Institute of Laboratory Medicine
The Institute of Laboratory Medicine teaches courses in several basic theoretical and pre-clinical disciplines for the Faculty of Medicine. The Department is multi-disciplinary, covering a range of fields from biology, biochemistry and biophysics to microbiology.
The Institute consists of the following institutes:
- Centre for Laboratory Diagnostics (based at Ostrava University Hospital)
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology
- Institute of Medical Biology and Genetics
- Institute of Medical Biophysics and Medical Information Technology
- Institute of Laboratory Hematology and Transfusion Medicine
Teaching at the Institute
The Department’s staff teach around 100 different courses for all students in all types of degree programmes at the Faculty of Medicine. The Department also coordinates the Bachelor’s degree programme Laboratory Assistant (average first-year intake 30 students, average number of graduates per year 20). Teaching is not only provided in theoretical form; it also includes practical training, placements and study stays. The Department’s staff have extensive experience in both theoretical and practical tuition, as well as being professionally active in the clinical side of their specialist fields. The input of these specialist laboratory staff is essential in order to train the next generation of laboratory assistants and medical professionals. The Department’s core aim is to educate future professionals in health care and preventive medicine (i.e. non-medical specialists) who possess a broad-based and thorough knowledge of biomedical disciplines.
Since the autumn of 2014 the Department has been based in new premises (building ZY) at the Medical Faculty, where it uses a range of research and teaching laboratories and tuition rooms.
Practical training
In addition to its theoretical teaching, the Department also provides thorough practical laboratory-based training in individual laboratory disciplines – including compulsory practical placements in routine clinical laboratories.
Research at the Department
The only area in which the Department conducts its own research outside larger University Hospital research teams is the field of medical microbiology, where Department staff focus on determining the pathological potential of major nosocomial pathogens and their resistance to biocides (including antibiotics).
As a consequence of ongoing developments in science and technology, specialization is playing an ever-increasing role in natural and technical sciences. In accordance with the multidisciplinary profile of the Department, its staff conduct research in a range of fields:
- Development of diagnostic methods in clinical hematology, transfusion medicine, biochemistry, and many subfields of medical microbiology.
- Genetic toxicology and the influence of genotoxic environmental factors on health.
- Medical physics and biophysics.
- Recently launched research into hyperbaric medicine as part of regenerative medicine and the treatment of anaerobic infections caused by anaerobic pathogens.
Updated: 01. 02. 2022
