Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Offers New Course on Computing
The UAB Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Center is offering a new course, "CB2-101: Bioinformatics Computing," replacing the old introductory course "CB2-101: Introduction to Scientific Computing” offered under the umbrella of the CB2 initiative at UAB (http://www.uab.edu/cb2). The course is led by Malay Basu, M.Tech, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology.
This free course will start on Thursday, November 1. It is a hands-on, rigorous, and fast-paced introduction to computational skills required for Bioinformatics research, modeled after the National Science Foundation "immersive learning" proposal (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08204/index.jsp).
Read moreElaine Jaffe, M.D., WHO, Delivers 27th Annual Pritchett Lecture
UAB Pathology celebrated the 27th year of its Paulette Shirey Pritchett Endowed Lecture in Pathology with an outstanding lecture by Elaine Jaffe, M.D., Series Editor, World Health Organization Classification of Tumours. Jaffe's lecture, "Charting the Future of Lymphoma Classification: A Road Map for Disease Discovery and Treatment," took place before a full house on Monday, September September 17, with the Pritchett family in attendance.
This endowed lecture series is named in honor of Dr. Paulette Shirey Pritchett, and is supported by Dr. Robert Pritchett, husband of Dr. Paulette Pritchett, and family. Dr. Pritchett was a highly respected, young member of the UAB Department of Pathology when she unexpectedly passed away on August 4, 1984.She was a native Alabamian who obtained her medical degree from the University of Alabama, where she was awarded the Stewart Graves Award and the William Boyd Medal for her demonstrated excellence in pathology.
Read moreZheng Lab Publishes Two Research Papers on TTP in Peer-Reviewed Journals
Two papers featuring the results of research conducted in the laboratory of X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., related to the pathogenesis and novel therapeutics for immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) are published recently.
The first, "Clinical Factors and Biomarkers Predicting Outcome in Patients with Immune-Mediated Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura" was featured in Haematologica, the journal of the European Haematology Association, online on August 23, 2018. Elizabeth Staley, M.D., Ph.D., Hemostasis Fellow of pathology, was first author on the paper, along with colleagues Wenjing Cao, M.D., Ph.D., Instructor, Pathology; Nicole Kocher, Researcher, TTP Lab; Lucy Zheng, senior of Indian Springs School, Huy Pham, M.D., M.P.H., and Robin Lorenz, M.D., Ph.D., former Assistant Professor and Professor of Pathology, respectively, Lance Williams, Associate Professor of Pathology, Marisa Marques, Ph.D., Professor, and X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Division Director, Laboratory Medicine.
The second, "Transfusion of platelets loaded with recombinant ADAMTS13 is efficacious for inhibiting arterial thrombosis in mice and in human," was published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB), on September 13, 2018. First author Mohammed Abdelgawwad, M.D., Ph.D., a graduate student of pathobiology theme at UAB. Other contributors include Wenjing Cao, M.D., Ph.D., Nicole Kocher, B.S., Lance Williams, M.D., Liang Zheng, Ph.D. and X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D.The findings suggest that transfusion of recombinant ADAMTS13-loaded platelets may be a novel and potentially effective therapeutic approach for arterial thrombosis, including congenital and immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Haematologica and ATVB are top journals in the field of Hematology, with an impact factor of 9.09 and 6.6, respectively.
The Zheng Lab is interested in understanding the biological mechanisms of iTTP, which is caused by a deficiency of plasma ADAMTS13, the enzyme responsible for cleaving von Willebrand factor (VWF). Dr. Zheng was among the first group of investigators who discovered and cloned the ADAMTS13 enzyme. The Zheng Lab has made many seminal contributions to the understanding of the structure-function relationship and regulation of ADAMTS13, by working to develop novel tools for the diagnosis and treatment of TTP.
Each year the Zheng Lab hosts the TTP Fair and Education Day, an event designed to create a conversation and a community between those affected by the disorder and the physicians and researchers who are working to improve the available treatments, outcomes, and recovery time. Visit the event website to learn more.
