Department Overview and Mission Statement
The Department of Molecular Sciences is the newest basic science department at
the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, although its roots date back
to the foundation of the Medical School. The department was established in 2000
by combining the existing Departments of Biochemistry, and Microbiology and
Immunology. This fusion has resulted in a new dynamic and complementary blending
of faculty talents in a way that encourages interdisciplinary activities both
within the department and among Molecular Science faculty and faculty from other
departments and programs. The Department of Molecular Sciences is composed of
more than 30 full time faculty members and over 20 affiliated faculty from
within the UT HSC, the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, and St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital.
The mission of the Department of Molecular Sciences is to perform research
important to human health, provide essential teaching for several professional
schools (Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Nursing, Allied Health), contribute to a
vibrant graduate program, and participate in community outreach activities. The
Department of Molecular Sciences faculty have active research programs in areas
that include signal transduction, cancer biology, immunology, microbial and
viral pathogenesis, genetic regulation, and others. Research in the department
involves traditional methods, including biochemistry, cell biology, and
molecular biology; and newer technologies such as genomics, proteomics and
bioinformatics. The department currently has 24 extramurally funded
investigators and 14 NIH funded programs. This research effort generates
revenues of greater than $3.5 million per year, and more importantly contributes
in a meaningful way to improving our basic understanding of human diseases, and
how they may be better identified and managed.
The faculty in the Molecular Sciences Department are proud of their
rich scientific tradition, newly enlarged purpose, and commitment to active
growth in research, education and service to the residents of Memphis, the state
of Tennessee and the Nation.
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