Women in Pathology
May has been designated Women in Pathology Month. During the month of May each year, the ASIP and Women in Pathology highlight the history of women in the ASIP…their service through leadership…recognition of their exceptional accomplishments as scientists…and activities and events as a community equipping women scientists with strategies to overcome real-life issues.
The mission of Women in Pathology is to advance the professional and personal development of women in pathobiology research and pathology-related careers. Women in Pathology advocates for equity at research and healthcare institutions and endorses efforts to reduce barriers and maintain work-life balance experienced by women in science (particularly pathology) who work in academic science, government research, biomedical industry or biotech, or other settings.
Women in Pathology communicates resources and provides networking opportunities to support women at every career stage while celebrating the scientific and scholarly achievements of women in pathology. Women in Pathology Month provides an opportunity for the ASIP to shine a bright light on our women scientists, their legacy of dedicated service, leadership, and accomplishment…and the bright future that they represent for the ASIP and larger community of basic, clinical, and translational pathobiology researchers.
To learn more about some of our exceptional women pathologists, click on any of the images below.
Pilar Alcaide, PhD
Dr. Pilar Alcaide is the Kenneth and Jo Ann G. Wellner Professor, Director of Tufts Immunology Graduate Program, and Assistant Dean for Faculty Development in the Department of Immunology at the Tufts University School of Medicine (Boston, MA).
Dr. Alcaide completed her MS in molecular biology and immunology from Universidad Autonoma (Madrid, Spain) in 2000. She continued at the Universidad Autonoma to complete a PhD in molecular biology and immunology (Cum Laude) in 2003. As a recipient of a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Alcaide trained in vascular biology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA), where she studied the mechanisms regulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation. After completion of her postdoctoral research training, Dr. Alcaide was appointed to Instructor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) in 2008, where she successfully competed for a Pathway to Independence NIH K99/R00 Award. In 2011, Dr. Alcaide relocated to the Tufts University School of Medicine (Boston, MA).
Dr. Alcaide’s lab combines the areas of immunology, vascular biology, and cardiac physiology to study the adaptive immune response in diverse inflammatory settings, with a particular focus on the heart in the context of heart failure. The over-arching goal of her research program is to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms taking place during T lymphocyte trafficking and how those can potentially be targeted in therapeutically useful ways. Her research has been continuously funded by grants from the American Heart Association (AHA), the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and other private foundations.
In addition to research, Dr. Alcaide is committed to teaching and mentoring. Most of her trainees have received awards from the AHA, the NIH, FASEB, and the ASIP. Dr. Alcaide serves on NIH study sections, including the study section focused on Mentored Transition to Independence (MTI), which discusses scientific applications of the new and upcoming independent research scientists.
Dr. Alcaide is a current member of the ASIP Council as President-Elect and serves as a Co-Leader for Women in Pathology. She will advance to President of the ASIP in July 2025. She received the ASIP Cotran Early Career Investigator Award in 2018 which recognizes early career investigators with demonstrated excellence in research. Last year, she received the 2024 FASEB Excellence in Science Mid-Career Investigator Award, which recognizes outstanding women scientists who demonstrate commitment to the professional development of others, their scientific society, and the broader science community. Most recently, she received the 2025 ASIP Outstanding Investigator Award, which recognizes mid-career investigators with demonstrated excellence in experimental pathology research, including impactful achievements related to research, teaching, mentorship, leadership in the field of pathology, and contributions to the Society. She delivered a joint lecture for the ASIP Outstanding Investigator Award and the FASEB Excellence in Science Award at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR last month.
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Cristina Bauset, PhD
Dr. Cristina Bauset completed a Bachelor’s in pharmacy in 2018, and continued on to complete a Master’s in education and a PhD biomedicine and pharmacy (Cum Laude with International Mention) from the Universitat de Valènci (Valencia, Spain) in 2021 and 2024, respectively.
Since the beginning of her studies, Dr. Bauset has been highly interested in biomedical research. In 2019, she started collaborating with the Digestive Pharmacology and Inflammation Research Unit in Universitat de València in several projects related with the epithelial receptor SUCNR1, whose activity is crucial in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). At the end of 2020, she received a competitive fellowship to develop her PhD studies in this area, funded by the Generalitat Valenciana–Social European Fund.
During her PhD, she completed a three-month internship in the Manresa Laboratory at University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland). She worked on a project which introduced the concept of epigenetics and immune memory in intestinal inflammatory fibroblasts in the lab, for which she secured additional pilot funding from the University College Dublin (UDC) SBBS-SPARK program to continue the project. In February 2024, Dr. Bauset was hired as a postdoctoral researcher at UCD to continue her research on this project.
