Foundations of Drug Discovery: Principles, Process, and Translation -

About Course

Foundations of Drug Discovery: Principles, Process, and Translation is a comprehensive, self-paced course designed to build a practical understanding of how modern drug discovery works—from disease biology and therapeutic hypotheses to drug targets, therapeutic modalities, candidate discovery, and translation toward preclinical and clinical development.

Designed for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, academic scientists, and professionals interested in biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug discovery, this course connects core scientific principles with the real-world drug discovery process.

Through six structured modules, you will explore:

The modern drug discovery and development landscape
Disease biology, unmet medical need, and therapeutic hypotheses
Target identification, validation, and assessment
Therapeutic strategies and modality selection
Hit identification, lead optimization, DMPK, PK/PD, and preclinical pharmacology
Candidate selection and translation toward preclinical and clinical development

Real-world examples, published research, scientific case studies, quizzes, and curated learning materials are integrated throughout the course.

By the end of the course, you will understand the major stages, terminology, scientific functions, and decision-making principles of modern drug discovery and how promising science progresses from biological rationale toward a potential medicine.

Course Content

Drug Discovery and Development: Landscape, Stages, and Functions
Establish the overall framework of drug discovery and development, the major stages from basic research to approved therapeutics, and the scientific functions involved.

Drug Discovery and Development: Definitions and Overall Process
Stages of the Drug Discovery and Development Pipeline
Scientific Functions and the Drug Discovery Ecosystem
Drug Discovery Attrition and Major Causes of Program Failure

Disease Biology, Unmet Medical Need, and Therapeutic Hypothesis
Explain how understanding a disease and its unmet medical need provides the scientific foundation for establishing a drug-discovery program.

Target Identification, Validation, and Assessment
Introduce how therapeutic targets are discovered, experimentally validated, and assessed before significant investment in a discovery program.

Therapeutic Strategies and Modality Selection
Introduce the major approaches available for manipulating therapeutic targets and the scientific principles underlying modality selection.

Drug Discovery: From Hit Identification to Development Candidate
Provide an integrated introduction to how therapeutic molecules are discovered, optimized, pharmacologically characterized, and evaluated for advancement.

Translation from Discovery to Preclinical and Clinical Development
Integrate the course by examining how discovery evidence supports candidate selection and how a selected candidate begins progressing toward clinical development.

Foundations of Drug Discovery: Principles, Process, and Translation

About Course

Course Content

Drug Discovery and Development: Landscape, Stages, and Functions
Establish the overall framework of drug discovery and development, the major stages from basic research to approved therapeutics, and the scientific functions involved.

Drug Discovery and Development: Definitions and Overall Process

Stages of the Drug Discovery and Development Pipeline

Scientific Functions and the Drug Discovery Ecosystem

Drug Discovery Attrition and Major Causes of Program Failure

Disease Biology, Unmet Medical Need, and Therapeutic Hypothesis
Explain how understanding a disease and its unmet medical need provides the scientific foundation for establishing a drug-discovery program.

Disease Biology and Pathophysiology in Drug Discovery

Unmet Medical Need and the Current Treatment Landscape

Development of a Therapeutic Hypothesis

Human and Translational Evidence in Therapeutic Hypothesis Development

Target Identification, Validation, and Assessment
Introduce how therapeutic targets are discovered, experimentally validated, and assessed before significant investment in a discovery program.

Therapeutic Targets and Major Target Classes

Approaches to Target Identification

Experimental Strategies for Target Validation

Target Assessment: Biology, Druggability, Safety, and Translational Potential

Therapeutic Strategies and Modality Selection
Introduce the major approaches available for manipulating therapeutic targets and the scientific principles underlying modality selection.

Mechanisms of Therapeutic Intervention

Small-Molecule and Biologic Therapeutics

Nucleic Acid, Gene, and Cell-Based Therapeutic Modalities

Principles of Therapeutic Modality Selection

Drug Discovery: From Hit Identification to Development Candidate
Provide an integrated introduction to how therapeutic molecules are discovered, optimized, pharmacologically characterized, and evaluated for advancement.

