About the Department
Development of a Department
The development of our department began when the College of Medicine, a unit of the Health Science Center, started its operations in 1956 offering opportunities to utilize and complement resources of the university in the educational and investigative programs of the college.
Our department was initially called Department of Anatomy. The renowned embryologist, James G. Wilson, Ph.D. was appointed the first Chairman by Dean George T. Harrell, Jr.
Some years later, the department was merged with the Department of Pathology and subsequently a division of Anatomical Sciences in the Department of Pathology was created and led by Michael H. Ross, Ph.D. In 1976, the department’s name was re-established to Department of Anatomy and continued with its traditional orientation and areas of teaching/research emphasis until sweeping changes in the entire biomedical research arena began to pull apart the monolithic basis of the traditional preclinical disciplines. One of the reasons for this change was the proliferation of many research-oriented professional societies, such as those of cell biology and neurosciences. The change in the name of our department to Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology more than 10 years later was a reflection of these trends.
A Modern Cell Biology Department
The faculty of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology are involved in a variety of educational and research endeavors, with the majority of research focused on topical problems in cell biology, developmental biology, and molecular biology. In 1999, our department moved to an ‘Open Laboratory’ concept with approximately 8,000 sq. ft. in the Basic Science Building. A cold room, a photographic facility with an X-ray film processor and microscopy suite are adjacent to the open laboratory. In addition, the open laboratory has a central computer graphics facility. The department also has ties with the UF Shands Cancer Center, the UF Genetics Institute, The McKnight Brain Institute and the Aging and Geriatric Research Institute. Core modules, cell/tissue culture/Immunology, structural biology, and molecular genetics are in place.
Our department’s graduate program is part of the college’s interdisciplinary graduate program (IDP) in biomedical sciences leading to the Ph.D. in medical sciences with specialization in the following concentration of molecular cell biology. The aim of the Molecular Cell Biology advanced concentration is to provide a comprehensive and flexible course of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. The prime objectives are to provide the students with a broad foundation in molecular cell biology and prepare students to conduct creative and independent research in a specialized area.
Location: http://www.acb.med.ufl.edu/about/index.asp