Dr. Bauset joined the ASIP earlier this year and presented research at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR last month. She received a Trainee Scholar Award at the meeting. Most recently, she was awarded with the prestigious IRC Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her research in Dublin for the next two years, where she will be investigating the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate inflammatory responses in intestinal fibroblasts.
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Jennifer Brazil, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Brazil is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Brazil completed her MS in molecular medicine from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and her PhD studying neutrophil function during lung inflammation at University College Dublin (Ireland) before embarking on a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University (Atlanta, GA). During her postdoctoral studies focused on how glycosylation regulates neutrophil trafficking and intestinal inflammation, she benefited from the support of her mentors and now collaborators, Dr. Charles Parkos and Dr. Asma Nusrat. In 2014, Dr. Brazil accepted a Junior Faculty position at the University of Michigan where she has since been promoted to her current position.
Dr. Brazil’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which neutrophil and epithelial glycans can be targeted to alter neutrophil transepithelial migration and PMN inflammatory function in mucosal tissues. This work has defined key differences in the glycans expressed on normal versus inflamed intestinal epithelium identifying sialyl Lewis A (sLea) as an inflammation induced glycan that marks inflamed intestinal mucosa in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Her work showing that sialylated Lewis glycans can be targeted to protect against experimental colitis and improve mucosal wound repair in the colon highlight the clinical utility of glycan-based therapeutics for inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease.
In the course of her research career, Dr. Brazil has been the recipient of a research fellowship award, a career development award, two senior research awards from the Crohn’s and Colitis foundation, and an R56 award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Brazil has been an active member of ASIP since 2010, presenting her work and co-chairing numerous symposia over the years, and serving as an ASIP ambassador since 2019. She has received numerous awards including the Experimental Pathologist in Training (EPIT) in 2011, two A.D. Sobel Trainee Scholar Awards (2013, 2014), and an ASIP Junior Faculty Travel Award in 2015. Most recently, she presented her research at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR.
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Francisco J. Carrillo-Salinas, PhD
Francisco J. Carrillo-Salinas, PhD
Dr. Francisco J. Carrillo-Salinas is a member of the Tal Research Group in the Biological Engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA). Dr. Carrillo-Salinas received both his Master’s and PhD in neuroscience from the Universidad Autonoma of Madrid (Spain). His research is focused on the MAESTRO study and investigates new biomarkers in chronic Lyme and long COVID-19 infections.
Dr. Carrillo-Salinas is an immunologist with background in neuroscience, cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases in the female genital tract. Under the mentorship of Carmen Guaza, he studied the endocannabinoid system and the therapeutic efficacy of cannabinoid derivatives in experimental models of multiple sclerosis, and the role of gut microbiota in a viral model of multiple sclerosis. He then relocated to the Pilar Alcaide lab at Tufts University School of Medicine to study the role of gut microbiota alterations in T cell activation and in the progression of heart failure. During the pandemic, Dr. Carrillo-Salinas joined the Marta Rodriguez-Garcia’s laboratory at Tufts University, where he was focused on deciphering the role of neutrophil function and microbiota-derived metabolites in the female genital tract and in prevention of mucosal HIV acquisition.
Dr. Carrillo-Salinas joined the ASIP in 2017 and is heavily involved in the Society. He is a Co-Leader of the Women in Pathology Committee and has received the Experimental Pathologist-in-Training (EPIT) Award (2021) and GALL Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research (2022), among others. Outside of the ASIP, he was awarded with an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Tufts Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Diversity (LEAD) Scholarship.
Dr. Carrillo-Salinas has made one of his personal and professional objectives to be involved in mentoring activities and the incorporation of under-represented groups to STEM fields. He is a faithful supporter of women in STEM and participates in initiatives helping women bridge the STEM gender gap. His ultimate goal is to become an independent research scientist, while contributing significantly to the novel understanding of mechanisms underlying systemic chronic inflammation and sex differences in immune response, especially during chronic viral infections.
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Charleen T. Chu, MD, PhD
Dr. Charleen T. Chu is Professor of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where she holds the endowed A. Julio Martinez Chair in Neuropathology. She is Director of Ophthalmic Pathology and founding Co-Director of the Pathologist Investigator Residency-Research Training Program, which aims to train future pathologist principal investigators.
Dr. Chu graduated completed her AB in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) from Harvard College, followed by training in the Duke University Medical Scientist Training Program, completing her PhD in Pathology-Biochemistry. Following residency and fellowship training in anatomic pathology, neuropathology, ophthalmic pathology, and a post-doc in cell signaling, she joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 1998.
