The establishment of a Division of Translational Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine is a timely and an unmet need fulfilled at the Department of Medicine, which requires significant nourishing to bring financial success to the COM in the long term. Translational medicine has been viewed as a natural 21st century progression from Evidence-Based Medicine. It integrates research inputs from the basic sciences such as molecular and cell biology that are of clinical significance and can be translated for patient care. For others translational medicine represents a new paradigm in the biomedical research enterprise and is a integration of traditional three branches of medicine, i.e., research, drug development, and clinical medicine. This dramatic change has come about in recent years as a result of the genomics and bioinformatics revolution. Patients provide the biospecimens from which disease signatures at the molecular level can be identified and are then used to develop diagnostics and drugs targeted at sub-groups of disease. The role of patient is considered critical to this change in research and clinical care, as it translational medicine involves and catalyses a more patient-centric approach to medicine. Translational medicine is the continuum often known as "bench to bedside" by which the biomedical community takes a focused point of view to move research discoveries from the laboratory into clinical practice to diagnose and treat patients.

As a Division, we are dedicated to (i) excellence in research advancing the use of nanotechnology in understanding human disease and in diagnosis and therapy, (ii) training of doctoral and post-doctoral students in conducting innovative research related to nanotechnology, nanomedicine, and basic molecular biology, physiology, genetics and medicine, (iii) services based on academic excellence and the ethic of community responsibility and (iv) building an interdisciplinary team of researchers that focuses on nanomedicine at the university and state level.

I invite you to explore our web site to find information on our educational and research activities, including profiles of our faculty and graduate trainees. We are located in the culturally rich and diverse metropolitan Tampa Bay Area on the beautiful west coast of Florida. If you are in the area, feel free to arrange a visit to learn more.

Shyam Mohapatra, PhD, MBA, FAAAAI

Distinguished USF Health Professor and Director, Division of Translational Medicine
Vice Chair of Research, Department of Internal MedicineDirector, USF Nanomedicine Research Center
Director of Basic Science, Signature Interdisciplinary Program in Allergy, Immunology & Infectious