At the beginning of the 21st century, we are amidst three major revolutions in science and medicine. Spectacular achievements are occurring each day in molecular and cell biology that greatly expand our horizons, simultaneously offering hope for conquering numerous terrible maladies that affect mankind as well as challenging us to think beyond our present approaches to medicine and biology. The information age presents new, exciting, and rapidly evolving opportunities for our missions of teaching, research and clinical service. Health and bioinformatics are at the forefront of the explosive changes occurring in medicine and medical research. While these rapid changes are occurring in basic science, medicine and informatics, a revolution in health care delivery and in higher education is also well underway, forcing suppliers to provide quality services at lowest cost and demanding solutions to problems of access to health care as well as a refocus on health maintenance rather than disease treatment.
These changes pose enormous challenges to the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. However, with each challenge comes numerous opportunities. Innovation and creativity have never been in greater demand than now, applicable to our research, teaching, clinical service, and our departmental administrative efforts. It is our good fortune in this department to have a creative and energetic faculty and staff, all of whom actively pursue these missions.
Our department is actively involved in education, not only teaching medical students and pathology residents, but also training students in our M.S., M.D./Ph.D., and Ph.D. programs. A new track has been developed in our graduate program in bioinformatics. In addition to UNMC faculty, some University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) faculty also participate. We also strongly support educational programs in medical technology and cytotechnology. Several of our faculty members have received awards for excellence and innovation in teaching. Distance learning is fostered through a state-wide and regional network established by the medical technology program. The department is also active in teaching in campus-wide programs at UNMC including Pharmacy, Physicians' Assistants, and Physical Therapy.
Our department's research efforts continue to expand with extramural funding exceeding ten million dollars annually. Research efforts in the department explore numerous fields including cancer, immunology and transplantation, molecular virology and pathogenesis, the neurosciences, human and molecular genetics, clinical pathology and laboratory automation, and bacteriology, especially related to bioterrorism preparedness. Serving as a bridge between basic research and clinical medicine, it is only natural that this department has a strong investment in biotechnology and technology transfer.
Our clinical laboratory continues to meet the enormous challenges of contemporary medicine following the major restructuring of our laboratory in the wake of the merger of University and Clarkson Hospitals to form the Nebraska Medical Center. The department's clinical laboratory has additionally assumed the duties of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. Extensive research and development is occurring in the clinical laboratories, especially with the major expansion of laboratory automation and molecular diagnostics. The laboratory staff has focused on quality service to patients and clinicians in the inpatient and outpatient setting while continuing to combine our clinical mission with the academic missions of the department and our medical center.
The Department of Pathology and Microbiology is a dynamic academic department with educational, scientific and clinical excellence. Please take some time to check out who we are and what we do. We would be pleased to receive your email with your comments or questions about our programs.
Updated 7/1/07