Pathology Takes Home Three 2018 Argus Awards
It was quite a night on Friday, September 7, when the 2018 UAB School of Medicine Argus Awards. Medical students nominated five Department of Pathology teaching faculty for awards this year, and three of our faculty took home awards.
The Argus Awards, created in 1996 to recognize faculty members, give medical students the chance to honor their mentors, professors, courses and course directors for outstanding service to medical education. Faculty are nominated by course evaluations and students vote to select award winners in each category.
Read moreUAB Pathology’s Community Practice Pathology Program Expands into Gadsden, Alabama
The UAB Department of Pathology is proud to announce the expansion of its Community Practice Pathology Program (CPPP) deeper into Northeast Alabama with the addition of the Riverview Regional Medical Center, effective August 1.
The Department will provide a full range of anatomic pathology services at the site.
Read moreThree UAB Pathology Faculty Earn Promotions
The Department of Pathology is proud to announce the promotion of three of our faculty, effective October 1, 2018.
James Hackney, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neuropathology and Director of the Pathology Residency Program, receives a promotion to associate professor.
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UAB Pathology Division of Laboratory Medicine Names New Lab Directors
The Division of Laboratory Medicine, under the leadership of Division Director Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., announces the naming of several new laboratory directors.
Deniz Peker, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology, Attending Physician in Hematopathology/Surgical Pathology in the Division of Laboratory Medicine, is appointed Director of the Flow Cytometry Lab at UAB hospital, effective October 1, 2018.
Read morePathology Teaching Faculty Well Represented in 2018 Argus Awards
Five Department of Pathology teaching faculty were among the faculty nominated by medical students for the UAB School of Medicine 2018 Argus Awards.
The Argus Awards, created in 1996 to recognize faculty members, give medical students the chance to honor their mentors, professors, courses and course directors for outstanding service to medical education. Faculty are nominated by course evaluations and students vote to select award winners in each category.
Read moreUAB Pathology Welcomes New Fellows
UAB Pathology is proud to welcome 10 new fellows for the 2018-19 academic year.
Five fellows come to us from UAB:
- Tyler Clemmensen 2018-2019 Hematopathology Fellow
- Robin Collingwood 2018-2019 GI Pathology Fellow
- Joseph Drwiega 2018-2019 Surgical Pathology Fellow
- Diana Morlote, who will serve as the 2018-19 Hematopathology Fellow
- Scott Taylor 2018-2019 Surgical Pathology Fellow
A Fond Farewell to Dr. Robin Lorenz
It was a bittersweet gathering as the Department came together on June 26 to celebrate the contributions of Robin Lorenz, M.D., Ph.D.,to the Department and the University. Lorenz was Professor, Department of Pathology and Medical Education; Associate Dean for Physician Scientist Development; Director, UAB Medical Scientist (MD-PhD) Training Program; Director, UAB Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP), and many other key roles. She has accepted a position as lead pathologist with Genentech.
Lorenz recently took a position with Genentech as senior director of pathology. At UAB, she held secondary faculty appointments in the UAB departments of Medical Education and Microbiology, and was a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and the Comprehensive Arthritis, MSK, Bone & Autoimmunity Center.
Lorenz joined UAB in 2002 as Associate Professor of Pathology. In 2006 she took over the UAB Medical Scientist (MD-PhD) Training Program (MSTP). In 2015 Lorenz helped establish the UAB Physician Science Development office in 2015, for which she served as Associate Dean.
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Grants Awarded to Pathology Faculty March-July 2018
Our department faculty have been prolific in their grant funding applications of late, and in many cases, successfully funded for their novel and outstanding research concepts.
The following is a list of awards given since March 2018 to UAB Pathology faculty and instructors. Congratulations to each of the individuals listed here and their research/lab teams for your scientific endeavors.
GRANTS AWARDED in the UAB Department of Pathology, March–July, 2018
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UAB Pathology Summer Conference + Committee Roundup
This summer our faculty have traveled the country and the world, representing the department at conferences, meetings, and other research and clinical events. The following is a summary of some of these activities.
