Pharmacologist & Toxicologist
Learn about this occupation – including typical duties, education required, salary and job outlook information, job boards and more.
Pharmacologists are biomedical scientists who investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of drugs and chemicals on living systems. They use this knowledge to help design and evaluate drugs for the prevention and treatment of disease. (alis)
Toxicologists study the potential harm various agents can have on living things. These include chemical agents (such as drugs, pesticides, food additives, and industrial chemicals), biological agents (such as plant and animal toxins), and physical agents (such as ionizing and electromagnetic radiation). (alis)
Occupational profile
Find detailed information about the occupation, including typical duties and working conditions, in the links below:
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) - Canadian occupational descriptions
- O*NET Online - U.S. resource for occupational information
- OCCinfo by alis - Alberta-based occupational information
- Toxicologist (includes video)
- Pharmacologist
- ECO Canada profile - Ecotoxicologist Career Profile
- Pharmacologist Career Profile - U.K. Prospects
- Toxicologist Career Profile - U.K. Prospects
- Becoming a Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology
- Careers in Pharmacology and Toxicology - University of Toronto
- Interview with a Pharmacologist - PharmTalk from ASPET
- Forensic Toxicologist - ExploreHealthCareers.org
- How to become a Forensic Toxicologist - ForensicsColleges.com (U.S)
- Article: Sculpting a sweet career in candy - profile of a toxicologist in the food industry from Science magazine
- Discover your Future in Healthcare: Health Researcher - University of Manitoba
- Let's Talk Science - Career Profiles
Education
U of M Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar & Catalogue outlines program admission and course requirements. Use the left menu to navigate to a specific faculty and program. To determine which degree path suits your unique occupational goals, speak with a Career Consultant. For support with course registration and academic issues, speak with an Academic Advisor.
Faculty and Department Homepages
Visit the faculty and department homepage to learn about program application deadlines and processes, as well as additional in-house resources and opportunities.
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Environment, Earth & Resources
- Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics - Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Exploring Other Education Options
- Graduate Programs in Pharmacology - Canadian Society of Pharmacology & Therapeutics
- Undergraduate Programs in Pharmacology - Canadian Society of Pharmacology & Therapeutics
- Search Directories
Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials - information for foreign-trained professionals
Labour market information
Labour market information informs users of supply and demand for specific occupations and sectors. It includes such things as salary and job outlook information. These resources support informed career decision making and job search efforts.
Resources
- Trend Anaylsis: Job Market Report (Winnipeg region) - Gov. of Canada Job Bank
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - Job outlook for the U.S.
Professional Associations
Professional associations organize events and directories, job postings, career and labour market information. Student membership opportunities are also available. This is a great way to learn and network.
- Canadian Society of Pharmacology & Therapeutics
- Society of Toxicology of Canada
- Society of Toxicology (U.S)
- Society of Forensic Toxicologists (U.S.)
- American College of Toxicology
- American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Directories, Industry Associations, and Sector Councils
These resources provide industry news, labour market information and a list of potential employers. Remember, there are usually multiple industries worth exploring.
- Biociences Association of Manitoba - member directory
- BioTalent Canada
- Innovative Medicines Canada - corporate members
- Manitoba Environmental Industries Association
Job Boards
Search occupations of interest in the industry-specific job boards below to learn about skill requirements, employers, job duties and available jobs. You may also wish to search more general online job boards.
- BioTalent Canada
- ECO Canada - industry job board
- Science magazine - international job postings
- Society of Toxicology (U.S) - Job Bank
Other links
External resources that will provide you with additional information about the occupation, areas of work and opportunities to build experience:
- Science Student Council, Associations & Groups - University of Manitoba
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - view 'Students and Fellows' programs
- Article: Talk about Toxic - Nature magazine
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences
- International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
- International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
- International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology
- Society of Toxicologic Pathology
- American Board of Forensic Toxicology
- International Association of Forensic Toxicology
- Canadian Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology
- Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- Science Careers magazine - articles, news and profiles (North America)