|
| |
Chairman's Message: Peter S. Amenta, M.D., Ph.D.
|
Academically, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School, provides the bridge between the clinical and basic
sciences at our institution. This function is pervasive throughout our
institution, affiliated institutes and client hospitals in Central New
Jersey. In this role, our department assists physician assistants, medical students and others in their transformation from the basic to clinical
sciences. |
The clinical activities of the department are based at Robert Wood
Johnson University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton
and Southern Ocean County Hospital. Surgical specimen accessions at these
institutions, number over 25,000. In addition, the department provides a
comprehensive consultation service of approximately 5,000 cases and
approximately 10,000 cytology specimens. The department has sub-specialty
expertise in immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, molecular and transplant
pathology. Areas of Specialty Board Certification held by our faculty include;
Anatomic, Clinical, Neuropathology, Cytopathology, Pediatric Pathology,
Immunopathology, and Hematopathology.
The Clinical Laboratory is responsible for over 1,500,000 specimens
annually in its accessions to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. These
cross all disciplines in Clinical Pathology including; Clinical Chemistry,
Transfusion Medicine, Microbiology and Hematology. In addition, the department
oversees an expanding molecular diagnostic laboratory.
The departments research efforts are responsible for substantial
contribution to the scientific community, as well as within the institution. The
department has for many years been associated with efforts at improving our
understanding of the pathobiology of the extracellular matrix. The extracellular
matrix is that complex of macromolecules surrounding stromal cells and
underlying epithelial and endothelial cells. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is now
known to have profound effects on cellular behavior during development,
differentiation, maintaining homeostasis and in tumor biology. Laboratories in
the department are centering their efforts on defining factors controlling the
assembly of a unique extracellular matrix; the basement membrane and its role in
diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Another laboratory is studying the role of
ECM in neuronal guidance.
The department is also actively studying the muscle cytoskeletal protein
myosin in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies. An especially pertinent area of
focus of the department is medical informatics. This aspect of our research
effort has international implications, having grants funded to support
telemedicine programs with our hospital at Shanghai Medical University in
Shanghai, China. Through a close collaboration between our clinical and research
faculty an image-guided decision support system was developed to characterize
hematologic malignancies on the basis of statistical pattern recognition and
computer analysis. A new focus of study is in membrane fusion.
Our department looks forward to expanding our contributions to the
institution, national and international community via our research, clinical and
educational missions.
|
