Pathobiology is the study of disease (pathology), with more emphasis on the biologic rather than the medical aspects of the field. It stands at the interface between medicine (the diagnosis and treatment of disease) and biology, and therefore expands our understanding of disease processes and translates that understanding into better disease diagnosis and treatment. Because of its nature, a research-based graduate program in Pathobiology and Translational Science fits naturally into our Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and compliments the clinical divisions of our department.

Our program offers outstanding graduate level training in the mechanisms of disease and translational research, leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in pathology. Experimental pathologists apply methods of cellular and molecular biology to study interactions of etiologic agents with cellular macromolecules. They are interested in how these interactions lead to the expression of disease at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismic levels, and how this knowledge can be applied to advance patient healthcare. Training in Pathobiology and Translational Science provides the biological background and opportunity for development of basic and translational research in areas at the forefront of medicine. Our program emphasizes the inquiry into human disease processes by using a multilevel approach to research and state-of-the-art techniques. Graduates of this training program fill positions within academia, industry, and government that are concerned with human health, and the cause and prevention of human illness.