As a physician-scientist, she is devoted to elucidating cellular, biochemical and molecular genetic mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in Parkinson's and frontotemporal dementias. Her most transformative basic science discoveries in redox stress signaling and selective mitophagy were inspired by observations made studying diseased patient brain tissues. Dr. Chu's current research elucidates how gene products implicated in familial neurodegenerative diseases act to regulate neuronal differentiation, dendritic remodeling and spinogenesis, with emphasis on protein interactions, post-translational modifications, and all aspects of the mitochondrial lifecycle. Using unbiased methods, Dr. Chu’s laboratory defined a novel neuroprotective signaling axis involving PTEN-induced protein 1 (PINK1) and valosin-containing protein (VCP), proteins causally implicated in Parkinson's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Employing primary neurons, patient-derived iPSC-models, and knockout mice, her group is studying the role of dysregulated cellular quality control, mitochondrial dynamics, and synaptic remodeling in genetic models of neurodegeneration. She has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2001.
Dr. Chu’s work has been recognized by numerous honors, including the Emerging Female Scientist Carnegie Science Award, the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) Honor Society, the ASIP Outstanding Investigator Award, the American Association of University Pathologists Pluto Society, and the ASIP Robbins Distinguished Educator Award. She has served as a chartered member on multiple NIH study sections, and currently serves as Associate Editor for Autophagy and JCI Insight.
She is committed to mentorship — from students at all levels to post-docs and junior faculty. The majority of her former doctoral and post-doctoral research trainees are tenured/tenure stream academic faculty, with the remainder in the pharmaceutical industry. On a programmatic level, she developed a widely emulated grantsmanship course for MSTP students and served for eight years as inaugural Vice-Chair for Pathology Faculty Mentorship & Development. Dr. Chu has been a member of the ASIP since 2002, serving on five committees (Career Development, Education, Summer Academy, Meritorious Awards, Nominating). From 2004-2012, she was module leader and faculty lecturer for ASIP/FASEB Pathobiology Courses and Mid-Summer Academies on Molecular Mechanisms of Human Diseases. She looks forward to beginning her service as a newly elected Councilor At-Large on July 1.
On a personal level, Dr. Chu is a foodie and amateur naturalist, who enjoys hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and exploring urban staircases and street art with her family and dogs.
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Amanda M. Clark, PhD
Dr. Amanda Clark is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Clark completed both her BA and PhD in biomedical science from Griffith University (Australia) and received her postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA).
Her lab investigates liver metastasis, focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that enable and maintain tumor dormancy. To study this, Dr. Clark utilizes an all-human liver microphysiological system that mimics metastatic progression, which she established during her postdoctoral training. The system has not only enabled the recreation of dormant-emergent metastatic cancer progression but also the identification of mechanisms, biomarkers, and new therapeutic opportunities to target the various stages of metastasis. Presently, her funded research is exploring the sequential and complex extracellular vesicle-mediated crosstalk that occurs between the primary tumor and resident cells of the metastatic site and how this determines a tumor cell’s fate.
Dr. Clark’s research has been supported by funding from the Department of Defense, METAvivor Breast Cancer Foundation and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center. She is also engaged in several leadership roles, including being co-director of the Cellular and Molecular Pathology Summer Undergraduate Research Program, on the organizing committee for regional and national symposiums, and a foreign grant reviewer for several international funding agencies.
Dr. Clark became of member of the ASIP during her postdoctoral training in 2017. Since joining, she has been a recipient of the Rojkind-Monga Trainee Travel Award for Excellence in Liver Pathobiology Research and serves as co-chair of the Neoplasia, Tumor Microenvironment, and Metastasis Scientific Interest Group.
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Karen Dubois-Camacho, PhD
Dr. Karen Dubois-Camacho is a postdoctoral researcher at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), specializing in mucosal immunology and mitochondrial metabolism in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Dr. Dubois-Camacho completed her BS in Bacteriology and Clinical Laboratory from Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca in Colombia. She then continued on to earn an MS in Human Genetics and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Universidad de Chile, where her research explored microRNAs impact on innate immune molecules regulation in ulcerative colitis models.
Dr. Dubois-Camacho has led and contributed to numerous translational projects involving inflammatory signaling, metabolic adaptation in macrophages, and the development of new antibody-based interventions in IBD. Her current research at UMCG focuses on the development of advanced imaging to dissect mitochondrial networks and healing process in colitis models. This work earned her the prestigious Keystone Award from the Histochemical Society (HCS) in 2023.
