Message from the Chair

Welcome to one of the UCI School of Medicine hubs: the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine! As the natural bridge between basic science and clinical medicine, our department provides the laboratory foundation for the school’s mission to Discover. Teach. Heal.

Discover: Research programs led by our scientists and physician-scientist faculty span the areas of cancer, infectious disease, stress-related injury, immunology, development, neurodegeneration and stem cell biology. Our faculty provides leadership in national organizations and across the UCI campus in numerous research institutes and centers, as well as core facilities that enable UCI scientists to directly study healthy and diseased tissues from patients. In addition to a Pathology Collaboratory initiative that strives to translate the best ideas for new clinical tests into realities, our faculty directs programs to develop the next generation of molecular and cellular therapies.

Teach: Our department offers a wide range of educational opportunities for clinical trainees, including medical students, residents in anatomic and clinical pathology, and clinical fellows in a growing number of ACGME and non-ACGME subspecialty areas. In addition, our department hosts unique training programs for clinical laboratory scientists (CLS) and for PhD students in experimental pathology.

Heal: Pathologists are commonly referred to as the “doctor’s doctor.” Our faculty physicians make diagnoses and consult with other physicians and providers at UCI Health and throughout Southern California, providing critical information for the diagnosis, management and treatment of patients in Orange County and beyond. In addition to our core laboratory in Orange, we operate patient service centers and satellite facilities throughout Orange County, serve non-UCI providers and patients through our outreach referral program, and meet the routine and esoteric testing needs of our growing clinical enterprise, including the new UCI Health-Irvine hospital complex. To meet these growing needs, we develop new tests and services, including many that take us into the next generation of precision medicine and health.

As a department, we also foster a culture that values and appreciates the unique perspectives, backgrounds and contributions of every individual. Through intentional initiatives, advocacy, education and continuous dialogue, we strive to eliminate systemic barriers, promote equal opportunities and empower every member of our community to thrive academically, professionally and personally.

I invite you to learn more about our department and the ways we contribute to medical education and healthcare in coastal Orange County, one of the best places to work, live and play in the country. Read about our great people and programs, and I encourage you to join our team as a volunteer, donor or in other ways as we strive to deliver and do the very best for our patients, students, scientists and clinicians.

Edwin S. Monuki, MD, PhD
Warren L. Bostick Chair
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine