The scientific faculty are primarily research orientated with some teaching responsibilities. They have joint appointments in the Greenebaum Cancer Center , as well as the Graduate Programs in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Human Genetics. The laboratory suites are located on the 6th floor of the Bressler Research Building and Howard Hall and there are facilities for cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, brightfield and fluorescence microscopy plus two radiation sources.
Radiation is a unique modality.
On one hand it can cause cancer, and there is considerable public concern about possible health risks from low level radiation exposures around potentially contaminated nuclear weapons sites in the USA and abroad. In the Department of Radiation Oncology our physicians use radiation to treat cancer patients. RORLs research goals are to better understand the biological effects of radiation exposure with the ultimate objective of providing a rational scientific basis to improve radiation therapy for cancer patients. The research laboratories have strong ties to both the clinical and physics programs within the Department which considerably strengthens the translational component of our research emphasis.