians at their sites. Students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real life situations, and learn the skills they need to work in whatever area of pharmacogenomics best suits them.

Leah Hahm, 2023 MSPGx graduate

What is your hometown and what was your previous education?

I'm originally from Eau Claire, WI and completed my Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN.

What is one part of the program that especially drew you to the program?

I was drawn to the Pharmacogenomics degree due to the amazing benefits of precision medicine that are being discovered in medicine today, I definitely want to be a part of that. What stood out to me about the program at WNE is that it includes clinical and applied experiences which will make me stand out on job applications post-graduation.

What do you plan to do in the future when you graduate?

Right now, I see myself working in a clinical pharmacogenomics setting after graduation, but that may change after the clinical and applied experiences this summer!

Grace Fisher, 2023 MSPGx graduate

What is your hometown and what was your previous education?

I am from Rocky Hill, Connecticut and previously completed my undergraduate degree at Western New England University in Forensic Biology with a minor in Chemistry.

What is one part of the program that especially drew you to the program?

The application of genetics in pharmacy is a growing field which I was recently introduced to. What drew me to this program was the opportunity to expand on my science background in the area of genetics. I was also excited about gaining valuable, clinical experience throughout the summer semester.

What do you plan to do in the future when you graduate?

I will be attending the Genetic Counseling program at Bay Path University to continue my work toward a career in genetic counseling.

Personalized or precision medicine refers to using patient-specific information to optimize their treatment. Pharmacogenomics is one aspect of personalized medicine that evaluates a patient’s genetic makeup and determines how that may affect their response to medication therapy.

The fields of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine are growing fast, with a number of traditional and innovative career opportunities rapidly expanding as the costs of genetic tests decrease and more knowledge is gained about the potential for pharmacogenomics to transform patient care.

Career opportunities for graduates

Graduates from our program can expect to follow a number of different career paths once they complete our program. Our curriculum was designed to provide solid foundational knowledge, as well as build a broad range of skills, so alumni can enter the workforce in various areas within the field, or continue their education, for example in Genetic Counseling or in a Doctoral Program, to expand upon their expertise.

Laboratory researcher or technician – these types of positions could be at academic, government, or clinical institutions, as well as industrial pharmaceutical or genetic testing facilities to study how genetic variation affects response to medication, analyze genetic data, or to develop and perform genetic tests.
Clinical research – these types of positions could be at academic institutions or health care systems, as well as insurance companies to study the benefits of using genetic testing to optimize patient care.
Clinical implementation – these types of liaison or administrative positions, at clinical institutions that are implementing pharmacogenomics for their patients, serve as experts who are aware of all aspects of this process and can work closely with genetic counselors, physicians, and/or pharmacists.
Education – these types of consulting or academic positions are needed to educate students currently in professional clinical programs, as well as active clinicians who may not have received education in this field as students in the past.
Regulatory Institutions – these types of positions would be within government offices, such as the Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Translational and Precision Medicine, which oversees precision medicine strategies in drug development.

For more information on careers in Pharmacogenomics and average salaries, check out these articles:

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