Drug Discovery Science Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Overview

You will gain insight into the molecular causes of diseases, explore innovative therapeutics, and work with everything from small molecules and proteins to complex diseases and medicines, all within the context of pharmaceutical sciences. If you are fascinated by the development of new pharmacological therapies and medicines, then this is the perfect Drug Discovery Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for you.

You’ll focus on the chemical and molecular aspects of early drug discovery. From the identification of new protein targets, computational design and synthesis of new molecules and radiopharmaceuticals, the affinity towards its target and the cellular response, to eventually the metabolism and toxicity of the molecule. You will choose an in-depth specialisation that suits your interests, while gaining knowledge in all drug discovery disciplines.

Career

The most obvious ones are in medicinal research, the pharmaceuticals industry and hospital laboratories, but there are also plenty of opportunities within research institutes and governmental agencies. Graduates in Drug Discovery Sciences have excellent employment prospects and can generally expect to earn a good salary. 

About 50% of VU Amsterdam graduates pursue a career in research. Within the university or a research institute, you can be employed as a PhD student, but with your Master's degree, you can also work as a researcher at a pharmaceutical company.