Research

Clinical and basic science research encompasses diverse projects ranging from the molecular bases of cellular pathogenesis to cutting-edge clinical diagnostics.   Longstanding research programs in cancer include studies of genetically driven breast, ovarian, and brain cancers and leukemias.   Infectious disease research includes studies of peptidic effectors of innate immune responses and clinical translation of engineered peptides for treatment of sepsis and autoinflammatory disorders.  Related investigations focus on understanding the cellular regulation of development, injury and repair in the GI tract, lung and skin.   Neurobiology research is focused on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.  The department is also home to a longstanding liver disease research center with foci including alcohol-associated hepatitis, liver cancer, and cirrhosis.  In addition, our pathologists play major roles in preclinical and clinical stage investigations of hematologic, urologic, and gastrointestinal system disorders.