Departments and Centers
Basic Science Departments
Biochemistry and Biophysics
The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics is comprised of over 40 faculty with well- funded and active research programs in many diverse areas. Our graduate education programs are affiliated with other departments, including Biology, Chemistry, Immunology , Microbiology and Vaccine Biology, and Cancer Biology. Graduate students in our Ph.D. programs, therefore, have a great deal of flexibility to rotate through many different types of research labs.
Biomedical Engineering
Our mission is to create and disseminate knowledge in engineering related to basic biomedical sciences and health care applications, and to provide students with the foundational knowledge and skills in biomedical engineering that they will need to become and remain leaders in their chosen field.
Biomedical Genetics
Research in the Department of Biomedical Genetics is focused onto two main areas: I) The role of signaling networks and small molecule metabolites in normal cell regulation and organ development as well as in diseases with a genetic basis, such as cancer II) Stem cell research in association with tissue repair paradigms
Biostatistics and Computational Biology
The department, located in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, has three primary objectives: methodological research, collaborative research, and education. The Department administers masters, doctoral and postdoctoral programs in statistics and biostatistics.
Cardiovascular Sciences
Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide, and are predicted to be the leading cause of all disability by 2020. The interdisciplinary and internationally recognized faculty of this cluster provides an outstanding training environment which includes state of the art facilities and techniques that span genetic, molecular, cellular and systems investigation of both vascular and cardiac diseases. We are committed to training the next generation of cardiovascular scientists who will further elucidate mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for these debilitating diseases.
Community & Preventive Medicine
The Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, in its graduate education and research programs, emphasizes the epidemiology of disease and disability, the evaluation of health services and their outcomes, and the development of interventions to prevent disease and disability. The Department consists of four divisions: Epidemiology, Healthcare Management, Health Services Research and Policy, and Social and Behavioral Medicine. Three degree programs are offered: a Masters Degree in Public Health, a PhD in Health Services Research and Policy, and a PhD in Epidemiology.
Environmental Medicine
Our mission is to increase scientific understanding of the health risks posed by contaminants at home, in the workplace, and in the ambient environment.
Microbiology and Immunology
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is focussed on research and educational programs which relate to microbial pathogens (viruses and prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes ) and the host immune defenses which protect against these organisms. Current research emphasizes cutting-edge molecular techniques and includes, but is not limited to, studies on: autoimmunity, biodefense, bioinformatics biofilms, cancer biology, gene therapy, genetics, HIV/AIDS, immunologic mechanisms and vaccine development. Predoctoral training is supported in part by five NIH-funded training grants, and the faculty comprise approximately fifty researchers (primary and joint). According to NIH data, the Department presently ranks 11th (out of 98 comparable Departments) in the nation in terms of extramural grant support.
Neurobiology & Anatomy
The Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy is recognized for its excellence in research programs and for its commitment to teaching and leadership in both graduate and medical education. Over thirty faculty (primary and joint) are actively engaged in research on the structure and function of the nervous system across several levels of inquiry. Areas of interest cover a broad spectrum, including sensory, motor and integrative systems, cell signaling and transmission, development and aging, neurobiology of disease, learning and plasticity, neuro-engineering, and computational neurobiology.
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Investigators in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine are active in exploring the cellular and molecular pathology of bladder, prostate, and breast cancer, blood group antigens, bone diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hematopoiesis, immune disorders, lipid metabolism, neurodegenerative diseases, kidney diseases, lymphomas, and leukemias. Educational programs include graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. degree, postdoctoral fellowships, year-out medical student fellowships, residency training, and clinical fellowships. As manager of the Strong Health Clinical Laboratories, the Department is uniquely poised to support basic, translational, and clinical research. It is establishing a full-service clinical trials central laboratory, slated to open in summer 2007.
Pharmacology and Physiology
The Department of Pharmacology and Physiology consists of faculty, fellows and students who are dedicated to cutting-edge scientific research, in order to work towards a better understanding of how the human body functions and to alleviate human diseases.
Centers
Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute
The faculty of the CVRI focus on five areas of research in the cardiovascular system. 1) Vascular and developmental biology; 2) response to ischemic injury; 3) electrophysiology and ion channels, 4) molecular pharmacology and signal transduction; and 5) genetics of cardiovascular disease. The overall goal is to understand how the cardiovascular system develops and responds to physiological and pathological changes.
Aab Institute of Biomedical Sciences
The Aab Institute of Biomedical Sciences enhances the University’s strong biomedical research program by creating an organizational structure and professional environment that foster outstanding interdisciplinary research.
