News Archive

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Pathology Honors Years of Service and Above and Beyond Awardees

October 9, 2024 / Staff

Faculty and staff from across the Department of Pathology gathered over the lunch hour on Friday, October 4th, to honor their colleagues at the annual Workplace Recognition Reception. Employees were recognized for years of service as well as for going Above and Beyond in the performance of their duties over the past year. This year, Pathology recognized 106 individuals, with a team award going to the Inpatient Phlebotomy team.

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Welcome home, Dr. Lois Arend!

October 7, 2024 / Faculty

Michigan Alumna returns as Professor of Pathology

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In Memoriam: Denise Flannery

October 4, 2024 / In Memoriam

Denise Flannery 500.jpgWith great sadness, we share the passing of Denise Flannery, a Medical Technologist Specialist in our Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. She began her career as a microbiology technologist in 1991 and worked at Providence and Botsford hospitals before joining us at Michigan Medicine in 2016. She was a leader in the bacteriology area of the lab, lending her expertise to complicated cases and improving laboratory procedures. A celebration of life will be held in honor of Denise on Saturday, October 12th from 12:00 - 4:00 pm at the Suburban Collection Showplace [...]

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Dr. Rohit Mehra Named to Hour Detroit's 2024 Top Docs List

October 1, 2024 / Award

Congratulations to Dr. Rohit Mehra for being named to Hour Detroit’s 2024 Top Docs List for the second time. The physicians on this list represent those whose peers nominated them as the best in their field on a survey of physicians located in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties. These nominees were then screened and selected by the Professional Research Services for inclusion as this year’s honorees.

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MLabs Supports Department-Wide Implementation of hc1 Platform

September 23, 2024 / Mlabs

Target: Improved Patient Care and Access, Enhanced Efficiency

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Organoid model predicts bladder cancer treatment response

September 20, 2024 / Cancer Research

Personalized medicine utilizes an individual’s genetic and genomic make up to treat and prevent diseases. The promise of personalized medicine continues to grow as new scientific discoveries uncover previously unknown features and drug sensitivities for tumors. In a recent study, Dr. Aaron Udager, associate professor of genitourinary pathology and co-director of our PSTP program, was co-senior author on a publication with Dr. Sofia Merajver, professor of epidemiology and internal medicine and the director of the breast and ovarian cancer risk evaluation program. 

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New Uses for Common Drug May Help Patients with Inflammatory Diseases

September 19, 2024 / Research

An article recently published by the Nuñez lab provides an exciting discovery for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and certain other autoimmune diseases caused by aberrant NLRP3. The research, led by Dr. Jie Xu with Drs. Joseph Pickard and Gabriel Nuñez, discovered that a common, safe, FDA-approved drug used to treat alcoholism and cocaine addictions, disulfiram, inhibits the production of NLRP3 inflammasomes. When NLRP3 is activated, it can cause inflammation leading to multiple health issues.

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Carol Young MLS(ASCP) Awarded Scherago-Rubin Award for Clinical Microbiology

September 11, 2024 / Award

Young, Carol-sq 500.jpgCongratulations to Carol Young, MLS(ASCP), clinical research project manager in microbiology, on her selection as the 2025 American Society of Microbiology’s Scherago-Rubin Award for Clinical Microbiology recipient.

This award recognizes an outstanding bench-level clinical microbiologist involved in routine diagnostic work who has distinguished themself by excellent performance. The award was established by the late Sally Jo Rubin, an active member of ASM's Clinical Microbiology Division, in honor of her grandfather, Professor Morris Scherago.

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The Pathologist Power List 100 Has Been Released

September 11, 2024 / Award

Five from U-M Pathology Honored in 2024

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Researchers identify factor that drives prostate cancer-causing genes

September 10, 2024 / Cancer Research

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have uncovered a key reason why a typically normal protein goes awry and fuels cancer.

They found the protein NSD2 alters the function of the androgen receptor, an important regulator of normal prostate development. When androgen receptor binds with NSD2, it causes rapid cell division and growth leading to prostate cancer. The study, published in Nature Genetics, may suggest a new way to therapeutically target prostate cancer. The findings illuminate a phenomenon not previously understood.

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Dr. Jeffrey Myers Recognized with Ward Burdick Award for Distinguished Service to Pathology

September 9, 2024 / Anatomic Pathology

Myers, Jeff sq 500.pngCongratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Myers, A. James French Professor of Diagnostic Pathology and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Quality, on receiving the Ward Burdick Award for Distinguished Service to Pathology from the American Socity for Clinical Pathology at their 2024 Annual Meeting.