First, Diana Morlote, Fellow, PGY5, received a travel grant to attend the Association of Clinical Scientists 138th annual meeting, held May 16-19 in Houston, Texas. Roberty Hardy, Professor, Laboratory Medicine, is the current president of the association. Morlote presented in the Genomic and Evidence-Based Medicine track on, "Molecular and cytogenetic characterization of therapy – related myeloid neoplasms: a tertiary center experience."
Two faculty participated in UAB's 6th Annual Workshop on Metabolomics, taking place July 22-27. Victor Darley-Usmar gave the dinner lecture Tuesday on "Plotting Career Paths in Science" and Jianhua Zhang, presented, "Metabolism in the Raw-the SeaHorse, the modern Version of the Warburg Apparatus."
Read moreDivision of Anatomic Pathology Welcomes Three New Faculty
Three new faculty recently joined the Division of Anatomic Pathology led by Interim Director Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Professor, Laboratory Medicine, in the Surgical Pathology section, directed by Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Anatomic Pathology.
Virginia Duncan, M.D., a graduate and chief resident in the UAB Anatomic Pathology Residency, will join the division as Assistant Professor. Board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, she completed her fellowship in Pediatric and Perinatal Pathology at the University of Washington. Her research interests focus on pediatric pathology; specifically the clinicopathologic aspects of entities spanning the perinatal period from fetus to neonate.
Diana Lin, M.D., joins the division as an assistant professor whose research interests focus on cytopathology and head and neck pathology. This includes molecular characterization of thyroid tumors, specifically focusing on the sequencing of cytologic smears. Lin completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at Rush University Medical Center and a cytopathology fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Read moreThree Faculty Join the Division of Laboratory Medicine
Three new faculty recently joined the Division of Laboratory Medicine, directed by X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., the Robert B. Adams Professor of Pathology.
Sixto M. Leal Jr. , M.D., Ph.D., completed his residency training in clinical pathology at the University of North Carolina, and a medical microbiology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Leal joins the Division as an Assistant professor, Assistant Director of Clinical Microbiology, and Associate Director of the UAB Mycoplasma Diagnostic Reference laboratory. He is board certified in clinical pathology and medical microbiology with a special interest in mycology, parasitology, mycoplasmology, and histopathologic identification of microorganisms. Leal serves on the CAP Clinical Pathology Education Committee and harbors a significant interest in medical education. He has a basic and translational research background in mycology, immunology, and clinical microbiology and will pursue ongoing research projects focused on the development of novel molecular diagnostic tests for infectious agents and the biology of microbial pathogenesis.
Read moreNetto is School of Medicine's Third Featured Discovery Recipient
Congratulations to our Chairman, George Netto, M.D., on receiving the third UAB School of Medicine Featured Discovery award. This initiative celebrates the important research from UAB School of Medicine faculty members, in particular those published in prominent scientific journals.
Netto, an internationally recognized clinician-scientist, was selected for his study titled, “Non-invasive detection of urothelial cancer through the analysis of driver gene mutation and aneuploidy” (eLife, 2018; 7:e32143). Dr. Netto conducted research that found a new test for urothelial cancers, which is less invasive and more accurate.
From the announcement by Selwyn Vickers, M.D., FACS, Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean, UAB School of Medicine:
Read morePathology Faculty Awarded for Decades of Service to HSF
On Friday, June 6, several of our Department's faculty were awarded by the UAB Health Services Foundation for their decades of clinical service at the Physician Service Awards event.
Presented by Tony Jones, M.D., COO, Chief Physician Executive; Patricia Pritchett, Executive Vice President; and Billy Connelley, Senior Associate Vice President of Ambulatory Services and held at the Kirklin Clinic, the event had a lighthearted tone as each award recipient was introduced with a witty description of their career at UAB.
