The Department of Microbiology provides diagnostic services to the University Hospital of the West Indies and as part of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. It also serves a number of private hospitals, laboratories and medical centres.  The Virology Laboratory is Jamaica’s only virus laboratory with the ability to grow and identify viruses of medical and public health importance.  Its work includes research on dengue and chikungunya virus and HIV pathogenesis.   An integral part the department is the National Influenza Centre for Jamaica - which conducts surveillance and research on circulating and epidemic strains of influenza in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health.   The department is in the process of establishing Jamaica’s first Biosafety Level 3 laboratory which will allow it to handle highly infectious material in a safe manner

The Department recently launched the Caribbean Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory to offer testing for antifungal resistance in clinical samples, identify new and emerging fungal infections and test new drugs in those in development.   In addition, it   is actively involved in service and research on antibiotic resistance across the Caribbean, on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections and autoimmune diseases.