Beyond the bench, she is deeply committed to education and mentorship. She has taught immunology, genetics, and molecular biology across undergraduate and graduate programs in Chile and the Netherlands, and she continues to mentor PhD, graduate, and undergraduate students. As a scientific advisor to the Chilean Federation of Rare Diseases (FENPOF) from 2018–2022, she played a key role in building bridges between the scientific community and individuals affected by rare diseases, along with their caregivers.
Dr. Dubois-Camacho has been an active member of the international scientific community and she recognize the value of networking and collaboration to progress in research. She joined the ASIP in early 2025 and received the Marion and Lawrence (Larry) Muller Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Inflammation Research at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR last month. She also received a Keystone Grant from The Histochemical Society to offset travel expenses to present her research on mitochondrial dynamics on colitis models during the meeting.
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Rachel Edens, PhD Candidate
Rachel Edens is a third-year PhD candidate in the laboratory of Dr. Amy Engevik at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She began her doctoral studies in 2022 after completing her BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). During her undergraduate training at UofSC, Rachel received multiple internal grants and awards for her research including Magellan Apprentice and Magellan Research Grants and the Betty R Fundenberg Undergraduate Biomedical Research Award.
Since joining the Amy Engevik Lab in 2023, Rachel has continued to receive recognition for her work through the South Carolina INBRE Student Initiated Training Award and the Histochemical Society Cornerstone Grant. Her research focuses on understanding the disruption of the gastrointestinal epithelium and its protective mucus barrier in disease states such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.
Outside of lab, Rachel has developed a passion for science policy and advocacy. She serves as treasurer for the South Carolina – Policy, Engagement, Advocacy, and Research (SC-PEAR) science policy group at MUSC where she helps organize their annual lay-friendly science symposium, Beyond the Lab. Rachel is also a Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellow through the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Through this fellowship, Rachel was able to attend FASEB’s Capitol Hill Day in March 2025 to advocate on behalf of FASEB, ASIP, and MUSC for continued support of NIH funded research.
Rachel has been an active member of the ASIP since 2023 and has presented her work at multiple ASIP events. She presented a poster at the 2023 Tissue, Matrix & Pathobiology Meeting and gave an oral talk at the virtual PISA Young Investigator Meeting in 2024. Most recently, Rachel attended Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR and received a Trainee Travel Award sponsored by the Histochemical Society.
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Melinda A. Engevik, PhD
Dr. Melinda Engevik is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC).
Dr. Engevik graduated from the Biola University (La Miranda, CA) with a BS in biology in 2004, and then completed an MS in biological sciences at the California State University at Long Beach (Long Beach, CA) in 2008. She subsequently graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a PhD in molecular and cellular physiology in 2014. After several years of postdoctoral training (2014–2018) in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at the Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX), Dr. Engevik was appointed to the position of Instructor in the same department/institution (2018–2020). In 2020, she relocated to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
In her short career to-date, Dr. Engevik has published 76 original papers, book chapters, and reviews. Of her published papers, Dr. Engevik’s research is focused on microbiota and the crosstalk occurring between bacteria and the gastrointestinal epithelium (with a specific emphasis on microbe-mucus interactions). Dr. Engevik’s strong publication record is enhanced when you consider the journals in which she is publishing her work—Science, Scientific Reports, Gastroenterology, BMC Microbiology, Gut Microbes, The American Journal of Pathology, Physiological Reports, and others. Dr. Engevik’s H-index is 34 and her publications have been cited more than 3,000 times—exceptionally strong for an early-stage investigator. There is no question that Dr. Engevik is making a significant impact on the field based upon the volume of productivity, the quality of the journals where she publishes, and the observation that her papers are being cited by others (reflected in the H-index). Dr. Engevik’s research is currently supported by a R35 MIRA grant from the NIGMS (2024–2029). She also has two institutional research awards provided by MUSC. Overall, Dr. Engevik is making tremendous contributions to science and is doing very well as an early career investigator in establishing herself as an independent investigator. The best evidence that her research achievements have been recognized at the local, regional, and national/international levels can be found in her listing of invited presentations. Dr. Engevik has given more than 100 invited presentations since 2009, including meeting presentations. She has been invited to give research presentations at major meetings (Experimental Biology, Digestive Disease Week, and others), in local meetings (in Houston, Cincinnati, and Charleston), as well as at various other places, both in the United States (University of Texas Medical Branch, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, Emory University, and others) and abroad (Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland).