The Department's awardees are as follows:
Pat Bucy, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Laboratory Medicine--celebrating 30 years
Department Celebrates 2018 Outgoing Residents and Fellows
It was a lovely evening for a reception on Thursday, May 24, at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa as the Department celebrated its outgoing residents and fellows with a dinner and awards at the 2018 Outgoing Reception.
Host James Hackney, M.D., Director of the Pathology Residency Programs, emceed the event which included refreshments and dinner, followed by comments from Chair George Netto, M.D., and the presentation of awards.
Two faculty awards came first. Alexander Feldman, M.D., Chief Resident in Anatomic Pathology, presented Frida Rosenblum, M.D., Assistant Professor in Cytopathology, with the Leonard H. Robinson Award for Resident Education in Anatomic Pathology.
Joseph Drwiega, M.D., Clinical Pathology Chief Resident, presented Lawrence Williams, M.D., Associate Professor, Laboratory Medicine with the Shu T. Huang Award for Excellence in Laboratory Medicine Education. These were followed by the presentation of resident awards.
Research Progresses in Rare Disease TTP as Pathology Hosts Third Annual Fair June 9
For the past two years, the research lab of X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., Division Director, Laboratory Medicine, UAB Department of Pathology, has hosted an annual Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) Fair and Education Day. The event brings together physicians and researchers working to improve the available treatments, outcomes, and recovery times for the disease, with patients and community members affected by TTP.
TTP is a rare blood disorder in which blood clots form in small blood vessels throughout the body. The clots can limit or block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body's organs, such as the brain, kidneys, and heart. As a result, serious health problems can develop.
This year’s TTP Fair and Education Day took place Saturday, June 9, in the Shelby Biomedical Research Building.
Read moreInaugural Pilot Awards Given Supporting Translational and Clinical Research
This spring the Department launched its inaugural Pilot Grant Awards Program to support clinical and translational research. The program, spearheaded by Rakesh Patel, Ph.D., interim vice chair for research and Professor, Molecular & Cellular Pathology, was inspired in part by feedback provided at an annual department-wide faculty retreat.
The request for proposals was announced in December 2017, with a proposal deadline of February 15, 2018, and requests for full applications announced on March 15.
Read moreASMB President Murphy-Ullrich Urges Attendance at Annual Meeting Oct. 14-17
The American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) holds its biennial meeting October 14-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Joanne Murphy-Ullrich, Ph.D., Professor, UAB Department of Pathology in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology as President of ASMB is involved in the programming and organization of this meeting. In addition to Plenary and Concurrent Platform Sessions and Poster Sessions, the ASMB meeting also supports Special Interest Sessions led by students and trainees. Shyram Bandari, post-doctoral fellow of MCP Division Director, Ralph Sanderson, Ph.D., will be organizing and leading a trainee-led session at the meeting on “Extracellular vesicles: the next SMALL thing.”
“This is a unique opportunity for students and postdocs to gain leadership experience in organizing and chairing scientific sessions and to gain exposure for their scientific specialty,” says Murphy-Ullrich. At the 2016 ASMB meeting, Kurt Zimmerman, a past UAB Pathology graduate student, chaired one of the trainee sessions. In addition, there are two mentoring breakfasts focused on career development and issues pertaining to women scientists.
Murphy-Ullrich serves as 2017-18 president of this international organization dedicated to promoting basic, translational, and clinical research on the extracellular matrix (ECM), cell-ECM interactions, and ECM-based therapies and devices, and to support the growth and professional development of the ECM research community. She previously served as Secretary/Treasurer and as President-elect 2015-16 and as Chair of the 2016 ASMB meeting in St. Petersburg, FL. She will chair the ASMB-sponsored workshop at the upcoming Matrix Biology Europe 2018 Conference in Manchester, UK, in July.
“We hope the meeting will attract attendees not only from ASMB and related matrix-centric societies, but also from related disciplines,” she says. Extracellular matrix is critical for development and plays major roles in directing stem cell differentiation, normal and dysfunction tissue remodeling in wound healing, fibrosis, aging, and in cancer, and it is emerging as a significant factor in immunity and inflammation and regenerative medicine.
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