Written by Christina Crowe
The UAB Department of Pathology was thrilled to gather for an outgoing reception for our residents, fellows, and trainees on May 5. Department faculty, staff, fellows, and residents came together to celebrate at B&A Warehouse, near Railroad Park 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 announcements of this year’s Alpha Omega Alpha inductees: Denis Noubouossie, M.D., Ph.D., Michael Williams, M.D., Christine Pesoli, M.D., and Shuko Harada, M.D. AOA is a national honor medical society. Dr. McCleskey also recognized UAB Heersink School of Medicine graduating student, Hannah Cutshall, as the first Pathology Integrated Resident. This position is part of the unique Research and Clinical Experience for Pathology (RaCE4Path) program, which is a collaborative effort with the Physician Scientist Development Office.
McCleskey then acknowledged this year's outgoing chief resident for Education and Outreach, Oraine Snaith, M.D., and announced incoming chief in the same role, Geoffrey Herndon, D.O. Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Division Director, Anatomic Pathology, presented a certificate to Raima Memon, M.D., outgoing AP chief resident, and announced incoming AP chief Sarah Anderson, D.O.. Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Division Director, Laboratory Medicine, presented a certificate to Denis Noubouossie, M.D., Ph.D., as Clinical Pathology outgoing chief, and recognized Sarah DePew, D.O., as incoming.
Outgoing Chief Residents Memon and Noubouossie presented teaching faculty awards for both anatomic pathology and laboratory medicine. The Leonard H. Robinson Award for Resident Education in Anatomic Pathology went to Isam-Eldin Eltoum, M.D., Vice Chair, Quality and Patient Safety and Professor, Anatomic Pathology. The Shu T. Huang Award for Excellence in Laboratory Medicine Education was given to Marisa Marques, M.D., Professor, Laboratory Medicine who was unable to attend due to the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) meeting in Philadelphia, PA where she was also awarded the Francis B. Morrison, MD Memorial Lecture Award.
Dr. McCleskey presented the Outstanding Trainee Teaching Award for Multidisciplinary & Medical Student Education, established by Dr. Ona Marie Faye-Petersen, Professor emerita, to graduating resident Ali Burkett, M.D.. Dr. Faye-Petersen also established an Education Support Fund that allowed Mishi Bhushan, M.D., MPH, and Jacob Havens, D.O. to attend educational conferences this academic year.
The Roger Denio Baker Prize in Anatomic Pathology was presented by Andrea Kahn, M.D., Professor and Associate Program Director, Anatomic Pathology, to Qing Wei, M.D., Ph.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. The Roy D. Kracke Award for Best Presentation in Anatomic Pathology Seminar Series was presented by Chirag Patel, M.D., Assistant Professor, Anatomic Pathology, to Sarah DePew, D.O.
Awards in Laboratory Medicine followed including the recently established PEARL Award, endowed by former resident and UAB Heersink SOM MSTP student Dr. Stephen Brossette, which recognizes a resident who demonstrates excellence in Patient Care, Education, and Research in Laboratory Medicine. This inaugural award was presented by Dr. Nirupama Singh, Assistant Professor and Associate Program Director, Laboratory Medicine, to Sarah Anderson, D.O.. Allen Bryan, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine, presented the Jay M. McDonald Award for Best Presentation in Laboratory Medicine Seminar, honoring former Department Chair Dr. Jay McDonald, to resident Natalie Larsen, M.D.
Dr. McCleskey presented the outgoing residents with certificates of completion. They are:
Benjamin Daggett, M.D.
Raima Memon, M.D.
Eric Ollila, M.D.
Mohammed Sait M.D.
Oraine Snaith, M.D.
Qing Wei, M.D., Ph.D.
Alison Burkett, M.D. (Anatomic Pathology focus)
Dennis Noubouossie, M.D., Ph.D. (Clinical Pathology focus)
Fellowship certificates were presented by faculty heading up each respective program:
Deepti Dall, M.D., director of the Surgical Subspecialty fellowships, presented certificates of completion to instructor/fellows: Mariam Youssef, M.D. (Women’s Health [Breast and Gynecologic] Pathology focus); Christine Pesoli, M.D. (Gynecologic Pathology focus); Niraja Korremla, M.D. (Surgical Pathology); Smitha Mruthyunjayappa, M.D. (Surgical Pathology); and J. Taylor Pickens, M.D. (Surgical Pathology).
Frida Rosenblum, M.D., Associate Professor and director of the Cytopathology fellowship, presented a certificate of completion to Atif Raja, M.D.
Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Professor and director of the Hematopathology fellowship, presented certificates of completion to previous UAB Department of Pathology residents Razan Baloush, M.D., and Danielle Fasciano, D.O.
Shuko Harada, M.D., Professor and director of the Molecular Genetic Pathology fellowship, presented a certificate of completion to Haider Mejbel, M.D.
Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, presented a certificate of completion to postdoctoral research fellow Sofia Canete-Portillo, M.D., who will be joining the Department of Pathology residency class in July.
Additionally, graduating Dermatopathology fellows, Leah Cardwell, M.D. and Jeremiah Pasion, M.D. were recognized as was Transfusion Medicine fellow Sohaila Soltani, M.D. who was also attending the ASFA conference.
Dr. Yabing Chen, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Faculty Development and Education, recognized graduate trainees in the following focus areas:
Jamelle Brown, Ph.D.—Pathobiology & Molecular Medicine
Baiyi Cai, Ph.D.—Immunology
Krystle Ong, Ph.D.—Cancer Biology
Zainab Motolani Shonibare, Ph.D.—Cancer Biology
The reception concluded with remarks by George Netto, M.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair, followed by group photos and fellowship among colleagues. Special thanks to Monica Henderson, Program Manager for Training Programs, and Susan Mills, Program Coordinator for fellowships, for organizing this special event.