Department of Pathology
The Department of Pathology is pleased to announce a new faculty member joining our team, effective January 15.
UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office would like to welcome 19 individuals in its 12th cohort of the Institute for Leadership in the spring of 2026. The goal of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is to enhance existing personal, leadership, and management competencies while leveraging current leadership strategies and trends. The 6-month program features guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including former graduates of the Institute for Leadership.
The UAB Department of Pathology recently funded a $500 travel award to Saeed Zakakhosravi, M.S., who presented his research last month.
Shu Chen, Ph.D., Ona Faye-Petersen Endowed Professor in the Division of Neuropathology, and Anupam Raina, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Chen lab, co-authored a manuscript that was recently selected as an “Editors’ Pick” by the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The paper, titled, “Skin-derived α-synuclein strains from PD, DLB, and MSA induce distinct intracellular pathology and neurodegeneration,” was selected by the editors for its exceptional contribution to the field.
The human intestine is home to trillions of microscopic organisms, including hundreds of species of bacteria. In most people, these bacteria co-exist peacefully and contribute to a mutually beneficial relationship, with both human and bacteria deriving important benefits from the other. In certain individuals, however, specific bacteria are believed to provoke inflammation that characterize diseases such as Crohn’s disease.
Md Akkas Ali and Md Hasanul Banna Siam, trainees in the laboratory of Daniel Tyrrell, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, are recipients of 2026 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowships.
Andrea Kahn, M.D., a professor in the Division of Women's Health and section head of gynecologic pathology (GYN), will assume the interim role as medical director for the Department of Pathology's histology and immunohistochemistry laboratories in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, directed by Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., FRCPC, effective December 15, 2025.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) has announced funding for two pre-R01 grants for the 2025 fall cycle of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s O’Neal Invests program. Sooryanarayana Varambally, Ph.D., MBA, a professor in the Department of Pathology's Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology is a pre-R01 recipient for his project titled, "Evaluation of ATPase TRIP13 as biomarker in breast cancers and investigation of its functions."
On Thursday, Nov. 20., the Heersink School of Medicine honored 20 faculty members at the Fall 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception. This event recognizes Heersink faculty who have made major contributions to research, education, and clinical care.
Gregory Davis, M.D., M.S.P.H., Division Director, Forensic Pathology, was installed as the 2025-2026 president of the American Society for Clinical Pathology during the annual meeting on November 17-20 in Atlanta, Georgia.
UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) honored 33 graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2025 Cohort 4 during a ceremony held on Thursday, Nov. 12. The cohort completed a multi-session program designed to strengthen leadership capability for emerging leaders across the enterprise.
Erin Eun-Young Ahn, Ph.D., a professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, has been named a 2025 Termeer Scholar. The Termeer Scholars Program provides mentoring, networking, and coaching for academic researchers, with the goal of helping them translate bench science into real-world impact for patients.
The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce four faculty’s new appointments to endowed positions. Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., FRCPC, has been named the second holder of the C. Bruce Alexander Endowed Professorship in Pathology. Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D., has been named the second holder of the Jay M. McDonald, M.D., Endowed Chair in Laboratory Medicine. Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., has been named the second holder of the Endowed Professorship in Experimental Cancer Therapeutics. Thomas Winokur, M.D., has been named the second holder of the Robert W. Mowry, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Pathology.
The UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center announced its latest O’Neal Invests grant awardees, of which two faculty from the Department of Pathology are included. O'Neal Invests funds UAB investigators initiating new cancer-related projects to do key preliminary work to enable competitive extramural applications.
Members from the Department of Pathology gathered to celebrate esteemed milestones amongst colleagues on November 12 to recognize awards and distinctions from the past year. The event was held at the UAB West Pavilion Conference Center to honor outstanding professional service to UAB and the department.
Meet Adam Wende, Ph.D., Professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Pathology. His work has been funded by the American Heart Association, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), and most recently the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the NIH.
Two physician-scientist trainees in the Department of Pathology participated in the UAB Global Health Symposium on October 29 and 30. Chiamaka Umah, M.D., PGY3, and Falone Amoa, M.D., M.S., a PGY5 and Ph.D. candidate in the laboratory of Upender Manne, Ph.D., M.S., participated in a range of engaging sessions to gain insights into innovative applications of artificial intelligence across diagnostics, health systems, disease surveillance, and more.
