Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

SUNY Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Margarita Dubocovich, PhD, is the world’s foremost authority on melatonin receptors’ neuropharmacology. Her pioneering work has revealed melatonin's impact on circadian rhythms, sleep disorders, depression, and cancer.  Throughout her distinguished career she has been committed to training the next generation of leaders in biomedical, behavioral and STEM disciplines, developing comprehensive institutional mentoring programs, and securing  funding for inclusive communities of students, fellows, and junior faculty. She established UB’s Collaborative Learning and Integrated Mentoring in Biosciences (CLIMB) Program, and the Institute of Strategic Enhancement of Educational Diversity (iSEED). In recognition of her extraordinary contributions, in 2025 Dubocovich received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, the White House’s highest honor for STEM mentors