One full year after missing the opportunity to gather in person for a outgoing reception for our residents, fellows and trainees, on June 3, department faculty, staff, fellows and residents came together to celebrate. The annual event, excepting 2020 due to COVID19, was held at B&A Warehouse, near Railroad Park adjacent to downtown Birmingham, from 6 to 8 p.m., where attendees enjoyed dinner and an awards ceremony.
A welcome by Brandi McCleskey, M.D., Director of the Pathology Residency Program, was followed by opening remarks from George Netto, M.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair in Pathology. McCleksey gave a touching tribute to outgoing residency program director James Hackney, M.D., Associate Professor, Neuropathology, in recognition of his years of service in that role. Hackney will retire at the end of June, 2021.
All trainees pictured above have been fully vaccinated.
This year's outgoing Chief Residents Christine Pesoli, M.D., Anatomic Pathology, and Benjamin Daggett, M.D., Clinical Pathology, presented faculty awards. Leonard H. Robinson Award for Resident Education in Anatomic Pathology went to Deepti Dhall, M.D., Professor and Associate Director, Anatomic Pathology. The Shu T. Huang Award for Excellence in Laboratory Medicine Excellence was given to Chad Siniard, M.D., Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine.
Ona Faye-Petersen, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Anatomic Pathology, presented the Outstanding Trainee Teaching Award for Multidisciplinary & Medical Student Education to residents Ali Burkett, M.D., and Rich Godby, M.D. 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 Raima Memon, M.D.
View all of the photos from the event here.
The Roger Denio Baker Prize in Anatomic Pathology was presented by Dr. McCleskey, to Taylor Pickens, M.D. On December 1, 1944, Roger Denio Baker became the medical school's first full-time faculty member and the first departmental chair appointed by Dean Roy R. Kracke. A cash prize of $1,000 is given to a resident in recognition of excellence in Anatomic Pathology.
Two awards in Laboratory Medicine followed, both presented by Allen Bryan, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine: The Jay M. McDonald Award for Best Presentation in Laboratory Medicine Seminar, honoring former Department Chair Dr. Jay McDonald, went to resident Cori Clark, M.D.
Division Directors Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Anatomic Pathology and Marisa Marques, M.D., Laboratory Medicine, presented outgoing chief residents Pesoli and Daggett with certificates, and announced the new chief residents for 2019: Raima Memon, M.D., Anatomic Pathology; Denis Nouboussie, M.D., Clinical Pathology, and Oraine Snaith, M.D., Educatino and Outreach.
Dr. McCleskey presented the outgoing residents with certificates. They are:
Rana Aldrees, M.D.
Razan Baloush, M.D.
Fei Fei, M.D.
Smitha Mruthyunjayappa, M.D.
Christine Pesoli, M.D.
J. Taylor Pickens, M.D.
Mariam Youssef, M.D.
Abrar Alghamdi, M.D.
David Figge, Md.D., Ph.D.
Mohammed Rigi, M.D.
Fellowship certificates were presented by faculty heading up each respective program:
Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D., Breast/GYN Pathology presented to Shoujun Chen, M.D., Ph.D.
Frida Rosenblum, M.D., Cytopathology presented to Niraja Korremla, M.D., and Morad Qarmali, M.D.
Sameer Al Diffalha, M.D., Gastrointestinal Pathology, to Sophia Sher, M.D.
Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Hematopathology, to Adam Jones, M.D. and Benjamin Saylor, M.D.
Shuko Harada, M.D., Molecular Genetic Pathology, to Mehenaz Hanbazazh, M.D.
Kenneth Fallon, M.D., Neuropathology, to Astin Powers, M.D.
Deepti Dhall, M.D., Surgical Pathology, to Bo Chen, M.D., Haider Mejbel, M.D., Laura Oscar, M.D., Aysha Mubeen, M.D.
Marisa Marques, M.D., Transfusion Medicine, to Richard Godby, M.D.
George Netto, M.D., to postdoctoral fellows Maria Del Carmen Rodriguez Pena, M.D., and Sofia Canete-Portillo, M.D.
Dr. Yabing Chen, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Faculty Development and Education, recognized graduate trainees:
Tshering Lama-Sherpa, Ph.D.
Mateus Mota, Ph.D.
Jennifer Valcin, Ph.D.
Shannon Weeks
The reception concluded with concluding remarks by Drs. Netto and McCleskey, group photos and gestures of affection among colleagues. Special thanks to Monica Henderson, Susan Mills, and Sandy Cummings for organizing this special event.