Introduction to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM)
LKSOM is part of Temple University. Temple University's 17 schools and colleges, 8 campuses, hundreds of degree programs, and more than 30,000 students create one of the nation's most comprehensive and diverse public research and learning environments. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education lists Temple University as an R1 institution for “highest research activity,” placing it among the top 4% of all four-year institutions in the United States.
LKSOM, founded in 1901, is dedicated to excellence in research, education, and patient care, achieved by faculty, staff and students who represent and serve our diverse society. The mission of all researchers at LKSOM is to improve human health through investigations that inform the understanding and improve the treatment of disease with a focus on identifying the changes that distinguish healthy from unhealthy cells and tissues, and testing strategies to reverse pathological changes. LKSOM is committed to being a good neighbor by creating meaningful benefits for our community. Research training of medical and graduate students, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, is integral to the mission.
LKSOM, founded in 1901, is dedicated to excellence in research, education, and patient care, achieved by faculty, staff and students who represent and serve our diverse society. The mission of all researchers at LKSOM is to improve human health through investigations that inform the understanding and improve the treatment of disease with a focus on identifying the changes that distinguish healthy from unhealthy cells and tissues, and testing strategies to reverse pathological changes. LKSOM is committed to being a good neighbor by creating meaningful benefits for our community. Research training of medical and graduate students, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, is integral to the mission.
Why Train at LKSOM?
Basic research across LKSOM is organized into 8 discipline-focused Departments (Cancer and Cellular Biology; Cardiovascular Sciences; Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry; Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation; Neural Sciences; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Biomedical Education and Data Science; Population Health Sciences). Following a matrix organizational structure, 15 Research Centers focused on specific disease sub-topics are embedded in the LKSOM departments. Within these departments and centers, 82 faculty lead active laboratories. Researchers in these Departments and Centers perform high impact studies affecting multiple academic disciplines. Some examples of LKSOM recent achievements in research are posted on the News webpage.
Faculty within LKSOM’s 20 Clinical Departments take part in clinical research and perform clinical service at Temple University Hospital (TUH), which is located one block away from LKSOM. TUH is a fixture in its North Philadelphia neighborhood for over 125 years and a nationally respected academic medical center that serves as Pennsylvania’s leading safety-net provider for underserved populations.
Enhancing the potential for cross-disciplinary training, most of the laboratories at LKSOM are housed in a custom-designed, 480,000-square-foot, 11-story facility, which opened in 2009. It features open lab space that facilitates investigator-trainee interaction and collaboration. The proximity between LKSOM research laboratory space and TUH provides many opportunities for researchers to collaborate with physicians and conduct cutting-edge translational research.
Supporting training potential, LKSOM has numerous cutting-edge Core Facilities (flow cytometry, single cell multiomics, metabolomics and lipidomics, bioimaging, biobank, laboratory animal) containing state-of-the-art instrumentation. These are centrally located on the medical school campus, and training and use is available for all laboratory staff.
Faculty within LKSOM’s 20 Clinical Departments take part in clinical research and perform clinical service at Temple University Hospital (TUH), which is located one block away from LKSOM. TUH is a fixture in its North Philadelphia neighborhood for over 125 years and a nationally respected academic medical center that serves as Pennsylvania’s leading safety-net provider for underserved populations.
Enhancing the potential for cross-disciplinary training, most of the laboratories at LKSOM are housed in a custom-designed, 480,000-square-foot, 11-story facility, which opened in 2009. It features open lab space that facilitates investigator-trainee interaction and collaboration. The proximity between LKSOM research laboratory space and TUH provides many opportunities for researchers to collaborate with physicians and conduct cutting-edge translational research.
Supporting training potential, LKSOM has numerous cutting-edge Core Facilities (flow cytometry, single cell multiomics, metabolomics and lipidomics, bioimaging, biobank, laboratory animal) containing state-of-the-art instrumentation. These are centrally located on the medical school campus, and training and use is available for all laboratory staff.
State-of-the-art research facilities and services
The Lewis Katz School of Medicine is based in a custom-designed, 480,000-square-foot Medical Education and Research Building, which opened in 2009. The 11-story facility is home to more than half of the school’s research scientists. It features open lab space that facilitates investigator-trainee interaction and collaboration. Moreover, the medical school provides the tools needed to conduct trailblazing research. This technology is housed in several centralized facilities and available to all departments. Our core facilities and services include the Biostatistics Consulting Center, Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, and Flow Cytometry Core, as well as the renowned Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University School of Pharmacy.
Support for Postdoctoral Training
Once at LKSOM, postdoctoral fellows are supported by the Office of Post-Doctoral Affairs | Lewis Katz School of Medicine. The focus of this Office is to enhance the research and soft skills of the ~ 65 postdocs who work in the various Departments, supporting their individual career development needs. In addition to one-on-one mentoring in the laboratory, the Office provides workshops (e.g., on grant writing, or on technical topics), panel discussions, seminars, and networking opportunities. To ensure accountability, the Office administers a performance development plan process between postdocs and their mentors. A range of opportunities to present research work and receive recognition and awards is offered, including during the LKSOM celebration of National Postdoc Appreciation week. To reach the LKSOM Office of Post-Doctoral Affairs, please email [email protected] or call 215-707-7139.
How to apply to open postions at Lewis Katz School of Medicine
To identify available training opportunities, prospective postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to visit the Departments and Research Centers faculty pages, and reach out directly to principal investigators who have research projects of interest. In addition, the Temple Office of Postdoctoral Affairs webpage offers a list of LKSOM postdoctoral open positions (with instructions on how to apply) and a description of stipends and benefits for all Temple University post-graduate trainees. This office, which serves approximately 400 Temple postdoctoral trainees, research associates and visiting scholars annually, offers support during the hiring and onboarding progress (including guidelines on visas for international scholars). Postdocs receive a highly competitive compensation package, including the stipend level and health benefits set by NIH, dental insurance, and generous paid vacation and sick days and option for pretax retirement savings plan.
