Welcome from the Department Chair

WELCOME TO THE SECOND ISSUE of the UAB Pathology In Focus magazine. We are excited to be bringing you this overview of our many accomplishments of the previous year. The advent of a new decade brings many exciting developments to the UAB Department of Pathology. We expanded our ranks with the addition of 10 new faculty members across our 6 divisions in 2019, including the recruitment of division directors in Neuropathology (p. 14) and Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics (p. 2), who bring unique subspecialty expertise in their respective fields. At the same time, several of our faculty received promotions, and three achieved emeritus status (p. 37). We are excited to highlight the growth of our offerings in molecular and genetic diagnostics in pathology at UAB. Dr. Craig Mackinnon, Jr., Division Director, Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics, outlines his vision for the division and the new Precision Diagnostics Laboratory we are working hard to initiate. This facility, supported by our recent recruit Dr. Elizabeth Worthey (p. 4), section head for Bioinformatics, will advance the development of a large assortment of powerful bioinformatic pipelines. Pathology In Focus has expanded from our inaugural issue to include five categories: Clinical, covering the work of our Anatomic Pathology Division and various labs; followed by the Research section (p. 14) which introduces Dr. Ryan Miller, Division Director, Neuropathology, as well as several dynamic new research faculty and highlighting the work of our existing team. The Education section showcases our trainees, both outgoing and incoming, as well as successful mentorships, and guest lectures by world-renowned experts in their fields for our several endowed lectureships. The Awards section (p. 34) covers accolades from across the department, ranging this year from recognitions by various professional organizations highlighting our faculty and staff, to editorships, teaching awards and School of Medicine honors. And finally, we offer memories of our beloved former chair Dr. Jay McDonald (p. 23), recognize the careers of several retirees from Anatomic Pathology (p. 43), and tell an incredible story of hope from one of our younger faculty members, Dr. Adam Wende (p. 25). Please enjoy this issue of our magazine, which builds on our communication through our monthly electronic newsletter, website, and social media content. Send feedback to us at pathinfocus@uabmc.edu, and let us know what you’d like to see in upcoming issues. We hope to continue the momentum we’ve generated and the reputation built by generations of career scientists, doctors, and educators here at UAB this year and for years to come.

George J. Netto, M.D. Professor Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair UAB Department of Pathology