Cancer Center
The James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center is a state-of-the-art clinical Cancer Center. Our focus is to provide outstanding care for people with cancer by offering the latest and most effective therapies in a compassionate setting. We conduct significant interdisciplinary cancer-related research, translate advances in the basic sciences into meaningful cancer treatments, and provide superior education and training programs for students and fellows in areas related to cancer research and clinical care.
Center for Aging and Developmental Biology
The Center will build upon existing programs in systems, toxicological, and cognitive Neurosciences at the University of Rochester with the long term goal of developing effective therapies for neurological dysfunction associated both with disease and normative aging.
Center for Ethics, Humanities and Palliative Care
The Center for Ethics, Humanities and Palliative Care is a unique trio of interdisciplinary programs devoted to promoting humanistic, ethical, patient-centered care throughout the life cycle through their educational, research and clinical initiatives.
Center for Future Health
The Center for Future Health is a focused research program that develops the needed technologies for a Personal Health System. This multi-disciplinary team of physicians, health practitioners, bio-organic chemists, computer scientists, informaticists, engineers, and behavioral scientists is working towards inventing smart technology that allows consumers, in the privacy of their own homes, to maintain health, detect the onset of health problems and manage disease
Center for Musculoskeletal Research
Center for Neurodegenerative & Vascular Brain Disorders
The Center for Neurodegenerative and Vascular Brain Disorders focuses on studies of neuronal and vascular mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other chronic neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s Disease (HD) and others, as well as on brain ischemia and neuroprotection mechanisms in stroke.
Center for Oral Biology
The Center for Oral Biology consists of several interdisciplinary research teams which integrate and blend aspects of biochemistry, developmental biology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, physiology, pharmacology and structural biology to explore important problems of craniofacial, dental and oral biology.
Center for Pediatric Biomedical Research
Research in the Center has as its ultimate aim the improvement in children's health through the study of stem and progenitor cell biology and the development of new technologies to investigate protein structure and function on a genomic scale.
Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology
Building on the existing strong programs in Immunology, Microbiology and Vaccine Biology at the University of Rochester, the Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology focusses on basic research into immunological mechanisms, and also on the long-term goal of helping to design the next generation of vaccines.
Primary Care Center
115 Primary Care Providers 28 locations in Monroe, Livingston and Wayne Counties. All with a reputation for delivering exemplary patient care...
Rochester Center for Brain Imaging (RCBI)
The Rochester Center for Brain Imaging (RCBI) provides researchers at the University of Rochester, as well as neighboring institutions, with access to a state-of-the-art 3T magnet for research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Although the primary use of the Center is to gather functional MRI data from the normal adult brain as participants perform a variety of tasks, it is capable of providing structural images of many anatomical structures.
Clinical Departments & Divisions
Anesthesiology
The Department of Anesthesiology has a long history of excellence in clinical care and in the education of residents who have been recognized in the private and academic communities as carrying on this tradition locally and nationally.
Dentistry
We are improving oral health through caring, discovery, teaching, and learning. We provide postdoctoral training for 80 oral health professionals, engaging in basic and translational research. We provide a broad range of oral health care services to over 50,000 children and adults, promoting the belief that good oral health is at the core of wellness.
Dermatology
Our faculty understand that Dermatologic care and Dermatology education are highly dependent on conceptual and visual information and the organization and integration of that information. Our clinical services and research programs strive to build, expand and integrate Dermatologic knowledge and care for our patients, trainees and community.
Emergency Medicine
At the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Rocheste, you will find perhaps the finest physical plant in the country. Large diverse faculty dedicated to research and teaching as well as providing the finest of clinical care, and some of the finest residents. All of this within an institution that is famous for its commitment to research and its community. Inside our department and institution, you will find warmth and friendliness, and a strong commitment to excellence in patient care, research and education.
Ethics
The Ethics Consultation Service helps patients, families and caregivers to explore the issues and choices surrounding difficult decisions. Ethics consults may be particularly useful in situations when there is substantial uncertainty regarding capacity, decision-making authority or conflict about treatment goals.
Family Medicine
One of the country's leading programs in family systems medicine, delivered by a faculty renowned for their integrated bio-psychosocial approach to health care.
Imaging Sciences
The Department of Radiology provides a wide range of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic imaging procedures with high quality and efficiency as a service to patients and their physicians. Demonstrations of quality clinical practices serve as a teaching model for medical students and resident physicians as well as trainees in other areas. The department's leadership role in community and academic radiology is to be maintained through research and clinical practice.
Medical Humanities
Medical Humanities is an interdisciplinary group drawn from the medical specialties and the humanities. Its application of philosophy, history, literature, visual arts and jurisprudence to the study of medicine and the care of patients is a part of the University of Rochester's traditional consideration of the social and ethical contexts of medicine.