Dr. Engevik is heavily engaged in several scientific societies and has demonstrated leadership abilities related to her Society committee work. She became a member of the ASIP in 2019. Since that time, Dr. Engevik was elected to serve as a member of the ASIP Nominating Committee and she has served as a research preceptor for the ASIP Summer Research Opportunity in Pathology Program. In addition, Dr. Engevik is founding co-leader of the ASIP Infectious Diseases Scientific Interest Group. Dr. Engevik also has received numerous awards to this point in her career: She received the George K. Michalopoulos Junior Faculty Scholar Award in 2020, the Dani and Erik Zander Junior Faculty Scholar Award in 2021, and most recently, the Cotran Early Career Investigator Award last year.
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Tracy Fisher, PhD
Dr. Tracy Fischer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine (New Orleans, LA) and in the Division of Comparative Pathology at the Tulane National Primate Research Center (Covington, LA).
Dr. Fisher earned a Bachelor and Master of Music from Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH) and Rider University (Lawrenceville, NJ), respectively. She then continued on to earn her PhD in Biology from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) in 2005, focusing on mechanisms underlying brain disorders tied to infection and aging. Dr. Fischer’s career reflects a distinctive blend of creativity and scientific precision. She has performed in recitals, oratorios, operas, and musical theater while instructing singers and speakers to properly use and protect their voices. This background in effective communication shapes her ability to convey complex scientific concepts with clarity.
Dr. Fischer studies chronic neuroinflammation in HIV infection and Alzheimer’s disease at Tulane University School of Medicine, with affiliations in the Tulane Brain Institute and Center for Aging. Her NIH-funded research demonstrates how microglial dysfunction impairs brain homeostasis and promotes neuronal injury in HIV, even without detectable brain virus, offering promising therapeutic avenues.
When SARS-CoV-2 emerged, Dr. Fischer’s lab investigated its neurological impact. Her 2022 Nature Communications study—the first comprehensive report on SARS-CoV-2 neuropathology in rhesus macaques and African green monkeys—revealed neuroinflammation, microhemorrhages, and neuronal damage consistent with human cases, particularly in older individuals. Supported by Emergent Ventures Fast Grants and ranked among the Top 25 COVID-19 Articles of 2022, this research earned Tulane’s 2023 Publication Award and 2022 Spirit of Tulane Research Award. This work continues to advance our understanding of the neuroimmune and neurovascular consequences of infection that may underly neurological manifestations of post-acute sequalae of COVID-19.
A committed mentor, Dr. Fischer guides junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates, fostering research that frequently earns prestigious awards. She also inspires high school students through the Tulane National Primate Research Center’s annual Women in STEM event. As a dedicated member of the ASIP, Dr. Fischer actively contributes to the Neuropathology Scientific Interest Group, engaging in strategic discussions to advance the field. She regularly participates in ASIP’s annual meetings, delivering invited talks, presenting posters, and moderating sessions to share her lab’s findings and foster collaboration. Dr. Fischer’s leadership and scientific exploration strengthens ASIP’s mission to promote cutting-edge pathology research.
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Nidhi Jalan-Sakrikar, PhD
Dr. Nidhi Jalan-Sakrikar is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Jalan-Sakrikar earned her PhD in molecular physiology and biophysics from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN), where she was awarded the American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship for her dissertation research. As a postdoctoral fellow at Mayo Clinic, she received fellowships from Regenerative Medicine Minnesota and the Satter Foundation.
Dr. Jalan-Sakrikar’s research is centered on liver regenerative medicine, inflammation, and fibrosis, with a particular focus on elucidating the immunological mechanisms underlying liver diseases such as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). Her work has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Pilot and Gupta Award in PSC Research, a PSC Partners Seeking a Cure Research Grant, and the KL2 Career Development Award. She also actively contributes to the scientific community through her roles on the AASLD Research Awards Committee and as a council member of the International Society of Hepatic Sinusoid Research.
She joined the ASIP in 2024 and her trainee presented research at virtual PISA last November, earning a Silver Award for Outstanding Research. Most recently, she presented a short talk at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR, where she received a George K. Michalopoulos Junior Faculty Scholar Award. Dr. Jalan-Sakrikar also received a 2025 Fred Sanfilippo-ASIP Visiting Lectureship Award, recognizing her outstanding contributions and potential as a rising researcher in the field of hepatology. In addition to her research endeavors, she is strongly committed to academic mentorship, guiding students, fellows, and trainees from diverse backgrounds towards their journey in the field of medicine and research.
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Susana Lechuga, PhD
Dr. Susan Lechuga is research associate in Dr. Andrei Ivanov’s lab in the Department of Inflammation and Immunity Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. She earned her MS and PhD degrees in Cell and Molecular Physiology in the Department of Physiology at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) (City, Mexico). Dr. Lechuga completed her postdoctoral training at Virginia Commonwealth School of Medicine (City, VA) and Lerner Research Institute of Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH).