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Third-year resident Dr. Lauren J. Miller receives the 2024 Dr. Phillip and Sandra Barney Resident Volunteer Service Award from the ASCP

September 9, 2024 / Residents

Lauren_Miller_WEB.jpgThird-year resident Dr. Lauren J. Miller received the 2024 Dr. Phillip and Sandra Barney Resident Volunteer Service Award from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) at this year’s annual meeting. If you follow our #UMichPath social accounts, you recognize her as @LJMiller_MD. You may have seen her providing Case of the Week (#COTW) posts or featured in our residency program video, conducting grand rounds, teaching medical students, and other department content. These are just a few ways that her volunteer service has directly and positively impacted our department’s communication efforts as we work to enhance the availability of educational and informative content. 

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And the 2023 Best Paper Award goes to...

September 3, 2024 / Mctp

Dr. Rohit Mehra, Professor and member of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology (MCTP), and his international team of collaborators were recently recognized by the Asian Journal of Urology for the best paper published in their journal in 2023. This award-winning study is a literature overview of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC), the third most common RCC subtype.

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Finding Unexpected Common Ground

August 8, 2024 / Mls Internship

MLS Interns Katie McGraw and Cynthia Nnko Rotate Through Pathology

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Dr. Riccardo Valdez installed as the inaugural John G. Batsakis Professor of Pathology

August 6, 2024 / Endowed Professor

Following his Namesake in Shaping the Future of Clinical Pathology

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Finding the Artist Within

August 5, 2024 / Wellness

It has been a little over a year since the Department of Pathology began its journey toward a renewed culture by implementing the FiSH! Philosophy. One of FiSH! core principles to bring well-being to our department is the concept of bringing joy to the workplace through forms of play. The MLabs Division put FiSH! Philosophy into action on July 25th as MLabs’ EMC2 team hosted the Happy Little Painters event. The goals were simple: be welcoming, make it accessible, and embrace the inner artist (no matter how large or small). Artist Elise Martin came in to teach members of the department how to paint as a wonderful experiment (outside of the lab!).

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Preventing Patient Harm One Patient At a Time

July 31, 2024 / Clinical Pathology

Pathology Faculty and Staff Team up with Clinical Colleagues to Address Post-Surgical Kidney Injury

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Why Michigan? Meet the Class of 2028

July 31, 2024 / Education

Help us welcome our new resident class, the Class of 2028!

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Pathologists Aid in Patient Understanding and Quality of Care

July 30, 2024 / Health Lab

With the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2021, patients were granted access to their medical test results without delay—often before their physician can review them. Pathology reports aren’t written with patients as a target audience and they contain complex medical terminology which can often lead to patient confusion and anxiety. Lapedis_Cathryn_cathrynb_5694_sq 500.jpgTo address this, researchers led by Cathryn Lapedis, M.D., M.P.H., of the Department of Pathology at Michigan Medicine, recently examined how a pathology explanation clinic, or PEC, could improve the experience of a small group of patients newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

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Research Finds Possible Therapies to Target Oncogenic Transcription Factors in Multiple Cancer Types

July 25, 2024 / Mctp

A study from the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center furthers research that suggests the potential of developing new cancer treatments to target oncogenic transcription factors by indirectly affecting their ability to access enhancer DNA in chromatin. 

The findings appear in Cancer Cell.

Led by Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., S.P. Hicks Professor of Pathology and director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology at Michigan Medicine, the research builds on previous work to find genetic vulnerabilities to treat transcription factor-driven cancers like prostate cancer.

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"We are U-M Pathology" Art Competition

July 24, 2024 / Wellness

The first annual Department of Pathology Art Competition has wrapped up with 13 fantastic pieces voted upon by the Wellness Committee! 

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Dr. Thomas Annesley receives Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award

July 23, 2024 / Award

Congratulations to Thomas Annesley, PhD, DABCC, Active Professor Emeritus of Clinical Chemistry on his recognition with an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine from the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine. This award is considered the premier award of the Association and is granted as a "lifetime achievement" award for contributions to the field of clinical chemistry. Individuals selected for this award have made significant contributions in all aspects of clinical chemistry, particularly service, education, and research; have achieved international stature and reputation by virtue of their efforts; and have demonstrated long standing service to the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC), either at the grass roots, national and/or international levels.

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Drs. Cone Sullivan and Skala named to 40 Under Forty List

July 15, 2024 / Faculty

Congratulations to Drs. Stephanie Skala, assistant professor of genitourinary, gynecologic, and surgical pathology and director of surgical pathology, and Jensyn Cone Sullivan, assistant professor of transfusion medicine, director of blood bank, and incoming director of the transfusion medicine fellowship program, on being named to the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 40 Under Forty list!

