Welcome to the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah
The Department of Pathology includes >150 faculty members and diverse clinical, research, and education programs. Pathology is both a basic science focused on understanding disease mechanisms, and a clinical discipline central to health care. A majority of 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 (III). 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 molecular mechanisms in antigen presentation, autoimmunity, transplantation, immunogenetics, regulation of inflammatory processes, various aspects of T and B cell biology, and the interplay between the commensal microbiota and the immune system. In addition, the M&I faculty includes experts in basic transcriptional control processes, molecular regulation of cellular iron transport, cell biology, and various aspects of microbial pathogenesis, from basic genetics to molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling host resistance and susceptibility to viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic pathogens. 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 clinical and translational research efforts span the full breadth of medicine, from molecular oncology to infections diseases, and endocrinology 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 and the Huntsman Cancer Center. Much of our clinical and translational research is organized through the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, which provides a formal mechanism to support scholarship and research in diagnostic medicine. Through the efforts of our clinical faculty and Institute personnel, 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. In addition to the PhD program, the Microbiology and Immunology division provides excellent opportunities for postdoctoral research training. 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 also provide advanced subspecialty training for both physicians and PhD clinical scientists in a large variety of areas through our clinical fellowship programs.
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.
We hope you will have an opportunity to visit our campus so that you can see first hand our facilities and learn more about our clinical, research, and educational activities.
Peter E. Jensen, MD
ARUP Presidential Professor and Chair