Solving problems together at the Immunology Center   Leh Chang, Grace Agpaoa, Wilmer Brading, and Ron Deang work in the Immunology Center's histocompatibility laboratory.   Over their street clothes, they wear crisp, white lab coats or yellow paper robes that tie in the back. Much of their time is spent peering through microscopes or calculating data from findings. Conversation at the water cooler may include topics like ploidy analysis or flow cytometry. They call themselves specialized scientists who study and research psychoneuroendocrine immunology. But to the average patient, the staff at Loma Linda's Immunology Center are the people who provide the answers when a physician tells a patient "more extensive tests are being conducted to determine what's wrong." The work of the Immunology Center is to define the probable cause of an elusive problem, and then suggest clinical approaches to treatment. "We are here to help physicians wade through the oftentimes overwhelming labyrinth of immunological pathways and deviations," says Sandra L. Nehlsen-Cannarella, PhD, director of the Immunology Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center. The Immunology Center is unique among labs because it has fully integrated clinical and research facilities. "If your research is going to mean something, it should be tied to the clinical end as much as possible. And clinical work cannot go on if you don't have research backing it," says Dr. Nehlsen-Cannarella. The staff of the Immunology Center also dedicates significant time (both at Loma Linda and off-campus) to teaching the critical role immunology plays in treating patients. This includes lectures at conferences and articles published in peer-review journals. The Immunology Center, according to Leonard L. Bailey, MD, chair of the department of surgery, is the cornerstone of solid organ transplantation at Loma Linda. "Dr. Sandra Nehlsen-Cannarella and her associates are catalysts of understanding in our complex clinical world of transplantation biology, neoplastic diseases, infertility, and autoimmune illnesses."   University | Medical_Center | LLU&MC_home | Search_&_index | News_&_events | Employment | Contact | Our_mission All contents copyright © 2001 Loma Linda University. All rights reserved. Revised Monday, January 8, 2001 9:14 AM Send comments and questions to webmaster@univ.llu.edu URL: http: //www.llu.edu