In celebration of the William Pepper Laboratory's 100th anniversary, an all-day symposium entitled "The Clinical Laboratory in the Future of Medicine" was held at 9 a.m. Friday in Dunlop Auditorium in Stemmler Hall. The laboratory, established in 1895 as the nation's first study of clinical pathology, is a central component of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University. "The Pepper Laboratory was established to excel in investigation, training of advanced students and patient care," Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department Chairperson Leonard Jarett said. "We feel that today's Pepper Laboratory and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine fulfill that expectation and place us in an excellent position to start the next 100 years." Division of Laboratory Medicine Director Donald Young, who heads the William Pepper Laboratory, emphasized the importance of this area of study. "At a time when many institutions are cutting back on their educational programs, we are maintaining Penn's level of academic excellence by increasing the funds and opportunities for study," he said in a statement. "Our goal is to recruit and train young scientists to ensure that needed research and clinical advances continue." National experts will speak on subjects such as economics and society, aging, infectious diseases, malignant diseases, the human genome, biotechnology and instrumentation and information management. The speakers represent medical schools from across the country including those at Georgetown, Johns Hopkins and Princeton universities and the University of Washington. Director of the Institute for Clinical Science at Pennsylvania Hospital William Sunderman concluded the symposium at 4 p.m. with an introduction to the Centennial Exhibit. As part of the centennial celebration, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is also inaugurating a fellowship fund. The program will offer fellowships to medical students who are interested in investigating the field. Residents who want an extra year of training and post-doctoral and post-residency individuals who would like to pursue more in-depth training will also be candidates for the fund.
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