Welcome to the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah
The Department of Pathology includes >150 faculty members multiple clinical, research, and education programs. Pathology is both a basic science focused on understanding disease mechanisms, and a clinical discipline central to health care. Most clinical decisions are heavily influenced by the results of diagnostic tests performed by pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists, supported by a highly trained workforce of laboratory professionals. The Department of Pathology is also the home for the basic science fields of microbiology and immunology in the School of Medicine.
In the clinical arena, the University of Utah is recognized nationally as a leader in pathology and laboratory medicine. Our national reference laboratory, ARUP, provides esoteric laboratory testing and consultation services to laboratories across the country and we serve as a reference laboratory to many of the academic health systems and children’s hospitals, in addition to providing highly sophisticated pathology expertise and services for our own medical center, including the University Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Hospital, and Primary Children’s Medical Center. We have great depth of expertise in our Clinical Pathology, Anatomic Pathology, and Pediatric Pathology divisions, and the capacity and resources to apply cutting-edge technology in our clinical practice and research.
The Microbiology and Immunology (M&I) division serves as an anchor for the institutional initiative in Immunology, Inflammation, and Infectious diseases (3i). Faculty members in the M&I division have diverse basic research interests with a major focus on immunology and microbial pathogenesis. Research in the department spans many areas of immunology including autoimmunity, cancer immunology, transplantation, immunogenetics, regulation of inflammatory processes, various aspects of T and B cell biology, immunometabolism, and the interplay between the commensal microbiota and the immune system. The division hosts a successful graduate program, providing excellent training opportunities for doctoral candidates with interest in immunology, microbial pathogenesis, or other aspects of experimental pathology.
Our basic and translational research efforts span the full breadth of medicine, from molecular oncology to infectious diseases, and neuroscience to genetics. Department members have research collaborations with faculty throughout the institution, including the College of Science and the College of Engineering, in addition to clinical departments in the School of Medicine, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the Molecular Medicine Program. Much of our clinical and translational research is organized through the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology and the ARUP Research and Innovations unit, which provide formal mechanisms to support scholarship and research in diagnostic medicine. Through the efforts of our clinical faculty and scientists, we continuously strive to move advances in medicine and technology into application in pathology and the clinical laboratory.
Our department has a strong focus on the education mission, providing multiple training opportunities. The Microbiology and Immunology division hosts a strong PhD program and provides excellent opportunities for postdoctoral research training. We participate extensively throughout the MD curriculum, including a longitudinal integrated clerkship, with all medical students rotating in pathology services during their second year. Through our residency program, we offer combined postgraduate training in anatomic and clinical pathology, or clinical or anatomic pathology only, including a physician-scientist track. We provide flexible training experiences that will prepare physicians for successful careers in academic pathology, community practice, or industry. Our depth of faculty expertise, clinical material, and technological sophistication, combine to provide an environment that will prepare future pathologists for leadership and success in a rapidly evolving landscape that includes changes in technology and health care delivery models. We provide advanced subspecialty training for both physicians and PhD clinical scientists in a large variety of areas through our clinical fellowship programs. We also provide a wealth of continuing medical education materials through the ARUP Institute for Learning.
The Medical Laboratory Science division provides an outstanding educational experience for undergraduates working towards B.S. degrees in Medical Laboratory Science with curricula that include formal coursework, laboratory-based training, and clinical rotations. This division also sponsors a Masters of Laboratory Medicine & Biomedical Science training program.
Our department, ARUP, and the University of Utah provide an exciting environment for trainees, staff, and faculty members, with a culture focused on collaboration, collegiality, and mutual support.
Peter E. Jensen, MD
ARUP Presidential Professor and Chair