The CBSTP is administered by The Molecular Pathology Unit (MPU). The MPU is a part of the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, The National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, MD.
The MPU has extensive research and teaching expertise in comparative and investigative pathology. The lab is housed within the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) and serves many investigative roles in addition to its educational mission, which give it the ability to provide distinctive training opportunities as well as the ability to contribute collaborative pathology expertise to the CCR.
MPUs three main areas of focus include:
- Training in comparative and molecular pathology
- Research investigation and animal model validation
- Developing molecular diagnostics and digital pathology for research
The Unit’s efforts are aimed at enhancing capabilities to integrate molecular and systemic aspects of disease mechanisms. The MPU promotes translational phenotype comprehension, and improves model predictability for human cancer diseases by developing and applying state of the art medical and pathology investigative tools to the study of animal models and patient tissue.
MPU Staff:
- Head & Program Director: R. Mark Simpson, D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate, ACVP
- Staff Scientist 2: Heather Shive, D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate, ACVP
- Program Specialist: John Hickerson
- Program Analyst: Dan Villiers-Farrow
- Biologist: Jennifer Dwyer, M.S.
- Scientist: Bih-Rong Wei, Ph.D.
- Senior Research Assistant: Cheryl Cero, M.S., Ph.D.
Contact by email: ncimolpathol@mail.nih.gov
The MPU and its training programs are housed within the LCBG CCR, Intramural Research Program of the NCI.
The NCI is the largest of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health. The NCI has two intramural divisions and 5 extramural divisions.
The Division of Intramural Research supports research conducted by scientists at the NCI in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) and the Center for Cancer Research (CCR). Laboratories are peer reviewed by a board of scientific counselors. The CCR was created in 2001 with a goal to bring together clinical and basic researchers in an effort to share expertise by forming multi-disciplinary teams. These collaborations now extend beyond the CCR to include, academia, industry, and pharmaceutical companies. CCR campuses are in Bethesda, Gaithersburg, and Frederick, MD.
The Division of Extramural Research provides grant funding that supports scientists, in various stages of their careers, all over the world.