During her MC and PhD studies, Dr. Lechuga received a prestigious National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) scholarship to study molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate epithelial barrier and continued working in this important field during her postdoctoral training. To date, I have published 23 peer-reviews experimental and review papers in respected cell biology and immunology journals. In Dr. Ivanov’s lab, her current research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that mediate the assembly and remodeling of epithelial apical junctions and epithelial cell migration in the intestine during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colon cancer. Specifically, studying the roles of the actin cytoskeleton, myosin motors, and their interacting proteins in regulating the intestinal barrier by using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated knockout or overexpression of genes of interest in model intestinal epithelial cells, primary intestinal epithelial organoids generated from IBD patients and animal models of colitis.
Dr. Lechuga is committed to promoting educational excellence through teaching and mentoring undergraduate, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows and by inspiring elemental students at the Esperanza Association. She frequently serves as reviewer for different scientific journals, and I am a review committee member for the Catalyst Grants Funding at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Dr. Lechuga has been an active member of the ASIP since 2019 and attended several annual ASIP meetings, giving oral presentations in various mini symposia sessions. Most recently, she presented a short talk at the Pathobiology 2025 Meeting in Portland, OR and received a George K. Michalopoulos Junior Faculty Scholar Award.
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Zoe Libramento, BS
Zoe Libramento is a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNGC). During her undergraduate program, she discovered her interest in exercise physiology and its application in the cancer setting. After completing her BS in biology from UNGC in 2022, she began her master’s program in Kinesiology in January of 2024.
During the first year of her graduate program, Zoe worked on small side projects within the lab and presented her first poster at the Pathobiology 2024 meeting in Baltimore. She received an ASIP Trainee Scholar Award, crediting “thanks to the help of my amazing P.I. and lab mate”. Zoe also attended and presented at the 2024 PISA virtual meeting last November.
Currently in the second year of her master’s program, Zoe is working on her thesis project, and intend to continue onto a PhD. She attended Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR and received and A.D. Sobel Trainee Scholar Award. She hopes to attend many more ASIP meetings and is excited to continue her academic journey!
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Mary F. Lipscomb, MD
Dr. Mary Lipscomb is Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico since 2010. Dr. Lipscomb obtained her BS in biochemistry (Magna Cum Laude) from the College of Chemistry and Physics in 1963. She then pursued her MD from Louisiana State University (New Orleans, LA) and completed Pathology residency training at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1973.
Following residency, she completed two years of fellowship training in Immunology at the University of Texas Southwestern (Dallas, TX) and then served on the faculty of the Department of Pathology at UT Southwestern. She moved to the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 1994 where she served as Chair of the Department of Pathology until stepping down to serve as Executive Dean of the Medical School. She subsequently returned to her faculty position until her retirement as a Professor Emerita.
Dr. Lipscomb’s research focused on pulmonary immune regulation with a particular interest on how lung dendritic cells and macrophages regulate immunity. She was awarded her first National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant as an assistant professor and was then continuously funded by the NIH until her retirement. She has published over one hundred peer-reviewed papers, chapters in books, and reviews. She initially began her career studying the clearance of influenza from pulmonary airspaces and the subsequent immune response in regional lymph nodes. With the onset of the AIDs epidemic, she initiated studies on how the lung defends against opportunistic infections using Cryptococcus neoformans as an example of an opportunistic infectious agent entering the host through the respiratory tract. With a greater understanding of the role of T lymphocytes in regulating immunity, she turned to the study of how immune dysregulation in the lung might result in allergic pulmonary disease using a murine model. This research focus was the theme a Specialized Center of Research in Asthma at UNM of which she was PI. Also at UNM, she was the PI of an American Lung Association Asthma Research Center grant and of a NIH T32 grant to train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Biology of Infectious Diseases and Inflammation. She was also a Project Director on a Program Project Grant that studied pulmonary models of category A biothreats with her project examining inhalation anthrax.
Nationally, Dr. Lipscomb served on two NIH review panels (Pathology A and the Microbiology and Infectious Disease Research Committee), the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s Advisory Council, the Association of Pathology Chairs Council (serving as President for a two-year term, and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Academic Societies (CAS) Administrative Board. Among other honors, she received an American Thoracic Society Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment and was elected as fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr. Lipscomb joined ASIP as a junior faculty member and has served the Society in numerous positions: As an elected Councilor, Membership Committee member and chair, Committee for Career Development member, and Women and Minorities Committee member (Now the Committee for Equal Representation and Opportunities (CERO)), ASIP Representative to FASEB Board, representative to FASEB NIH Federal Funding Committee, and the Nominating Committee.
