ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 10 – medicine | Laboratory
Many of the PIs are internationally recognized scientists in their field.
Several of the PIs are in their most creative age. The scientific productivity
by the PIs is high as documented by the number of original publications
in the last 5–10 years. The research areas under investigation are relevant
in terms of scientific, social and socioeconomic significance. The vitality
and ability to manage research is difficult to evaluate from the material.
Translational strength of the research is documented by the nature of
some projects and the interactions with the Departments of Clinical Sciences
at the Faculty. The double affiliation of the PIs both to the academic
and to the hospital Microbiology Pathology and Clinical chemistry
provides a good platform for pursuing translational research.
3.2 Research infrastructure
The Department of Laboratory Medicine, Malmö is the smallest of the
six departments that constitute the Medical Faculty at Lund University.
The department has a total staff of 88 persons in 2007. These include
29 professors and researchers, 35 PhD students and 24 other personnel
working in 12 defined research groups according to the Departmental
report in the main document of the evaluation material.
A board that suggests a Chair, which is appointed by the Dean, directs
the department. The department is characterized by a flat organisation,
meaning that the individual research groups are directly organised under
the Chair and lack a formal subdivision into distinct sections. This
organisation is cost-beneficial and makes it easier for young scientists to
start up their own research group within the department.
The Organization chart for the Laboratoriemedicin on the Malmö
campus is divided into twelve (12) Divisions/Sections (D/S) while the information
provided with detailed information lists fourteen (14) D/S. The
list of PIs contains 19 scientists. It seems that the research groups have
been formed over the years with no clear plan and purpose depending
on the presence of successful and productive researchers. They originated
probably in the 3 clinical laboratories: Biochemistry, Microbiology and
Pathology at the Malmö Hospital and have now proliferated into 19
individual research groups.
The strategy for external funding adopted by the Swedish Research
Council and the system of academic promotion excreted by the Faculty
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