An underlying principle in using funds provided by agencies interested in human disease to support basic biological research is that research results obtained using model systems can eventually be used to understand the pathogenesis of human disease and to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve patient management. The Division of Translational Pathology was established to provide a formal framework for accelerating the translation of discoveries originating from the basic research laboratory into approaches and materials that can be used in the clinic. Thus, the research activities in the Division of Translational Pathology combine molecular and cellular research with the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches, and their validation through pre-clinical and clinical studies.