Mission Statement

Welcome to the Department of Pathobiological Sciences web site. The Department is currently comprised of 38 faculty, 32 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, and 33 research associates and staff. The Department's research emphasis is on infectious diseases, with strong programs in viral pathogenesis, bacterial pathogenesis, immunity and resistance to infectious agents, vector borne diseases, and the use of Geographic Information Systems to study disease distribution and risk factors. Our research and graduate programs are further enhanced by our central service laboratories, which include the BIOMMED, the Cell Culture and Monoclonal Antibodies Lab, the Flow Cytometry Lab, the Electron Microscopy Center, and a Biosafety and Containment Laboratory.

Close association with the National Hansen’s Disease Center, with its internationally recognized programs exploring tuberculosis and leprosy, the Pennington Biomedical Research Facility, and the Tulane National Primate Research Center provides additional opportunities for collaborative research and graduate training. Several of the Department's faculty hold joint appointments in the Veterinary Science Department of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and the aquatic animal disease faculty work closely with the faculty of the LSU Aquaculture Research Station. The Department currently has total extramural grant funding in excess of $13 million to support the research and graduate programs. Additional graduate stipend support is provided by state-supported Graduate Research Fellowships, scholarships granted by the USDA National Needs Fellowship Program, and fellowships supported by the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund.

The Department provides instruction in both the professional veterinary curriculum and graduate studies in bacteriology, clinical pathology, epidemiology, immunology, pathology, and virology. Graduate opportunities for both MS and Ph.D. programs are available in the wide range of research projects indicated above for both DVM and non-DVM students. The Department also offers three-year residency programs in anatomical and clinical pathology, and laboratory animal medicine for qualified DVM applicants. These residencies can be pursued concurrent with graduate programs in the areas of interest of the graduate faculty.

The Departmental faculty provide surgical biopsy, necropsy, and clinical pathology support for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Clinic and the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. The Aquatic Animal Disease Lab provides diagnostic services for the states aquaculture industry, pond owners, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Last reviewed 04/07/2008