Chronic granulomatous fungal sinusitis is a rare, debilitating infection characterized by an enlarged mass in the nasal cavity or sinuses, facial pain and swelling, eye bulging, vision problems, headache and nasal congestion. While most cases are found in subtropical regions of Sudan, India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia caused by Aspergillus flavus, a pathogenic fungus, cases have recently been identified in the Southeastern United States caused by Curvularia, an emerging pathogen.
Sometimes it’s difficult to make time for hobbies outside of work. Doing so, however, can reduce stress and improve mental and physical health. The Department of Pathology’s Committee for Access and Engagement is on a mission to provide a welcoming environment that fosters the professional and personal development of faculty, staff and trainees. This month, several members from the committee shared some of their favorite hobbies, and why they find them meaningful.
UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) celebrated seven distinguished faculty members from the seventh cohort of the Sharing Authentically to Inspire and Lead (SAIL) program at a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The program, facilitated by Celeste Morgan, Ph.D., CDMS, senior leadership development specialist, is designed to help early-career faculty strengthen their leadership skills, refine their academic identities, and chart clear, sustainable paths toward long-term success.
The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce the winners of its inaugural 2025 Chair’s Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate faculty members in the Department of Pathology who exude clinical, research and educational excellence. This year’s winners are Hua Guo, M.D., M.S., Chair’s Award for Clinical Excellence, Ming He, M.D., Ph.D., Chair’s Award for Research Excellence, and Valeria Dal Zotto, M.D., Chair’s Award for Educational Excellence. Winners are chosen by Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair.
A recent study published in Redox Biology by researchers from the UAB Department of Pathology revealed that too much of a good thing, specifically excessive antioxidants, can lead to heart damage. Traditionally, antioxidants and reducing agents have been found to protect cells. The new study “Reductive stress induces unresolved ER stress and proteotoxic cardiomyopathy” authored by Sini Sunny, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, and Rajasekaran Namakkal-Soorappan, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, challenges this notion with their findings.
Joanne Murphy-Ullrich, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, recently received a patent coin to honor her hard work and dedication as a UAB inventor. The patent coin recognition program is led by the UAB Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Beginning this past spring, UAB researchers who are named on a full patent will receive a ceremonial coin stamped with their name and patent number.
Several members from the UAB Department of Pathology ran on October 11 in Equal Access Birmingham's (EAB) 10th Annual Heart + Sole 5K Run, promoting health and wellness in the Birmingham community. All proceeds from the fundraiser support EAB operations and the EAB Clinic to provide medications and medical services for patients. This year was the run's first time returning in person since before the pandemic.
The 2025 Tri-State Pathology Conference took place October 4-5 at the New Orleans Marriot in Louisiana, hosted by the Louisiana Pathology Society, in conjunction with the Mississippi Association of Pathologists and the Alabama Association of Pathologists.
The UAB HSF Robert B. Adams Cytology Laboratory opened recently in Montgomery, Alabama, as part of the Department of Pathology’s Community Practice Pathology Program (CPPP). This laboratory space was donated by the Adams family and renovated by the Department of Pathology. Its opening has been seven years in the making.
The UAB Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) hosted the Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium (SEMSS) on September 27-28 at the UAB Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation. SEMSS is a student-run conference designed to bring together both current and aspiring physician-scientists from around the southeastern United States and beyond to share research and build community.
Girish Melkani, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
About half of Americans between 45 and 84 have atherosclerosis without knowing it. Diseases linked to atherosclerosis are the leading cause of death in the United States. The condition develops when fats, cholesterol and other substances form plaque in the arteries. As plaque builds, arteries narrow and block blood flow, or can burst, which may lead to blood clotting. The initiation and progression of atherosclerosis are largely driven by genetic and environmental risk factors, but in between, how epigenetic regulation contributes to this pathogenesis remains largely unknown.
The UAB Department of Pathology recently funded travel awards to two trainees, Sajal Kumar Halder and Dr. Kenneth Long, who will present their research at national meetings this year.
Michel Kmeid, M.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, will serve as medical director of the gross room and frozen section lab, effective October 1.
The UAB Department of Pathology celebrated the 30th year of its Paulette Shirey Pritchett Endowed Lecture in Pathology on September 25 with an outstanding lecture by Mark T. Gladwin, M.D., Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, and the John Z. Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean. Gladwin delivered the talk, titled, “Translating Redox Biology to Medicine: Lessons Learned, Taking Risks, and Going NO Where.”
Granzyme K (GzmK), a family of granzymes implicated in age-associated inflammatory disease, plays a key role in driving chronic inflammation by causing cell death. Despite its significant impact on diseases like asthma, psoriasis and atherosclerosis, current therapies lack focus on GzmK.
