Women in Pathology Month
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.
Sausan Alfaris, BDS, MPH, Candidate for DMSc
Sausan Alfaris, BDS, MPH, Candidate for DMSc
Dr. Alfaris is a dentist who specializes in oral medicine with a focus on the etiology of oral cancer. Her specialty in oral cancer spans from epidemiologic experience and research, to clinical and bench research focusing on oral cancer and its cellular origin. During her clinical experience, she has worked at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Wilson-Jennings-Bloomfield UCLA Venice Dental Center, Naumuthajiyah Campus at Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry as well as Riyadh Military Hospital.
Dr. Alfaris started her career by obtaining a Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS) and completing an internship at Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy. She then went on to complete a master’s in public health (MPH) degree at Johns Hopkins University where she was involved in the planning of community programs directed towards raising oral cancer awareness and tobacco control. She concluded her degree with a thesis focused on creating a program plan concentrating on the oral cancer needs for each county in the state of Maryland. After completing the MPH degree, and to expand on her knowledge and expertise in oral cancer, Dr. Alfaris pursued a Masters of Oral Biology Program and residency in oral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Alfaris is currently completing her Doctorate of Medical Science in Oral Biology (DMSc) at the Harvard school of Dental Medicine as part of the laboratory of Dr. Diane Bielenberg at Boston children's hospital, her research focuses on the role of Neuropilin-1 in the oral epithelium and carcinogenesis. Dr. Alfaris aims to bring about change to the rising oral cancer epidemic and to apply both her clinical and research experience in combating this disease.
Michele Alves, PhD
Dr. Michele Alves is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Neurosurgery at The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center (Columbus, OH). She received her PhD of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of São Paulo in 2016, one of the most prestigious universities in South America. Navigating between cell biology, metabolism and physiology during her graduate school, her research contributed the discovery of extracellular matrix alterations in adipose tissue cancer cachexia.
During her doctorate, she was a recipient of CAPES and DAAD scholarship to exchange experiences in a lab focused in metabolism in the Institute for Human Nutrition in Potsdam, Germany. During her first postdoctoral research at OSU in the Pathology Department, she discovered a passion for neuroscience. Currently, Dr. Alves is pursuing on a project involving adult stem cells and neuroplasticity in the regulation of energy balance and metabolism in the Townsend lab. Dr. Alves was born in Brazil, a country with remarkable diversity and cultural expression, and she is very passionate about cultural heritage, diversity and representation, and advocacy in STEM.
Dr. Alves joined the ASIP in 2015 and has been very active in Society since that time. She is a regular participant in the ASIP scientific meetings and has been recognized for excellent research with the A.D. Sobel Trainee Scholar Award in 2022, and with ASIP Trainee Scholar Awards in 2018 and 2021. Dr. Alves has participated in the ASIP Young Investigator Keynote Seminar Series (virtual) as a moderator and has plans to give a research seminar in this series in early 2023. Dr. Alves has recently been added to the leadership of the Neuropathology Scientific Interest Group. In addition, Dr. Alves is one of the co-hosts of the Behind Our Science podcast.
Diane R. Bielenberg, PhD
Dr. Bielenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. As a vascular biologist, her laboratory studies the endothelium and smooth muscle in blood and lymphatic vessels during normal physiological processes such as wound healing and inflammation as well as in various pathologies including cancer, hypertension, and edema. Dr. Bielenberg’s prior education included a competitive full scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa where she earned her bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Biology followed by a doctoral degree in Cancer Biology from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center funded by an NCI Cancer Immunobiology Training Grant. Dr. Bielenberg then performed her postdoctoral studies as an American Cancer Society Fellow at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Bielenberg joined the American Society for Investigative Pathology in 2007 and was the first woman to receive the ASIP Cotran Early Career Investigator Award in 2010. She has served actively on several ASIP committees including Program Committees for Experimental Biology and PISA, Committee for Career Development and Diversity (2010-2020), Meritorious Awards Committee (2014-2017), Education Committee (former Chair, 2017-2020), ASIP Council (2017-2020), and co-chair of PISA2020. Dr. Bielenberg currently serves on the Meritorious Awards Committee (2021-2024) and the Committee for Career Development (2021-present). She has hosted three ASIP SROPP students (2016-2018) in her laboratory and mentored many ASIP PathFinder Trainees over the years.
Dr. Bielenberg is strongly committed to mentoring and has been awarded the Harvard Medical School Young Mentor Award (2010) and two teaching awards (2011, 2012) nominated by the students at Harvard Medical School. In 2019, she received the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center CURE Mentor Appreciation Award for her long-standing commitment to the Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences Program which fosters underrepresented students in basic and clinical cancer research.
A. Sally Davis, DVM, PhD
Dr. Davis earned a BA in Computer Science from Dartmouth College (Lebanon, NH) in 1992 and had a brief career as an international business and computer consultant (1993-2000). From 2001-2003, Dr. Davis worked as a veterinary assistant prior to entering the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she completed the DVM in 2007, and pursued a residency in veterinary anatomic pathology. From 2007-2009, Dr. Davis was a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD), and continued postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases in the Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section of the NIAID/NIH (2009-2011). From 2011-2014, Dr. Davis worked as a research fellow (pursuing a PhD) in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases in the Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section of the NIAID/NIH as part of the Comparative Biomedical Scientist Training Program. The PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences (Pathology Concentration) was conferred by North Carolina State University in 2014. Dr. Davis was appointed Assistant Professor of Experimental Pathology, Diagnostic Medicine, and Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) in 2014. As a member of the faculty at Kansas State, Dr. Davis served as Graduate Faculty for the Masters of Public Health program, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Food Science program, as well as Ancillary Faculty in anatomy and physiology. In 2017, Dr. Davis was named Extraordinary Lecturer in the Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, at the University of Pretoria (Onderstepoort, South Africa). Dr. Davis is also a licensed Veterinarian (since 2007), and has select agent clearance for numerous infectious agents (including Rift Valley Fever Virus, African and Classical Swine Fever, Pandemic Influenza, and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza). In 2022, Dr. Davis became an independent science and education consultant/coach. She continues to be an Adjunct Professor at Kansas State University and has maintained her Extraordinary Lecturer status at the University of Pretoria.
