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

Panel 10 – medicine | Laboratory
3.7 Recommendations
The Department of Laboratory Medicine, Malmö should reform the
organization and reduce the number of small independent research
groups. In particular the nine groups /Sections listed above that all are
investigating a common theme of general tumor biology could merge
into a larger unit. The size of the research groups should be increased
from 3–7 researchers in each group to >10 researchers with one principal
investigator. This would meet the criteria of critical mass for competitive,
high performance and cutting edge research.
The research profile each group should be broader and encompass several
projects. The projects could be coordinated, and benefit from development
of new methods. This would increase the capacity for each group to
implement and develop new demanding technologies.
The material provided for evaluation does not contain any information
on Molecular Pathology, an internationally rapidly evolving field. With
only superficial insights into the research activities at the Department
of Pathology in Lund, a close collaboration or even a unification of the
academic Pathology in Malmö and Lund is strongly recommended. A
special emphasis should be put in Molecular Pathology that not only is an
expanding field of research but also provides core facility service to both
basic and clinical research. The creation of a strong group of Molecular
Pathology may, however, imply strategic new recruitments.
The two main areas of research: cancer and infection/inflammation
should be separated and form two independent divisions within the
Department of Medicine, Malmö. Alternatively, the research groups
on infection/inflammation could be merged with other groups in the
Laboratory of Medicine in Lund like Division of Medical Microbiology.
Increased interactions with other Departments at Lund University in particular
in relation to cancer and infection/inflammation are encouraged.
A good example of this occurs in the “Research School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences” in which the Technical Faculty and the Faculties of Medicine
and Natural Sciences join forces.
Score: Very good – Excellent
292