The Institute for Experimental Pathology operates according to a statute of the Icelandic parliament enacted in 1990.

It is an academic establishment and is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine University of Iceland, with a special governing board and an independent budget.

The predominant aspects of the activities are basic and service research in veterinary medicin. The expertise is on the following disciplines: prionology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, pathology, immunology, biochemistry and molecular biology.