Although retired, Dr. Lipscomb continues her membership in the ASIP, participates in the Senior Fellows Group of the Association of Academic Pathology (AAPath) and serves on the AAPath Leadership Development and Diversity Committee. Most recently, she has published on issues related to gender diversity in pathology leadership and participates in an AAPath program for developing leadership capability in academic pathology faculty.
Laura Manzanares, PhD
Dr. Laura Manzanares is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University (Chicago, IL) working in the laboratory of Dr. Ronen Sumagin. Dr. Manzanares earned her BS in chemistry from Durango State University (Mexico), followed by an MS and PhD in molecular biomedicine from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) (Mexico).
During her graduate studies, she focused on intestinal mucosa under inflammatory conditions. Her research led to the identification of the mechanisms regulating the expression and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-36?, which is known to play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This work sparked a broader interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying disease severity and treatment resistance in IBD. In her first year in the Sumagin Lab, she participated in a novel drug repurposing project, investigating the potential use of the anti-malarial drug Atovaquone as a treatment for IBD. This project—along with others—developed a strong interest in bioinformatics and big data analysis, skills she has applied to the generation and interpretation of both human and mouse datasets for various lab initiatives. Currently, Dr. Manzanares’ research focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of therapy resistance in IBD, with a particular emphasis on the role of neutrophils in mediating resistance to anti-TNF? therapies.
Earlier this year, Dr. Manzanares received the Research Fellowship Award from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, which will support the continuation of her work in the IBD field. Additionally, she was recognized with the Presidential Scholar Award at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Society for Leukocyte Biology (SLB) in Michigan. Dr. Manzanares joined the ASIP earlier this year and attended Pathobiology 2025 last month. She presented a short talk and received an A.D. Sobel Trainee Scholar Award.
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Charulekha Packirisamy, PhD Candidate
Charulekha Packirisamy, PhD Candidate
Charulekha (Charu) Packirisamy is a rising PhD Candidate in Dr. Amy Engevik’s laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She earned both her BS and MS in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry, from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) (Thiruvananthapuram, India).
During her undergraduate years, she explored how host factors contribute to SARS-CoV-2 entry—an experience that deepened her curiosity about host-pathogen interactions and sparked a lasting passion for science communication. Motivated by a desire to bridge science and society, Charu took on a role as a science communicator at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore. There, she discovered the power of storytelling in science—but also realized how much she missed the excitement of discovery at the bench. This realization led her back to research and ultimately to MUSC, where she now channels her dual passions for investigation and communication into her daily work.
Now in her second year of graduate school, Charu is focused on understanding the long-term effects of high-fat diets on the gastric epithelium—research with important implications for understanding diet-related gastrointestinal diseases. Her contributions have been recognized through several honors, including the Monga Family Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Neoplasia Research and the American Society for Microbiology South Carolina Travel Award. Charu joined the ASIP last year and most recently presented her research at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR—her first ASIP meeting!
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Kathryn Rhodes, BS
Kathryn Rhodes is a second-year PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin studying pharmacology and toxicology under Dr. Sharon DeMorrow. Kathryn completed her BS in biochemistry from Texas State University in 2023 where she was an undergraduate research assistant in the lab of Dr. Liqin Du, identifying novel compounds to induce differentiation in neuroblastoma.
Kathryn’s dissertation is investigating the role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and the long-term impacts of the disease in pediatric cases using rodent models of liver failure. Since joining the DeMorrow lab, I have mentored both graduate and undergraduate students in basic research techniques and behavioral assessments of cognition.
Kathryn joined the ASIP last year and presented research at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR. She received the Marion and Lawrence (Larry) Muller Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Neurodegenerative Research at the meeting.
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Shea Ricketts, PhD Candidate
Shea Ricketts is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC).
Originally from California, Shea received her BA in Biophysics from the University of San Diego in 2018. While earning her BA, Shea conducted research in Dr. Rae Robertson-Anderson’s soft matter laboratory, where she studied the relationship between force, deformation, and mobility in biomimetic cytoskeleton networks. Under the direction of Dr. Li Qian, her doctoral work focuses on investigating the role of different RNA binding proteins and post-transcriptional modifications in cardiac fibroblast activation and cardiac fibrosis pathogenesis.
Over the course of her academic training, Shea has received several accolades including a Barry Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention for California, T32 Integrative Vascular Biology Trainee Award, American Heart Association Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, and the GALL Excellence in Cardiovascular Research Trainee Scholar Award from ASIP in 2024.