Several Research and Clinical Experience in Pathology (RaCE4Path) students presented posters at the 2025 UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dale J Benos Medical Student Research Day on September 15 and the UAB Undergraduate Research Expo on July 24.
In 2016, the rare disease Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim, or ZTTK Syndrome, was discovered by Erin Eun Young Ahn, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB Department of Pathology’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, alongside her research team. ZTTK is primarily identified in children and is characterized by intellectual disability, delayed musculoskeletal development and multi-organ anomalies, and is caused by loss of function in the SON gene. This gene creates a DNA and RNA binding protein, SON, that is required for the body to grow and develop naturally.
The UAB Department of Pathology boasts a long legacy of fostering physician-scientists who are skilled both in clinical practice and research. These practitioners bridge the crucial gap between the lab and patient care, using clinical experience to drive research leading to new treatments and therapies. Their efforts target individualized medicine, propel public health breakthroughs and ensure that scientific discoveries are translated directly to the bedside.
The Department of Pathology is pleased to announce the promotion and tenure of eight of our esteemed faculty colleagues for 2025, effective October 1, 2025.
Falone Amoa, M.D., M.S., PGY5, and Damien Roland, M.D., M.S., PGY3, were recently named 2025 Future of Pathology Award recipients by the National Medical Association. The Future of Pathology Award was established in 2020 with the goal to recognize and reward minority students and trainees who have a special interest in the field of pathology.
Rati Chkheidze, M.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Neuropathology, has been appointed section head of neuropathology, effective July 1. Chkheidze joined the UAB Department of Pathology in 2020 from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he completed a neuropathology fellowship following his anatomic and clinical pathology residency. Originally from the country of Georgia, he graduated from Tbilisi State Medical University in 2007. Before joining the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, he worked as a senior visiting scientist in the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics until 2014. His research interests focus on image analysis and machine learning applications in neurodegenerative and tumor neuropathology, and brain banking.
Peter Anderson, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, delivered one of the inaugural lectures for a new certificate program offered by the Association of Academic Pathology (AAPath) at its annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, in July. This program is designed for health science faculty at all levels of experience who seek professional development to enhance their teaching effectiveness, expand their knowledge and expertise in curricular development and advance their careers as health science educators.
Adeyi Oyedele, M.D., FRCPC, Division Director, Anatomic Pathology, will serve as section head of Gastrointestinal Pathology and director of the GI fellowship program, effective July 15.
Falone Amoa, M.D., M.S., a PGY5 and Ph.D. candidate in the UAB Department of Pathology, has recently been named a Society of '67 Kinney Scholar by the Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath). This award is for pathology residents and medical students who demonstrate the potential for leadership in academic pathology. Amoa is 1 of 5 residents and 8 medical students selected from across the United States.
The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce a new faculty member joining our team August 1.
UAB ENhancing Research In Cancer-related Health professions (ENRICH) successfully completed its second year of the rigorous 10-week summer program to engage in cancer research at UAB.
Michel Kmeid, M.D., will join the Division of Anatomic Pathology as an assistant professor, effective August 1. Kmeid joins us from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, where he served as a head and neck pathology fellow since 2024.
In the face of a bacterium that easily resists common antibiotics, members of UAB established testing to identify it in human disease. Mycoplasma, that is. Mycoplasmas are the smallest free-living organisms. They can cause drug-resistant bacterial infections that target various parts of the body, including respiratory and urinary systems and genitalia. Mycoplasmas commonly cause lung infections and often require a special antibiotic to treat the bacterium. Most antibiotics weaken bacteria by penetrating their cell walls. Mycoplasmas, however, don’t have cell walls to weaken.
Peripheral artery disease is a severe form of cardiovascular disease affecting more than 230 million individuals worldwide. The correlation of peripheral artery disease with diminished blood flow in one or more major arteries has prompted numerous studies aimed at developing therapies that promote the formation of new mature blood vessels, known as neovessels, to restore blood flow. However, despite years of investigations, the medical therapies designed to do so have lacked therapeutic significance.
The Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office has relocated from the old Cooper Green building to a new 32,000 square foot facility on Leaf Lake Pkwy. Greg Davis, M.D., MSPH, Division Director of Forensic Pathology and Jefferson County Coroner, gave an indication and cut the ribbon at the ceremony in conjunction with the Jefferson County Commission on June 23.
The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce a new faculty member joining our team July 1.
How research enriches the medical school experience. Federico Prokopczuk is in his fourth year as an M.D./Ph.D. trainee. A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, he graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology before joining the Heersink School of Medicine in June 2021.