Some research projects anticipate the use of tissue that has been removed surgically. If you plan to use fresh tissue in a research project, please remember that UAMS Policy requires most tissue to be cleared through the Hospital Pathology Department before it can be used for research. There are a few exceptions — they’re listed in UAMS Administrative Guide policy MS.4.01 — but the majority of tissues have to be sent to pathology before they can be released for research. That means that they can’t be taken straight from the OR to a research lab. This requirement minimizes the chances that a piece of tissue that will be needed for clinical diagnosis disappears into the wilds of research, where it might be altered in a way that renders it useless for clinical purposes. Please keep that in mind when working on studies. If you’re planning something that involves collecting tissue directly from the OR, the IRB won’t be able to approve that unless you can show that the pathology department has cleared your plan, or that it’s one of the tissues in the “exception” list.