Shea joined ASIP last year and attended the Pathobiology 2024 Baltimore, where she presented a short talk. Shea was also involved in co-chairing a session on Endothelial-Cardiomyocyte Interactions in Development and Disease. Since becoming a member, she has become involved in the Vascular and Cardiac Pathology Scientific Interest Group. Most recently, she presented a virtual talk for the ASIP Young Investigator Spotlight Series in May 2025.
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Selene Shore, PhD
Dr. Selene Shore is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC). Dr. Shore earned a BS in microbiology from Clemson University (Clemson, SC) and continued on to earn her PhD in microbiology from University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Knoxville, TN).
During her PhD at the University of Tennessee, her research centered on Escherichia coli, a versatile bacterium that can be either pathogenic or commensal depending on the strain and site of colonization. She studied environmental stress response mechanisms used by E. coli, particularly those found in enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7. For her postdoctoral training, Dr. Shore pivoted to Limosilactobacillus reuteri, a strictly commensal probiotic commonly found in the oral and gastrointestinal tract, to explore its role in maintaining oral health. She is especially interested in diseases of the oral cavity, such as oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and salivary gland disorders, and the interplay between host factors and the oral microbiome in both disease progression and therapy.
Dr. Shore joined the ASIP in 2024 and presented a talk during virtual PISA last November. Most recently, she presented her research at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR and received a Monga Family Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Neoplasia Research.
Dr. Shore’s long-term career goal is to become an independent researcher and establish a research group focused on host-microbe interactions, particularly the factors—both microbial and host-derived—that shape these symbiotic relationships. Outside the lab, Selene enjoys playing computer and board games with her partner and friends and doting on her rescue cat Mary. She is also deeply passionate about teaching, science education, and promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM.
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Anna Tingler, MS
Anna Tingler is a second-year PhD student in the lab of Dr. Mindy Engevik at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Anna received her BS in biochemistry (Summa Cum Laude and Biochemistry Student of the Year) from Coastal Carolina University (Conway, SC) in 2023.
Anna’s undergraduate research involved investigating natural product synthesis. As a PhD student, she explores the connection between the gut microbiota and the colonic mucus layer, and she is particularly interested in this interaction in the setting of cystic fibrosis.
Anna is highly engaged in the scientific community; she joined the ASIP in 2024 and serves as Co-Chair of the Infectious Disease Scientific Interest Group. She is the Social Media Chair of South Carolina–Policy Engagement Advocacy and Research (SC-PEAR) and has been increasingly recognized for her exciting work. In 2024, Anna was awarded the PISA Young Investigator Outstanding Research Award and most recently she received the ASIP Experimental Pathologist in Graduate Training Merit Award at Pathobiology 2025 in Portland, OR. During the meeting she presented research and Co-Chaired two sessions.
Anna is committed to a career in academic research and hopes to contribute meaningful insights into how microbial communities influence epithelial function and disease progression. She is very excited to continue presenting her work at ASIP-sponsored meetings and connecting with fellow scientists who share her passion for host-microbe interactions.
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Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan, PhD
Dr. Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medical Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). Dr. Wan received both her MS and PhD in experimental pathology at Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA).
She began her professional career at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she rose from Assistant to Full Professor. Dr. Wan moved to the University of Kansas (KUMC), where she served nine years and established a Liver Center. She then relocated to her current institution, UC Davis, where she served as Vice Chair for Research of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine for 12 years. In 2022, Dr. Wan became a University Distinguished Professor, recognizing her exceptional achievements—the 14th woman to receive this academic honor at UC Davis School of Medicine since its founding in 1966.
Dr. Wan has published over 230 peer-reviewed scientific papers supported by extramural funding (more than 10million at UC Davis alone). Through those research programs, Dr. Wan provided resources and guidance for the next generation of researchers. Dr. Wan has formally mentored close to 200 researchers at all levels. At UC Davis, her research programs have supported hosting over 50 students and postdoctoral fellows. She received the Distinguished Women in Research Award presented by Congresswoman Jane Harman in her early career and the Women in Toxicology SIG Elsevier Mentoring Award from the Society of Toxicology. She also received the Chancellor’s Club Research Award at KUMC and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in the School of Medicine at UC Davis.
Dr. Wan has a broad knowledge of experimental pathology. She was the first to characterize the metabolic and detoxification functions of retinoid x receptor ? in the liver. In recent years, she has focused on the diet-gut-liver axis to study how dysbiosis leads to metabolic liver disease and carcinogenesis. Her lab also uncovered novel potential options for liver cancer treatment. A long-time member, the ASIP has always been Dr. Wan’s scientific home. She currently serves on the Program Committee and the Membership Committee.
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