The University of Pittsburgh is a national leader in biomedical research ranking third in the nation for NIH funding and provides an outstanding environment to conduct research including a diversity of investigators, a spirit of collaboration, and state-of-the art facilities, hospitals, cores, and centers. There is an interactive research environment and multiple annual research conferences sponsored by the Departments of Medicine, Cell Biology and Physiology, Developmental Biology, Bioengineering, Geriatrics, Pathology, Urology, Pharmacology, and Biological Sciences. The School of Medicine, which consists of 31 departments, is closely affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) which is considered a leading American health care provider. The partnership between the medical school and UPMC has led to the establishment of many research centers and institutes (i.e., Drug Discovery Institute; Aging Institute; Vascular Medicine Institute) that bring together basic scientists, clinical scientists, physicians, graduate students and physicians-in-training.