To learn more about disease processes, our pathologists look at tissues under a microscope or test blood samples. Then, we do experiments to test our ideas.
Findings from our studies sometimes lead to new testing or treatments.
Our pathologists study a wide range of diseases and treatments.
Your bones allow you to stand and move around. They also protect your organs and produce blood cells.
Bones make up a large part of a body, and many diseases can affect them. We study diseases and infections of the skeletal system that can have a profound effect on our health.
Cancer is a disease caused by abnormal cell growth in the bones, organs, or other tissues.
Cells mostly divide, grow, and die in a well ordered manner. But when they grow or divide too quickly, they may form a mass called a tumor, often felt as a lump.
Cancer can also affect cells in other ways. Cancer cells can spread from where they formed to other organs and tissues throughout the body.
We study how cancer forms, maintains, and spreads. Our research extends to all organ systems in the body.
Diabetes is a disease marked by a high level of sugar, or glucose, in the blood. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells get energy from glucose.
High glucose is the result of an insulin shortfall. If your pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, or if your body doesn't use it efficiently, excess glucose stays in your blood.
We study how:
Our bodies have an advanced means of fighting off disease. Our immune system includes white blood cells and certain proteins and organs throughout the body.
The immune system:
We study how the immune system works to learn why and how it functions.
Your skin, immune system, mucous membranes, and other structures and functions of your body work together to fend off infectious diseases. But despite these natural protection mechanisms, pathogens that cause disease can enter your body.
We study how pathogens enter tissues and make people ill. We also seek to learn how bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and other pathogens affect health.
The liver is a vital part of the digestive system. It filters toxins and waste from your body.
The liver is resilient and can even regenerate itself. But certain diseases and disorders can disrupt how the liver functions and cause it to work poorly. This may include:
We study how the liver works and regenerates itself. In our research, we explore how this knowledge might help create bioartificial liver tissue.
Your lungs allow you to breathe. They transport oxygen from the air into the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide.
Smoking, allergies, asthma, and infections — like pneumonia or tuberculosis — can affect this exchange of gases and cause breathing problems. Cancerous and benign tumors can also affect the lungs.
We study how lungs can become damaged and how cancer forms. We also explore other causes of lung disease and dysfunction.
Neurological disorders are issues that affect your nervous system, which includes the:
A disease that affects the nervous system can cause:
We study the molecular events that can cause diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. We also study how infections can cause problems with the brain, spine, and nervous system.
Regenerative medicine is when experts create functional tissues to replace damaged or defective organs or other tissues. Doctors hope to help damaged tissues heal themselves. Related to organ transplants, regenerative medicine also allows doctors to grow tissues in a lab and implant them into your body.
We study new ways to help the body heal itself, with special focus on the liver. From stimulating liver regrowth to helping the body stop the growth of cancer cells, we're learning more about how organs form.
Renal disease is disease of your kidneys.
The kidneys filter your blood. They remove waste, toxins, and extra fluids and convert them into urine. But poor circulation, infections, or structural defects can cause the kidneys to not work the right way, which upsets your body's balance.
We study the kidneys to learn how cellular and molecular abnormalities can lead to malfunction. We also research how to improve function in diseased or transplanted kidneys.
Your thyroid is an organ in the neck that works to adjust temperature and metabolism. Sometimes, cancerous tumors can appear on the thyroid and can then spread the disease throughout the body.
We study thyroid cancer and its causes.
The skin is the human body's largest organ. It protects your muscles, organs, and all other body tissues. Your skin also serves as a vital system to control temperature and fluid.
The skin can heal itself although sometimes, injury and disease make healing tougher.
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