Voting is now open on the top 40 nominees for selection to the Top Five, awarded in-person at The ASCP 2024 Annual Meeting!  Click here to cast your votes – and vote daily through July 22nd, no login or email address required.

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In Memoriam - Elizabeth McCloud January 8, 1973 - July 10, 2024

July 12, 2024 / In Memoriam

Liz McCloud sq 500.jpgIt is with great sadness that we share the sudden and unexpected passing of Liz McCloud, QA Coordinator for Satellite Phlebotomy. Liz started at Michigan Medicine-Pathology in 2006 and grew tremendously over the years from that of a Patient Care Tech Associate to Associate Supervisor, and in 2017 she assumed the role of Quality Assurance Coordinator. 

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Researchers find common immune system mechanism between pregnancy, cancer

July 8, 2024 / Faculty

To understand why some cancers successfully circumvent the immune system to grow unchecked, researchers turned to pregnancy.

Weiping Zou sq 500.png“In pregnancy, the immune system does not reject the growing fetus, so we know there must be mechanisms active in the placenta. In cancer, it’s the same thing: the growing tumor is not rejected by the immune system. It means the cancer cells have developed strategies to suppress immune rejection, same as in pregnancy,” said Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D., professor of experimental pathology.

It’s a good thing in pregnancy – it allows the baby to grow. But in cancer, it means the tumor grows unchecked and treatments meant to stimulate an immune response are not effective.

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Dr. Analisa DiFeo named 2024 Rogel Scholar

July 3, 2024 / Cancer Research

Department of Pathology faculty member, Analisa DiFeo, PhD, has been named a 2024 Rogel Scholar by Michigan Medicine. The award supports exceptional faculty dedicated to achieving impact on cancer prevention, patient outcomes, and quality of life. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Analisa DiFeo on this prestigious award!

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Gabbi Rozumek

July 2, 2024 / Phd Program

A Story of Recognized Achievement and Advocacy

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Introducing Carlton Mamo

June 24, 2024 / Education

Administrative Intern from the U-M School of Public Health

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Phlebotomy Takes Flight

June 21, 2024 / Phlebotomy

Team Enhancing Care Daily at U-M Health.

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Engineering Hope

June 18, 2024 / Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Matthew Iyer's Transformation from Programmer to Pioneering Cancer Researcher

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The Certification Advantage

June 17, 2024 / Allied Health

A Closer Look at Histotechs in the Diagnostic Pathway

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AP-funded Grant Leads to Human Pathology Cover Story

June 11, 2024 / Publications

The Division of Anatomic Pathology in the Michigan Medicine Department of Pathology offers grant funding for faculty and trainees to pursue research interests related to anatomic pathology that may not otherwise be funded. One of these internal AP grant-funded projects, led by first-author Eman Abdulfatah, MD and senior-author Rohit Mehra, MD, resulted in a recent cover story in Human Pathology entitled “Extragonadal germ cell tumors: A clinicopathologic study with emphasis on molecular features, clinical outcomes and associated secondary malignancies.”

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Congratulations, Class of 2024!

June 7, 2024 / Residents

"Congratulations to our graduating class! We look forward to following your successes as you navigate the dynamically changing field of pathology moving forward."

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Going the Extra 1,368 Miles

June 7, 2024 / Specimen Processing

Pathology Takes Extra Steps to Ensure Patient Care Excellence

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Pathology Informatics Summit

June 5, 2024 / Pathology Informatics

A Recap of the 2024 Meeting

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Potions in Pathology

May 29, 2024 / Pathology Informatics

Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) is a volunteer organization and a division of the national Science Olympiad that coordinates a county-wide science competition amongst all elementary schools in Washtenaw County. Students choose their topic of interest in January and teams are formed with coaches (generally parent or teacher volunteers)...  “I was roped into coaching Potions because my middle child was interested in competing in Potions and there was no coach,” explained Eric Jedynak, from Pathology Informatics. “I figured that I had some basic chemistry and laboratory experience, however, both were a little rusty.”

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13th Annual Advances in Forensic Pathology

May 29, 2024 / Forensics

The 2024 Conference Recap

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MCP Graduate Student Koral Campbell Named Rogel Graduate Student Scholar

May 28, 2024 / Phd Program

Congratulations to Koral Campbell, Molecular and Cellular Pathology graduate student on being awarded the Rogel Cancer Center’s TrEC Scholarships Graduate Student Scholarship 2024. Koral’s winning application on The Role of High Fat Diet in Clonal Hematopoiesis and Leukemogenesis earned her a $25,000 award to offset her tuition and fees for 2024. In addition, as a Rogel trainee, she will have priority access to training opportunities and additional scholarships.

