The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine's graduate program within the Department of Pathology offers both exciting and unique opportunities within the biomedical sciences. The program combines both basic science and clinical research to explore fundamental questions related to the biology and normal tissue differentiation and growth, as well as the cellular and molecular pathways leading to pathobiology of disease in human and animal models. Students are exposed to a variety of research topics and truly develop into biomedical research scientists.

A strength of our program is the active participation of both basic and clinical researchers who provide insight and exposure to the clinical aspect of biomedical research.

Our Program is dedicated to the development of each student as an independent biomedical scientist. Therefore, we believe that a majority of the student's time should be centered on the laboratory and the development and completion of a thesis project. Our department faculty offers or participates in several courses that emphasize the themes described above. Those courses cover topics from basic mechanisms to normal and abnormal tissue function. Required course-work is generally completed by the end of the second year, permitting the student to then concentrate his/her efforts on the dissertation project. The doctoral dissertation is planned and conducted with the close consultation of the student's mentor and thesis advisory committee, and the dissertation is an original contribution into the field of cellular and molecular pathology. Publication of the dissertation research in leading scientific journals provides a major step in the the student's career development.

The Department of Pathology has implemented a program dedicated to enhancing the postdoctoral experience of recent graduates. The intent is to form a network of interactive scientists who will provide each other with continuing scientific support in an atmosphere where funding is not a primary concern. As part of our ongoing post-graduate education, the department hosts a weekly seminar series with prominent speakers from general scientific community. Easy access to seminars offered by other departments is also available online. In addition, the Pathology Department is establishing active scientific interaction within the Pittsburgh region and elsewhere. Providing postdoctoral fellows with a complete interactive experience is just one of the many ways the Department is actively working to ensure success of our trainees.