Explore the Breadth of Our Research
Learn about the special initiatives, institutes, centers, and academic schools, colleges and departments that drive our nationally recognized research, and our strategy for increasing our impact.
Institutes
Our four institutes combine world-class clinical and research expertise to address some of the most prevalent and challenging health conditions—cancer, mental health and heart disease—and speed the translation of cutting-edge scientific advances to patient care.
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is a nationally recognized research center and treatment hospital. Our doctors and scientists include world-renowned experts dedicated to the highest quality standards and driven by the commitment to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah (HMHI)
HMHI provides comprehensive mental health services and psychiatric care and conducts world-class research in these areas. Our researchers are a pioneering force in expanding the understanding of complex functions of the brain. Innovation has come from brain imaging and genetic studies related to addiction, suicide prevention, depression, and other disorders.
Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI)
Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is the home for clinical and translational science in our institutions, the state of Utah, and within the Mountain West Region. It builds on our strengths in genetics and bioinformatics to translate promising bench science into practices that improve human health.
Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research & Training Institute (CVRTI)
CVRTI integrates scientists across academic departments to nucleate a campus wide cell-to-bedside approach in cardiovascular education and research. The institute has laboratories with interests spanning from basic biochemistry and protein-protein interaction, to cellular electrophysiology and myocyte biology, to metabolism and in vivo studies.
Academic Centers
Academic centers work across departmental lines to bring together researchers from different departments around shared objectives. They are integral to U of U Health’s renowned ability to foster scientific advances that serve our community and the world.
| Name | Key Research Areas |
|---|---|
| Center for Aging | Aging, Geriatrics, Memory |
| Center for Human Toxicology | Bioanalytical sciences, Forensic, Pharmacology |
| Center for Medical Innovation | Technology, Commercialization, Invention |
| Center for Patient Simulation | Simulation, Medical Education, Teaching |
| Emma Eccles Jones Nursing Research Center | Nursing education, Nursing research |
| Genetic Science Learning Center | Genetics, Education |
| Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence | Nursing care, Older adults, Gerontology, Aging |
| Intermountain Cystic Fibrosis Center | Respiratory failure, Pulmonary rehabilitation, Lung disease |
| Intermountain Healthcare Simulation Learning Center | Experiential learning |
| Matheson Center for Health Care Studies | Health services, Policy research |
| John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah | Vision, Neuroscience, Macular degeneration, Glaucoma, Retinopathy of prematurity |
| Pain Research Center | Chronic pain, Fibromyalgia |
| Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center | Outcomes research, Comparative effectiveness |
| Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health | Industrial hygiene, Ergonomics, Injury prevention |
| University Health Services AIDS Center | AIDS, HIV |
| Utah Addiction Center | Addiction, Substance use, Opioids |
| Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research | Imaging, MRI, Technology |
| Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER) | Community-engaged research, Total worker health, Occupational health, Work equity |
| Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine | Fertility, In vitro fertilization, Surrogacy |
U of U Health Colleges & Schools
Our schools and colleges are utilizing talent, resources, and collaboration to change the way science and medicine are practiced and delivered—locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
College of Health (COH)
Faculty conduct research and promote scholarly activity that furthers an understanding of treatment and effective practices, including those that can be successfully applied in community, clinical, and rehabilitative settings.
College of Nursing (CON)
Where some see challenges, we see a tremendous opportunity to improve the health of people and those that care for them. We are leaders in community and care-based research.
College of Pharmacy (COP)
As leaders in the application of pharmaceutical sciences to personalized medicine, we are helping transform patient care through the discovery of novel therapeutics and the optimization of outcomes for existing medications.
School of Dentistry (SOD)
The school supports discovery, development, and eventual translation of new biomedical knowledge to identify and address oral health problems.
School of Medicine (SOM)
The school is widely recognized for interdisciplinary research in the genetics of disease, cancer, biomedical informatics, infectious diseases, and other areas of leading-edge medicine.
U of U Health Departments
Departments are a scientist’s academic home, supporting research programs in focused areas.
| Department | School or College | Keyword(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Sciences & Disorders | College of Health | Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, Hearing |
| Health, Kinesiology, & Recreation | College of Health | Exercise Science, Sport Science, Tourism, Health Promotion |
| Nutrition & Integrative Physiology | College of Health | Metabolism, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes |
| Physical Therapy & Athletic Training | College of Health | Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation Science |
| Parks, Recreation, & Tourism | College of Health | Therapeutic Recreation, Recreational Therapy |
| Medicinal Chemistry | College of Pharmacy | Natural Products, Antivirals, Synthetic Biology, Therapeutic Biomaterials |
| Pharmacology & Toxicology | College of Pharmacy | Drug Metabolism, Pharmacogenics, Forensic Toxicology |
| Pharmacotherapy | College of Pharmacy | Poison Control, Outcomes Research, Radiopharmacy |
| Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Chemistry | College of Pharmacy | Drug Targeting, Immunotherapeutics, Biomaterials |
| Anesthesiology | School of Medicine | Pain management, Perioperative medicine |
| Biochemistry | School of Medicine | RNA biology, Metabolism, Viral biology, Cell biology |
| Biomedical Informatics | School of Medicine | Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science |
| Dermatology | School of Medicine | Allergy, Melanoma, Psoriasis, Blistering |
| Family & Preventive Medicine | School of Medicine | Reproductive Heath, Public Health, Occupational Health |
| Human Genetics | School of Medicine | Evolution, Development, Data Science, Genomics, Precision Medicine |
| Internal Medicine | School of Medicine | Cardiovascular, Geriatrics, Oncology, Infectious Disease |
| Neurobiology | School of Medicine | Behavior, Development, Circuits, Epigenetics |
| Neurology | School of Medicine | Alzheimer's, Headache, Neuropathy, Parkinson's |
| Neurosurgery | School of Medicine | Brain Tumors |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | School of Medicine | Pregnancy, Placenta, Prenatal |
| Oncological Sciences | School of Medicine | Cancer, Transcription, Cell Signaling, Stem Cells |
| Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences | School of Medicine | Visual Science, Macular Degeneration, Retinopathy, Connectomics |
| Orthopaedics | School of Medicine | Joint, Musculoskeletal, Movement |
| Pathology | School of Medicine | Infectious Disease, Histocompatibility, Microbiome |
| Pediatrics | School of Medicine | Genetics, Infectious Disease Diagnostics, Development, Cancer |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | School of Medicine | Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Sports Medicine, Wellness |
| Population Health Sciences | School of Medicine | Biostatistics, Cancer, Health Systems |
| Psychiatry | School of Medicine | Epidemiology, Depression, Drug Dependence, Suicide |
| Radiation Oncology | School of Medicine | Radiosurgery, Radiotherapy, Cancer |
| Radiology & Imaging Sciences | School of Medicine | Ultrasound, Biophysics, MRI, PET, CT |
| Surgery | School of Medicine | Transplant, Cardiac, Health Systems |