Medicine
The Department of Medicine at the University of Rochester is committed to improving health by supporting basic and clinical scientists at the University of Rochester investigating the cause, prevention and treatment of diseases that afflict our society. Investigations into the cellular, molecular and genetic basis of disease occur across the twelve units within the department. These include: Cardiology, Digestive Diseases, Endocrinology, General Medicine/Geriatrics, Genetics, Clinical Research Center, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Primary Care, Pulmonary, and Allergy/Immunology/Rheumatology. Approximately 200 faculty members at the University and 300 practicing physicians in the community contribute to the robust academic and clinical environment of the Department of Medicine.
Neurology
The Neurology Department includes 70 full-time faculty and 15 fellows. The major divisions and programs in the Department include: the Neuromuscular Disease Center, Behavioral Neurology, The Strong Epilepsy Program, The Stroke Program, Movement and Inherited Neurological Disorders, Neuroimmunology (MS), Sensory Motor Neurology, The Clinical Trials Coordination Center, The Experimental Therapeutics Program, The Alzheimer's Disease Center, and Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy.
Neurosurgery
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ophthalmology
Our clinical and research faculty are nationally recognized. Working together to develop the most advanced diagnostics and treatments for a wide range of eye conditions, our faculty members are actively involved in teaching tomorrow’s ophthalmologists in the following areas: Anterior Segment (Cornea, Cataract, Refractive Surgery), Glaucoma, Medical Retina, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Vitreous/Retinal Surgery.
Orthopaedics
The Department of Orthopaedics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, provides a comprehensive educational experience in the field of Musculoskeletal Disorders. The program includes a sufficient variety and volume of clinical problems to afford the Orthopaedic resident excellent educational experience in diagnostic, judgmental and manual skills in adult orthopaedics, pediatric orthopaedics, fractures and dislocations, polytrauma, surgery of the spine including disc surgery, hand and foot surgery, athletic injuries, musculoskeletal oncology, rehabilitation, and related basic sciences.
Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery is a broad area of medicine dedicated to the treatment of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat and related structures of the head and neck. The department strives to achieve this through research, training and sharing of knowledge with its own and allied fields. The department offers a multi-specialty approach to treatment of patients with otolaryngologic problems through its clinical centers of excellence in otology/neurotology, head and neck surgery, facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, apnea and snoring, sinus disease and voice disorders.
Palliative Care
The Palliative Care Program is dedicated to alleviating suffering, providing high-quality pain and symptom management, and supporting patient-centered care for patients experiencing serious illness and their families. We accomplish this through excellent patient and family care, comprehensive educational programs, and innovative research in palliative care.
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Investigators in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine are active in exploring the cellular and molecular pathology of bladder, prostate, and breast cancer, blood group antigens, bone diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hematopoiesis, immune disorders, lipid metabolism, neurodegenerative diseases, kidney diseases, lymphomas, and leukemias. Educational programs include graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. degree, postdoctoral fellowships, year-out medical student fellowships, residency training, and clinical fellowships. As manager of the Strong Health Clinical Laboratories, the Department is uniquely poised to support basic, translational, and clinical research. It is establishing a full-service clinical trials central laboratory, slated to open in summer 2007.
Pediatrics
URMC Pediatrics stands uniquely poised to provide state-of-the-art care today and to apply the best that biomedical science has to offer to make tomorrow's state-of-the-art even better than what today holds out to the children and families of our region, our country, and our world. We pride ourselves in maintaining a fully integrated collaborative environment between the pediatricians of the University of Rochester Medical Center and our colleagues in clinical practice in the community. Together, with the University of Rochester which houses some of the world's premier clinical care and basic / clinical biomedical and socioeconomic researchers in interdisciplinary centers, Pediatrics is able to provide exemplary patient care and result oriented research.
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was established in 1996, after having existed as the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine for over 30 years. The Department has special expertise in the rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury or brain injury. The field of physical medicine and rehabilitation covers three distinct areas: rehabilitation of persons who have experienced severe physical disability, electrodiagnosis for nerve and muscle diseases , and the medical treatment of ambulatory patients with a variety of pain problems (physical medicine).
Psychiatry
Strong Behavioral Health at Strong Memorial Hospital provides a full range of psychiatric care for adults and children with mental and emotional disorders.
Radiation Oncology
The Department of Radiation Oncology (DRO) is a recognized leader of clinical and scientific radiation-related directives. It is a component of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center (JWCC)* at the University of Rochester, which was formally created on March 1, 1974, and was conceived in order to bring the various key oncologic disciplines together in one geographic area and provide an environment for the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients.
Surgery
The Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry is a leader in patient care, investigative research, and surgical education. The Faculty is dedicated to promoting excellence in all areas of surgical specialty. There are five divisions under the auspices of the Department of Surgery that include: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Division of General Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Division of Transplantation, and the Division of Vascular Surgery.
