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Economic Development
University of Mississippi

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Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Science

Overview

As a $50 billion a year research-intensive industry, biopharmaceuticals contribute significantly to national, state, and local economies especially with high-value, high-wage, revenue-generating jobs. National employment in the biopharmaceutical sector grew by 29 percent between 2001 and 2008, exceeding total private sector job growth by eight times (Battelle). The growth in this manufacturing sector is expected to continue with pharmaceutical and medicine production predicted to increase 3% in 2015, 4% in 2016, and 5% in 2017 (Mapi Foundation). As a leader in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, UM contributes to Mississippi’s strengths in this growth sector with cutting-edge R&D and progressive academic programs. From the School of Pharmacy to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, it is UM’s talent and innovation that help solidify Mississippi’s continued growth and success in this field.

Improving the Health of Citizens and Contributing to the Discovery of Natural Products:

School of Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi is the state’s only pharmacy school. Through its education, research, and service missions the school aims to improve the health of our state citizens as well as the nation and the world. Pharmaceutical research and development studies are conducted by faculty, graduate students and research staff in the Departments of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, and the Department of BioMedical Sciences. Clinical trials are conducted by faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Additionally, the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (RIPS) is housed within the School of Pharmacy. RIPS was established in the 1960s to discover and disseminate knowledge in the field of pharmaceutical research, develop and commercialize new products, improve public health, and stimulate the economy. Within RIPS are:

  • Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology (Pii Center) helps pharmaceutical companies create and develop innovative new products and train employees in advanced manufacturing processes. The Pii Center research focuses on the use of new polymers in hot melt extrusion processes to improve the delivery of new and existing pharmaceutical compounds. A hands-on course in tablet technology hosted by the Center triannually focuses on teaching up to 150 scientists and engineers from the pharmaceutical industry advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies using a combination of lectures and laboratory assignments. UM faculty and experts from 18 companies teach the course.
  • Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management (CPMM) works with healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, independent and chain pharmacies, wholesalers and insurers (including the Mississippi Department of Medicaid) to improve medication use and health outcomes.
  • The National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) is the only university-affiliated research center devoted to improving human health and agricultural productivity through the discovery, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, dietary supplement ingredients and agrochemicals derived from natural products. The NCNPR employs about 120 researchers and support staff. The NCNPR, designated by the Food and Drug Administration as a Center of Excellence in Botanicals, provides research assistance, training and education to the FDA and the dietary supplement industry. The NCNPR hosts the annual International Conference on the Science of Botanicals that is attended by approximately 300 researchers and administrators from around the world. The NCNPR’s Medicinal Plant Garden contains over 1500 living medicinal plants.

Educating Tomorrow’s Healthcare Professionals and Providing Cutting-Edge Patient Care:

University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), located in Jackson, is the state’s only academic health science center and includes six health science schools: medicine, nursing, dentistry, health related professions, graduate studies and pharmacy (The School of Pharmacy is headquartered on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford).

The Medical Center’s missions are to improve the lives of Mississippians by educating tomorrow’s health-care professionals, by conducting health sciences research, and by providing cutting-edge patient care.  With more than 9,100 full- and part-time employees, UMMC is one of the largest employers in Mississippi. UMMC’s $1.6 billion annual budget represents 10 percent of the Jackson metro area economy and 2 percent of the state economy.

Improving Lives and Conditions in Mississippi’s Communities:

School of Applied Sciences (SAS) seeks to improve the lives and conditions of people and communities across Mississippi and the region. The focus at SAS spans the life-course in the broad domains of human services and the applied health related fields of communication sciences and disorders; child nutrition; nutrition and hospitality management; health, exercise science and recreation management; legal studies; and social work. The Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management initiates and/or manages employee wellness programs in industrial settings.