Pathology Research Programs

Anatomic Pathology Research Program

As a leader in academic pathology, our department has a long tradition of excellence in basic, translational and clinical research. The research activities of the Department interface closely with numerous research programs at UCSF, including those at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our research faculty are members of the two large graduate programs at UCSF: the Program in Biological Sciences and the Biomedical Sciences Program. Well over one hundred postdoctoral research fellows and graduate students are being trained in the laboratories in the Department.

In addition, investigators in the Department are involved in a large number of translational research projects on diverse topics, including: breast tumors; liver, kidney and gastrointestinal diseases; transplantation; lymphoid neoplasms. Information about the research activities of individual faculty members may be found in their biographical sketches.

Major Research Themes

Although our research activities span a wide range of interests, many of our large, independently funded research groups fall into the following major thematic areas:

Pathogens and Immunity

Abul K. Abbas, MBBS
autoimmunity, T cell biology

Alexis J. Combes, PhD
system immunology, oncology

Eric J. Huang, MD, PhD
brain innate immunity, neuroinflammation

Matthew K. Krummel, PhD
immune cell interactions, ImmunoX initiative

Cancer

Boris Bastian, MD
genetics and biology of melanoma

Robert Blelloch, MD, PhD
microRNAs, stem cells, and cancer

Alexis J. Combes, PhD
system immunology, oncology

Jayanta (Jay) Debnath, MD
cancer pathogenesis

Stephen L. Nishimura, MD
immuno-oncology

Joanna Phillips, MD, PhD
glioblastoma and tumor microenvironment

Matthew D. Stachler, MD, PhD
Barrett's esophagus

Thea Tlsty, PhD
cancer progression, genomic instability

Neuropathology

Eric J. Huang, MD, PhD
neural development, neurodegeneration

Amber L. Nolan, MD, PhD
traumatic brain injury, neural circuit dysfunction

Joanna J. Phillips, MD, PhD
brain tumor microenvironment

David Solomon, MD, PhD
molecular genetics of brain tumors

Inflammation and Tissue Injury

Walter Finkbeiner, MD, PhD
lung pathology

Zoltan G. Laszik, MD, PhD
gene expression, tissue inflammation, kidney diseases

Aras N. Mattis, MD, PhD
liver diseases

Stephen L. Nishimura, MD
integrins

Carolyn Sangokoya, MD, PhD
RNA biology, iron pathobiology, stem cells, liver disease, regenerative medicine