Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics is the laboratory that provides compatibility information to clinicians in the specialties of solid organ and bone marrow transplant. This discipline uses cutting edge technology to genotype the most polymorphic region of the genome, the Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA), and provides a match grade with relevant clinical information for each donor-recipient pair. In addition, this section detects if recipients have anti-HLA antibodies that could increase the risk of or outright cause rejection of transplant organs or bone marrow.
Clinical Microbiology: For participants interested in Clinical Microbiology, a specific emphasis in the module will be on the complementary roles played by different analytic modalities in supporting infectious-disease care (culture based, immunodiagnostic, and molecular). Though participation in both laboratory rounds and the diagnostic management team, participants will gain a better understanding of the role of Laboratory Director in developing, formulating, and interpreting microbial diagnostics across the diverse patient needs that exist for a health system.
Clinical Chemistry is the largest specialty within laboratory medicine by volume, producing millions of test results annually. This discipline provides critical test results in areas such as general clinical chemistry, endocrinology, maternal-fetal-medicine, point-of-care testing, toxicology, and world anti-doping programs.
Clinical Genomics Laboratory uses DNA sequencing to identify, interpret and report inherited genetic variants that may explain a patient’s clinical presentation. Testing includes whole exome sequencing, multi gene panels for specific disorders (e.g., cardiovascular, neuromuscular, connective tissue, etc), and targeted testing for known familial variants. Typical workflow involves sample preparation, sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, variant classification, clinical interpretation, and reporting. Results are provided to clinicians and patients to support diagnosis, prognosis, clinical management, as well as potential therapeutic decisions or preventative care.
Cytogenetics, Molecular Diagnostics - The VUMC Cytogenetics and Molecular Diagnostics laboratories provide essential genetic and genomic insights that guide diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment across a wide range of inherited and somatic conditions. Cytogenetics focuses on the detection of chromosomal abnormalities using methodologies such as karyotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and chromosomal microarray analysis. These analyses support clinical decision-making in areas including hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, congenital disorders, and postnatal diagnosis.
Molecular Diagnostics complements this work by identifying disease-causing genetic alterations at the DNA and RNA levels. These molecular techniques include single gene PCRs, bone marrow engraftment studies, RT-qPCR, Taqman, and pharmacogenetics. Together, these integrated laboratories provide high-resolution genomic data that informs patient management, risk assessment, targeted therapy selection, and ongoing disease monitoring across diverse cancer pathology and inherited genetic diseases.
