Members of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute carry out clinically applied and translational research investigations/projects in diverse areas in the study of human disease. Translational research in pathology aims to bring the discoveries from the lab bench to the bedside.
Active research spans all aspects of disease including basic pathologic and molecular mechanisms; pathologic manifestations and characterization; diagnostic and prognostic markers and studies in blood, tissue, and body fluids; applications of new laboratory technologies; clinical management; and patient outcomes.
Members of the Institute obtain funding from a variety of sources, both intramural and extramural. Extramural fund sources include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other federal and state governmental agencies, professional societies in pathology, and industry.
The Institute vigorously pursues partnerships in research and development with industry, including biotechnology, molecular and in vitro diagnostics, pharmaceutical, information technology, and other firms, who recognize the expertise and the resources available in the Institute and Cleveland Clinic as an excellent research and development environment.
The Institute participates in and supports many collaborative research efforts with clinical departments and with the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Faculty also play important roles in multi-center research trials.
The Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute provides core laboratory support for translational research projects for investigators throughout the Cleveland Clinic. The Molecular Pathology Department functions as a core facility for molecular research programs and the extraction of DNA and RNA for multiple investigators.
Techniques available include DNA sequencing, SNP analysis, array-based comparative genomic hybridization, in situ hybridization for DNA and RNA targets, tissue microarrays, laser capture microdissection, cell culture, gel-based and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and other technologies. The Biospecimen Repository is a facility for the collection and storage of well annotated tissue specimens for translational and clinical research. The program procures, catalogs, and provides tissue samples (>5000 per year) for Cleveland Clinic investigators with appropriate IRB approval.
Research programs in pathology at Cleveland Clinic are profiled in the semiannual publication Pathology Research: Clinical and Translational.
