Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Pathology, the study of disease, integrates all aspects of biomedical science to further the understanding of disease processes and develop methods for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease. This department focuses particularly on the biology, genetics, and immunology of cancer, and on neurologic disorders. It offers multiple research and training opportunities in experimental and applied pathology, and has a diverse faculty composed of core and joint members.

Current foci of research by departmental faculty and students include:

  • Disorders of brain development and normal aging
  • Disorders of cell cycle and cell signaling in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer
  • Normal and abnormal immunological responses to infectious agents and environmental toxins and to other stimuli
  • Development of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases

Training programs offered by the department include:

  • Graduate programs for PhD and MD/PhD students as well as MS students, with training opportunities in several tracks: Experimental Pathology, Interdepartmental Pathology—Immunology, Interdepartmental Pathology—Cell and Molecular Biology, and Pathology—Neuroscience.
  • Prospective applicants to the PhD program in Pathology must enter via the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). This program emphasizes interdisciplinary training for the first year, after which time students will be free to transition into one of the doctoral programs offered by the Department of Pathology.
  • Pathology Residency program with training opportunities in clinical and anatomic pathology, and fellowship training in subspecialties, both centered in the Division of Pathology, Boston Medical Center.

Our department is committed to providing excellence in diagnostic pathology, in biomedical research, and in graduate and medical education.

Application information and forms for the Graduate Programs are available through Graduate Medical Sciences.