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Questions & Answers
Sandra Mendel is director of the Histology Service Laboratory
in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences.
What is the Morphology Core Laboratory Facility and where is it located?
Core labs are coordinated groups of related services that provide investigators
access to instrumentation and technical knowledge that would be prohibitively
expensive for individual researchers to afford. The pathology and anatomy morphology
core is a group of scientists and technical staff available to provide expertise
and assistance to clients doing experiments involving morphology studies and
imaging. Our core lab facility consists of light and electron microscopy divisions
and is part of the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the School
of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, located in Farber Hall on the South Campus.
The combined services are under the direction of Peter Nickerson. The Morphology
Core Lab is a new initiative by the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,
but the component units are well-established labs at the university. Our web
address is http://wings.buffalo.edu/smbs/path/histology.htm.
What types of services are available through the Histology Service Laboratory section?
The Histology Service Lab has been a part of the university community for more than 40 years, and has evolved with the needs of the university. As new methods and techniques are developed and applied, we do our best to make them available to investigators. Currently, we provide routine paraffin histology preparations, along with cryosectioning and staining, glycol methacrylate (plastic resin) techniques, and standard immunohistochemistry. We anticipate adding more molecular techniques and capabilities shortly. We help investigators design and test new techniques, and determine the appropriate histotechniques for a particular project, as well as provide routine histotech services for a fee.
Does the laboratory support research and teaching by faculty in other departments?
That is exactly what a core facility is supposed to do. We are available to teach, train, consult, advise, collaborate and provide technical service to all members of the university. Our goal is to help UB faculty, staff and students perform high-tech research that makes the best use of light and electron microscopic imaging techniques. We support teaching at UB by providing teaching slides of human and other animal specimens to a number of departments. Course support is a priority for us. In addition to campus generated projects, we accept work from researchers outside the university. In short, we provide quality laboratory services to all investigators in Western New York.
What is your background and experience in this field?
I came to the university 22 years ago after nine years in clinical pathology to manage and direct histology laboratory services in the Department of Pathology. My undergraduate degrees are in laboratory technology and biology, and my graduate degree is in anatomical sciences. I have a permanent appointment in our department, along with an appointment as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences (BCLS) in the medical school. I designed and taught a course in Histochemical Techniques at Canisius College and then redesigned the course four years ago as a lecture/lab course to be offered at UB through both the departments of Pathology and BCLS. I enjoy professional service and have been active in the New York State Histotechnological Society for more than 20 years, where I currently sit on the board as immediate past president. On a national level, I am the symposium/convention workshop manager for the National Society of Histotechnol-ogy. I take pleasure in giving back what I can to my profession. I present workshops and seminars at state and national meetings because I believe very strongly in continuing professional education, and in a field like laboratory science, there are always new things to learn. I have been fortunate to spend a good number of years at UB, where growth and development are encouraged.
What role will the histopathology laboratory play in the future of the university?
It is my hope that by enhancing and expanding the services in our lab and combining our expertise with others in the core lab facility, we will play an important role in advancing research and teaching efforts here at UB. A strong core lab is an asset when recruiting faculty and students. I would hope that we can and will make significant contributions to future studies and assist investigators in expanding their research capabilities.
What other question should I have asked you, and how would you have answered it?
What other interests do you have? I love the outdoors, whale watching, rollerblading, kayaking, traveling and meeting new people. I am a strong supporter of the Buffalo Zoo and volunteer many hours there. I am the current president of the Buffalo Zoo Women's Board and I sit on the foundation's Board of Directors. The zoo is the most visited cultural attraction in our area and it is going through major renovation as part of a very exciting 10-year master plan. It is a stimulating and fun place to be and the little kid in me loves spending time there. I enjoy working to help make it the fantastic zoo it is capable of becoming!