Welcome to the UC San Diego Department of Pathology

GONIAS, Steven L., M.D., Ph.D.
Healthcare delivery is evolving rapidly. Pathologists are responsible for almost all diagnostic tests that involve analysis of tissue specimens, blood samples, and other body fluids. Pathology laboratories conduct the genome sequencing studies that support patient care. Furthermore, we oversee blood transfusions and bone marrow transplantations. It is the Pathologist's responsibility to assure that every laboratory test delivered to your medical record is accurate, subjected to quality control measures, and reliable. Pathologists also are actively involved in assisting our physician colleagues in the interpretation of diagnostic tests.

At UC San Diego, the Department of Pathology is committed to accomplishing its clinical mission at the highest level. Our faculty oversee pathology and laboratory operations not only for Jacob's Medical Center and UC San Diego Hillcrest Hospital but also for the Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System and the Rady Children's Hospital of San Diego. That means that you as a patient can rest assured that when you entrust your healthcare to physicians at any of these UC San Diego-affiliated hospitals, those physicians are supported by the most sophisticated and rigorously controlled diagnostic testing facilities available today.

As an academic university department, Pathology at UCSD excels in its three basic missions: education; support of the UCSD Health clinical enterprise; and research. Our faculty play an instrumental role as contributors to the curriculum in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Pathologists not only deliver lectures, but also organize teaching laboratories for students and supervise small groups of students for interactive learning. Our Residency program is a cornerstone of the Pathology education mission, preparing physicians to become board-certified in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology and Neuropathology. We offer fellowships in areas such as Hematopathology, Gastrointestinal Pathology, Cytopathology, Molecular Diagnostic/Genomics Pathology, Surgical Pathology, and Clinical Chemistry/Toxicology. These fellowships allow physicians who have already completed residency training to obtain advanced skills relevant to the practice of specialized Pathology.

With support from the National Institutes of Health, the Veteran's Medical Research Foundation, and numerous private foundations, faculty in the Department of Pathology conduct independent research in areas such as cancer, neurologic disease, immunology, infectious diseases, inflammation, and comparative medicine/pathology.  Our research laboratories provide a rich educational environment for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and others interested in a career in science.

Over the past ten years, growth in the UC San Diego Department of Pathology has been rapid. The best way to understand the strengths of this department is to learn about the activities of the individual faculty.  I strongly encourage you to "surf" our website and learn about our programs and the faculty in Pathology here at UC San Diego.

If you are a physician or a patient, with a complicated healthcare problem, you may be interested in learning more of about the Center for Advanced Laboratory Medicine (CALM), where sophisticated diagnostic tests are offered. You also may be interested in getting to know our highly specialized anatomic pathologists, who are available for consultation regarding challenging cases. The goal of the UC San Diego Department of Pathology is not only to meet the highest standard of care in our field but also to elevate that standard for others to follow.