by Hannah Buckelew
The UAB Department of Pathology gathered for an outgoing reception for our residents, fellows, and trainees on June 2. Department faculty, staff, residents and fellows came together to celebrate at the Fennec, adjacent to downtown Birmingham, with dinner and an awards ceremony.
A welcome by Brandi McCleskey, M.D., Director of the Pathology Residency Program, was followed by faculty awards presented by outgoing Chief Residents Sarah Anderson, D.O., and Sarah DePew, D.O. The Leonard H. Robinson Award for Resident Education in Anatomic Pathology was presented to Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., C. Bruce Alexander Endowed Professor, Division Director, Anatomic Pathology. The Shu T. Huang Award for Excellence in Laboratory Medicine Education was given to Marisa Marques, M.D, Professor, Laboratory Medicine, Director, Blood Bank.
The Roger Denio Baker Prize in Anatomic Pathology was also presented by Dr. Magi-Galluzzi to Brooke Bartow, M.D. This award, presented to the resident demonstrating excellence in AP, was established in Dr. Baker’s name. Dr. Roger Denio Baker became the medical school’s first full-time faculty member on December 1, 1944, and the first departmental chair appointed by Dean Roy D. Kracke. Deepti Dhall, M.D., Professor and Associate Director, Anatomic Pathology, presented the Roy D. Kracke Award for Best Presentation in Anatomic Pathology Seminar Series to Gian Pero Carames, M.D. Ona Faye-Petersen, M.D., Professor Emerita, presented the Outstanding Trainee Teaching Award in honor of the late Dr. Alexander Feldman to Dr. Sarah Anderson.
Awards in Laboratory Medicine followed including the PEARL Award, endowed by former resident and UAB Heersink School of Medicine MSTP student Dr. Stephen Brosette, which recognizes a resident who demonstrates excellence in patient care, education, and research in Laboratory Medicine. This award was presented by Dr. Marisa Marques to Caroline Stanek, M.D. The Jay M. McDonald Award for Best Presentation in Laboratory Medicine Seminar, honoring former Department Chair Dr. Jay McDonald, was also presented by Dr. Marisa Marques to Amy Theriault, D.O.
McCleskey then acknowledged this year’s outgoing chief resident for Education and Outreach, Geoffrey Herndon, D.O., and announced incoming chief in the same role, Michael Robinson, D.O. Dr. Magi-Galluzzi acknowledged this year’s outgoing chief resident for Anatomic Pathology, Dr. Sarah Anderson, and announced incoming chief, Dr. Brooke Bartow. Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Division Directory, Laboratory Medicine, awarded Dr. Sarah DePew as outgoing chief of Clinical Pathology, and announced incoming chief Jacob Havens, D.O.
This year’s RISE-ING Star Awards were presented by Dr. McCleskey to Kyle Joseph, M.S., D.O., PGY1, Brooke Bartow, M.D., PGY2, Igor Damasceno Vidal, M.D., PGY3, and Geoffrey Herndon, D.O., PGY4.
Dr. McCleskey presented the outgoing residents with certificates of completion. They are:
Sarah Anderson, D.O.
Cori Clark, D.O.
Sarah DePew, D.O.
Geoffrey Herndon, D.O.
Natalie Larsen, D.O.
Fellowship certificates were presented by the following faculty in each respective program:
Sameer Al Difallha, M.D., Associate Professor, Anatomic Pathology, presented the GI Pathology fellowship certificate to Christina Pesoli, M.D.
Deepti Dhall, M.D., director of the Surgical Subspecialty fellowships, presented certificates of completion to Surgical Pathology fellows Raheel Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., and Anne Prater, D.O.
Thomas Winokur, M.D., Division Director, Women’s Health, presented the Women’s Health fellowship certificate to Junlin Zhang, Ph.D.
Daniel Dye, M.D., Associate Professor, Forensics, presented the Forensics certificate to Benjamin Daggett, M.D.
Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Professor and director of the Molecular Genetic Pathology fellowship, presented certificates of completion in Hematopathology to Gabriel Collins, D.O, and J. Taylor Pickens, M.D.
Shuko Harada, M.D., Professor and director of the Molecular Genetic Pathology fellowship, presented a certificate to Bushra Nazir, M.D.
Marisa Marques, M.D., Professor, Laboratory Medicine, presented a certificate of completion in Transfusion Medicine to Pari Shelat, M.D.
Kenneth Fallon, M.D., Associate Professor, Neuropathology, presented the Neuropathology certificate to Michael Williams, M.S., M.D.
Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., C. Bruce Alexander Endowed Professor, Division Director, Anatomic Pathology, presented a certificate of completion to Bassel Zein Sabatto, M.D., Clinical Research Fellow.
Yabing Chen, Ph.D., Jay M. McDonald Endowed Chair in Laboratory Medicine, Vice Chair, Faculty Development and Education, Molecular Pathology, recognized graduate trainees Ashley Connelly, Ph.D., Dominique Henshaw, Ph.D., and Emma Dean, Ph.D., for all their hard work.
The reception concluded with remarks by Dr. McCleskey, followed by group photos and fellowship among colleagues. Special thanks to Monica Henderson, Program Manager for training programs, Susan Mills, Program Coordinator for fellowships, and Fatima Igdoura, Project Manager for the Chair’s Office, for organizing this special event.