Urology
To improve the health of the population we serve, we must advance knowledge about the disease processes we encounter. Incorporation of research experiences for urology residents in all levels of training is a crucial part of our department’s mission.
Support Services
Animal Resource
Our mission is to assure the humane care and well being of animals used in research and teaching at the University while meeting the animal related needs of faculty and their staff. We assist the University in complying with government and accrediting agencies which oversee animal research. We strive to promote quality science through responsible animal care and use
Bibby Library
Bibby Library is an academic dental library, serving primarily the faculty, residents, and staff of the University of Rochester's Eastman Dental Center, Eastman Department of Dentistry and Center for Oral Biology.
Biosafety Level Three (BSL-3) Core
The Biosafety level three facility (BSL-3) is available for the use of any researcher at the university whose work requires manipulation of biological agentswhich may cause serious or potentially lethal disease as a result of exposure by the inhalation route.
Cell Sorting Core
The cell sorting core assists users to adapt and modify existing flow cytometric methods or to develop new procedures for their specific requirements.
Electron Microscope Research Core
This core facility provides research support in electron microscopy using a Hitachi 7100 Transmission Electron Microscope. Scanning electron microscopy can also be done.
Functional Genomics Center
This core facility consolidates the Microarray Core, the Nucleic Acid Core and the MicroChemical Protein/Peptide Core Facilites into one entity.
Information Systems Division
Computing Support & Network Services - Faculty & Staff Intranet Access Only
Medical Informatics
The Division of Medical Informatics is a group of medical faculty and computer experts whose functions are to initiate research activities in medical informatics which offer substantial overlap with the clinical and research life of the rest of the school lead educational programs and discussions of informatics-related topics related to the conduct of long-term research projects or the improvement of the quality of patient care lead the development of novel prototype applications that may result in useful, institution-wide implementations.
MicroChemical Protein/Peptide Core Facility
This facility is an analytical service available to all members of the University community. The facility provides compositional and structural elucidation of proteins and peptides.
Miner Library
This academic health sciences library serves the University of Rochester Medical Center, including the School of Medicine and Dentistry, the Strong Memorial Hospital, the School of Nursing and the Eastman Dental Center.
Office for Educational Resources
To provide support services for faculty, staff and students.
Office for Human Subject Protection (OHSP)
The goal of the Office of Human Subject Protection is to establish the University of Rochester Medical Center as a leader in protecting the rights, welfare, and safety of human subjects participating in research.
Office of Corporate Alliances
The Office of Corporate Alliances (OCA) is industry's link to biomedical research at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), an international pacesetter in basic, translational, and clinical investigation. Working with URMC faculty members and potential corporate partners, OCA facilitates the dynamic transfer of URMC science and technology from the laboratory to the realm of medical advancement.
Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA)
Research administration at the University of Rochester is a multi-faceted experience with contributions made by many different people and offices.
Pathology/Morphology Imaging Core (PMIC)
This core facility provides a Leica Confocal Microscope, an Olympus Flourescent Microscope, and an Arcturus PixCell Laser Capture Microscope for use by the SMD faculty. All users are provided the ability and expertise to characterize normal and abnormal biologic specimens, from the level of the intact mouse to subcellular structures.
Real Time Confocal Core
This core comprises a Noran OZ real-time laser scanning confocal microscope and associated SGI computers for operating the instrument and for off-line data analysis.
Research Subjects Review Board (RSRB)
The mission of the RSRB is to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects at the University of Rochester. To accomplish this, we review, approve the initiation of, and conduct periodic review of research involving human subjects.
Rochester Center for Brain Imaging (RCBI)
The Rochester Center for Brain Imaging (RCBI) provides researchers at the University of Rochester, as well as neighboring institutions, with access to a state-of-the-art 3T magnet for research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Although the primary use of the Center is to gather functional MRI data from the normal adult brain as participants perform a variety of tasks, it is capable of providing structural images of many anatomical structures.
Technology Transfer
Recognizing a need for technology transfer services specific to its medical faculty and to healthcare innovation, the University of Rochester established the URMC Office of Technology Transfer in 2001. The office is rapidly evolving and its responsibilities have recently expanded to include increased involvement in emerging biotechnology company development
Transgenic Core
At this time, this core provides expertise and assistance in the production of transgenic mouse models by either DNA microinjection or gene targeting in embryonic stem (ES) cells.
Web Technology Group
The Web Technology Group (WTG) serves as a central resource for the URMC and Strong Health, developing and maintaining an innovative and robust web presence in support of academic, clinical and research endeavors. Working with the latest in Internet technologies, this group enables departments to develop websites and applications in support of their missions and objectives.