Assay Development, Screening, and Hit Identification

Hit-to-Lead and Lead Optimization

Fundamentals of DMPK and PK/PD in Drug Discovery

Preclinical Pharmacology, Proof of Concept, and Candidate Selection

Translation from Discovery to Preclinical and Clinical Development
Integrate the course by examining how discovery evidence supports candidate selection and how a selected candidate begins progressing toward clinical development.

Integrated Evidence and Decision-Making in Drug Discovery

Development Candidate Selection and Nomination

Introduction to Preclinical Safety and IND-Enabling Development

From Preclinical Development to First-in-Human Studies

About Course

Course Content

Drug Discovery and Development: Landscape, Stages, and Functions Establish the overall framework of drug discovery and development, the major stages from basic research to approved therapeutics, and the scientific functions involved.

Drug Discovery and Development: Definitions and Overall Process

Stages of the Drug Discovery and Development Pipeline

Scientific Functions and the Drug Discovery Ecosystem

Drug Discovery Attrition and Major Causes of Program Failure

Disease Biology, Unmet Medical Need, and Therapeutic Hypothesis Explain how understanding a disease and its unmet medical need provides the scientific foundation for establishing a drug-discovery program.

Disease Biology and Pathophysiology in Drug Discovery

Unmet Medical Need and the Current Treatment Landscape

Development of a Therapeutic Hypothesis

Human and Translational Evidence in Therapeutic Hypothesis Development

Target Identification, Validation, and Assessment Introduce how therapeutic targets are discovered, experimentally validated, and assessed before significant investment in a discovery program.

Therapeutic Targets and Major Target Classes

Approaches to Target Identification

Experimental Strategies for Target Validation

Target Assessment: Biology, Druggability, Safety, and Translational Potential

Therapeutic Strategies and Modality Selection Introduce the major approaches available for manipulating therapeutic targets and the scientific principles underlying modality selection.

Mechanisms of Therapeutic Intervention

Small-Molecule and Biologic Therapeutics

Nucleic Acid, Gene, and Cell-Based Therapeutic Modalities

Principles of Therapeutic Modality Selection

Drug Discovery: From Hit Identification to Development Candidate Provide an integrated introduction to how therapeutic molecules are discovered, optimized, pharmacologically characterized, and evaluated for advancement.

Assay Development, Screening, and Hit Identification

Hit-to-Lead and Lead Optimization

Fundamentals of DMPK and PK/PD in Drug Discovery

Preclinical Pharmacology, Proof of Concept, and Candidate Selection

Translation from Discovery to Preclinical and Clinical Development Integrate the course by examining how discovery evidence supports candidate selection and how a selected candidate begins progressing toward clinical development.

Integrated Evidence and Decision-Making in Drug Discovery

Development Candidate Selection and Nomination

Introduction to Preclinical Safety and IND-Enabling Development

From Preclinical Development to First-in-Human Studies

Start Your Scientific Excellence Journey

Drug Discovery and Development: Landscape, Stages, and Functions
Establish the overall framework of drug discovery and development, the major stages from basic research to approved therapeutics, and the scientific functions involved.

Disease Biology, Unmet Medical Need, and Therapeutic Hypothesis
Explain how understanding a disease and its unmet medical need provides the scientific foundation for establishing a drug-discovery program.

Target Identification, Validation, and Assessment
Introduce how therapeutic targets are discovered, experimentally validated, and assessed before significant investment in a discovery program.

Therapeutic Strategies and Modality Selection
Introduce the major approaches available for manipulating therapeutic targets and the scientific principles underlying modality selection.

Drug Discovery: From Hit Identification to Development Candidate
Provide an integrated introduction to how therapeutic molecules are discovered, optimized, pharmacologically characterized, and evaluated for advancement.

Translation from Discovery to Preclinical and Clinical Development
Integrate the course by examining how discovery evidence supports candidate selection and how a selected candidate begins progressing toward clinical development.