Many of our faculty members are principal investigators who conduct both clinical and basic science research within one of our core research facilities surrounding the UofL Health Sciences Center. Our clinical and basic science research at the University of Louisville is sponsored through awards from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, VA merit awards, professional organizations, corporate-supported grants, surgical endowments, to name a few. Our IRB committee oversees all of the research involving human subjects at the University of Louisville, UofL Hospital, Norton Healthcare Services Inc., and Jewish Hospital Healthcare Services Inc.

In addition, with the retention and recruitment of highly productive faculty over the past few years, the Animal Care and Use Program at UofL has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of its animal population, primarily mice.  Surgical residents are also encouraged to engage in both clinical and bench laboratory research projects under faculty sponsorship. Independent research is feasible in selected situations.

Core Research Facilities

Cardiovascular Innovation Institute
The Cardiovascular Innovation Institute is currently under construction and will consist of research labs, fabrication facilities, operating rooms, recovery rooms, diagnostic equipment, training facilities, mock circulation labs, administrative offices, conference rooms, storage areas, sterile supply rooms, necropsy rooms and medical imaging areas. See news article...

Price Institute of Surgical Research Laboratories
Founded in 1957 by John W. Price, Jr., MD, the Institute strives to enhance the care of patients through advances in surgical techniques and technology and through basic and clinical research. Each of our 12 laboratories focuses on a specific field of surgical research, including digestive disease, cardiovascular biomechanics and circulatory support, reconstructive hand surgery, and traumatic injury.

Reconstructive Surgery Research Laboratories
The Reconstructive Surgery Research Laboratories team consists of clinical and basic science faculty, research fellows, and medical students from diverse educational and training backgrounds who work together to identify clinical problems, design experimental protocols, develop animal models, perform experiments, collect/organize/evaluate and interpret data. The specific research focuses on facial and hand transplantation, ischemia/reperfusion Injury, dynamic myoplasty and microcirculation.

The Institute of Cellular Therapeutics
Several research core facilities have been established to enhance collaborative efforts between academic programs and limit the necessity for duplication of laboratory resources, including instrumentation, personnel and research space. To date, these core facilities include: flow cytometry, specimen repository, clinical data management, and informatics.

Christine M. Kleinert Institute of Hand Surgery
The Christine M. Kleinert Institute's fellowship program is affiliated with Kleinert, Kutz, and Associates Hand Care Center. Sixteen fellowship are granted each year (8 US and Canadian surgeons and 8 to international surgeons). Fellows are encouraged to participate in research opportunities, which may be developed independently or with the assistance and supervision of faculty members and the research department.

Louisville Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Drs. Cheadle, Garrison, and Franklin maintain extensive research laboratories at the Louisville VAMC. There are full-time investigators, fellows, and students who assist with various surgical research projects. Drs. Cheadle and Garrison both have had continuous VA Merit Review funding for over 15 years and have participated in the training of fellows and residents. In addition, Dr. Garrison is the Principal Investigator of an NIH R01 research award for his work on direct peritoneal resuscitation from hypovolemic shock.