The UAB Department of Pathology is pleased to announce the establishment of a dedicated Head and Neck Pathology Fellowship Program within its Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program. The fellowship will welcome its inaugural fellow in July 2026 and represents an exciting expansion of subspecialty pathology training opportunities at UAB.
Melad N. Dababneh, MBBS, an assistant professor in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, will serve as director of the Head and Neck Fellowship. Dababneh has served as section head of Head and Neck Pathology since June 2025. The fellowship will provide advanced subspecialty training under the guidance of Drs. Thomas Winokur, Isaam-Eldin Eltoum, and Michel Kmeid.
The Head and Neck Pathology Fellowship will provide focused training in the diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of the head and neck through exposure to more than 4,500 specimens annually. Fellows will gain experience with a broad range of biopsy and resection specimens from the oral cavity, sinonasal tract and skull base, pharynx, larynx, ear, salivary glands, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, and head and neck cutaneous, odontogenic, bone and soft tissue pathology.
“We’re excited to welcome our first fellow and continue expanding subspecialty pathology training at UAB,” said Dababneh. “The combination of case volume, diagnostic complexity, multidisciplinary collaboration, and research opportunities provides a great learning environment for future head and neck pathologists.”
In addition to diagnostic sign-out, fellows will participate in the gross examinations of complex specimens, perform intraoperative frozen section consultations, attend multidisciplinary tumor boards, and contribute to resident education. Fellows will also work closely with faculty members on clinical research projects and scholarly activities.
Additional information about the fellowship program and application process is available here.
Pathologists and healthcare institutions seeking expert consultation services in head and neck pathology can learn more about submitting cases to UAB's Head and Neck Pathology Service here.