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Inspiring Future Young Healthcare Leaders

May 23, 2024 / Education

The third annual Youth Summit at the Big House took place on Saturday, May 18th where students from across southeast Detroit gathered together to learn about healthcare, pathology, and more. 

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In Memoriam: Hope Jones

May 21, 2024 / In Memoriam

The Department of Pathology is sad to report the passing of another of our teammates, Hope Jones.  Hope passed away in a car accident near her home on Sunday, May 12, 2024. A funeral memorial service will be Saturday, May 25, starting at 10:30am at Greater Love Tabernacle Church (17617 Plymouth Rd, Detroit, 48227).

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Large study identifies biomarkers for rare kidney tumors

May 15, 2024 / Proteomics

With 20 subtypes of Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) listed by the World Health Organization in 2022, determining the specific type of RCC and the correct treatment protocol for patients can be daunting. Only seven of the 20 subtypes had been defined by specific molecular changes and the 20% of RCCs that are classified as non-clear cell RCCs (non-ccRCC), were primarily identified only by histopathologic features. The driving genetic changes had not been identified. A large multi-institutional team making up the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, including several researchers from Michigan Medicine’s Department of Pathology, performed multi-omics data analysis on 48 non-ccRCC and 103 ccRCC tumors as well as 101 normal adjacent tissues to study the genetic aberrations found in these tumor types. The findings of this research were recently published in Cell Reports Medicine, with Pathology’s Drs. Alexey Nesvizhskii and Saravana Mohan Dhanasekaran as senior authors and Dr. Ginny Xiaohe Li as first author.

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Michael Pitter becomes Dr. Michael Pitter

May 14, 2024 / Phd Program

Molecular and Cellular Pathology Graduate Student Michael Pitter successfully defended his PhD thesis on March 15, 2024, and officially became Michael Pitter, PhD, MS. Pitter completed his thesis research in the laboratory of Dr. Weiping Zou, the Charles B. de Nancrede Professor, Professor of Pathology and Surgery. Pitter’s thesis, “The Role of Peptidyl Arginine Deiminases in Regulating Anti-tumor Responses in Immune Cells” reports on his research which demonstrated that PAD2 and PAD4 enzymatic activity supported tumor growth and when inhibited, may serve as a novel target in the treatment of cancer. He also discovered that PAD4 citrullinated STAT1, controlling STAT1 transcriptional activity, and consequently, MHC-II expression and function in macrophages. This work featured multiple novel findings in macrophage biology which may be exploited for the treatment of cancer and was published in Cell Reports.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Michael Pitter on the successful completion of his PhD!

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Development and Validation of an 18-Gene Urine Test for High-Grade Prostate Cancer

May 13, 2024 / Mctp

In a manuscript published this week in JAMA Oncology, senior author Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan and members of the EDRN-PCA3 Study Group reported on their development and validation of a new 18-gene urine-based test for diagnosis of high-grade prostate cancer, MPS2. This test was initially developed in the Department of Pathology. 

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With $5M Grant, Rogel Team Will Conduct Preclinical Work to Develop Drugs Targeting Cancer Master Regulator

May 8, 2024 / Mctp

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center researcher Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD, has received a $5 million grant from the J.C. Kennedy Foundation to conduct laboratory tests of a potential drug candidate targeting a master regulator that controls the majority of genes involved in the most challenging type of prostate cancer. The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex was previously found to facilitate access to enhancers that oncogenes can bind to, driving downstream gene expression in cancer. Degrading a subunit of this complex blocks the oncogenes [...]

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From the Xi'an to Ann Arbor

May 1, 2024 / Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Xiaobing Jin Shares His Story

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12th Annual CP Symposium - Big Success!

April 25, 2024 / Events

The Clinical Pathology Symposium traveled to Danto Auditorium to showcase the Future of Pathology. 

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Another Step Toward Healthcare Equity: Dr. Jennifer Jones and Colleagues Participate in National Study

April 24, 2024 / Clinical Research

Healthcare disparities arise from multiple sources, some of which are cultural and rooted in historical biases. In health research, most study participants in the past have been of European descent. This delayed the identification of specific genetic differences that are found more frequently in non-Europeans, leading to misdiagnoses and inappropriate healthcare for those with these differences. One of these is the Duffy-null genotype leading to a Duffy-associated neutrophil count (DANC) that is lower than established reference ranges.

 

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