Dr. Davis serves on the Editorial Boards for Veterinary Pathology, Viruses, the Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, and npg Scientific Reports. She also contributes to a number of other journals as an ad hoc reviewer. Dr. Davis is a member of several professional organizations and is highly engaged in leadership in some of these. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of The Histochemical Society (HCS) (since 2021) as the elected Secretary-Treasurer (2021-2024) and Chair of the Finance Committee (since 2021). Dr. Davis is also the Chair of the Education Committee (since 2020) and former Chair of the Communications Committee (2017-2019). She also served on the Council of the HCS from 2017-2020. Dr. Davis is Special Liaison for Emerging Diseases for the Education Committee of the American College of Veterinary Pathology (ACVP), and serves as the ASIP Liaison to the Intersociety Experimental Pathology Committee of the ACVP. She organized and co-chaired ACVP-ASIP sessions at the Annual Meeting of the ASIP for Experimental Biology 2018 and Experimental Biology 2019. Dr. Davis is Co-Chair of the ASIP Immunohistochemistry and Microscopy Scientific Interest Group (since 2017), and previously served in a similar role for the ASIP Veterinary and Comparative Pathology Scientific Interest Group (2015-2020). In her role as a leader of Scientific Interest Groups, Dr. Davis interacts with the ASIP Program Committee to organize relevant sessions for the Annual Meeting.
Dr. Davis’ research has been recognized with several honors. In 2016, she received a Junior Faculty Travel Award from the ASIP to attend PISA2016 in Houston. In 2015, she received an HCS-Sponsored Travel Award to attend the ASIP Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2015. Dr. Davis has also received a travel award from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (2014). She is a member of several honor societies, including Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta, and Beta Beta Beta.
Dr. Davis has contributed as teaching faculty for the Immunohistochemistry and Microscopy Annual BioTrac Short Course (currently held in Germantown, MD) since 2018. This course is offered by the HCS. Dr. Davis currently serves as Resident Education and Outreach Lead for the HCS, and is the Director of the 2022 Immunohistochemistry and Microscopy Annual BioTrac Short Course (June 2022).
Sharon DeMorrow, PhD, FAASLD
Dr. Sharon DeMorrow is a Professor in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Pharmacy, and in the Department of Internal Medicine, at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Research Biologist with the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System in Temple, Texas. Dr. DeMorrow received her PhD in Biochemistry for the University of Queensland, Australia, and did her postdoctoral training in Germany, firstly at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry (Munich, Germany) and later at the Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany). She started her career as an independent research scientist at Scott & White Hospital and an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine in 2008.
Dr. DeMorrow’s research program is focused on the molecular events associated with various acute and chronic liver diseases, with a particular emphasis on how the brain is affected during the course of these diseases. Her research program has been funded throughout the years by over $5 million in extramural grant funding from the NIH, American Cancer Society, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She has published over 140 papers, reviews, and book chapters during her career, is an inventor of 3 patents aimed at the improvement of treatments for liver diseases, and has been invited to present her research at institutes and conferences throughout the world. As recognition of her efforts in research she was awarded the designation of Fellow of the American Association for the study of liver disease in 2018.
Dr. DeMorrow joined the ASIP in 2015 and has been active and engaged in Society events since that time. She is a member of the Liver Pathobiology Scientific Interest Group (Club Hepatomania) and has participated in the ASIP scientific meetings as speaker and session chair. In addition, Dr. DeMorrow hosted a summer student in 2021 as a part of the ASIP Summer Research Opportunity in Pathology Program (SROPP).
Amy Engevik, PhD
Dr. Engevik completed her undergraduate studies at Biola University (La Mirada, CA) and went on to complete received her PhD in systems biology and physiology from the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH). Dr. Engevik subsequently moved to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to undertake postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. James Goldenring. Dr. Engevik is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Engevik is currently supported by a K01 Career Development Award from the NIDDK/NIH. Her research program has been extremely productive—to date, Dr. Engevik has published 39 original papers and reviews.
Dr. Engevik’s graduate work centered around wound healing from gastric ulcers. This work identified a role for the developmental morphogen, Sonic hedgehog, secreted into the circulation from gastric parietal cells, in the promotion of gastric wound repair. Other work similarly correlated the appearance of Spasmolytic Polypeptide/TFF2-expressing Metaplastic (SPEM) cell lineages with re-epithelialization and effective healing of ulcer wounds in young, but not aged mice. Extensions of this latter work demonstrated the ability of gastric organoids transplanted from young mice and containing SPEM lineages to promote normal ulcer repair in older mice.
Dr. Engevik’s postdoctoral work also focused on basic gut epithelial function, in the context of the cellular mechanisms leading to the life-threatening chronic secretory diarrhea observed in Microvillus Inclusion Disease (MVID). MVID is a rare congenital disorder in humans associated with inactivating mutations of the myosin Vb (MYO5B) gene. Dr. Engevik’s MVID studies focused on the functional characterization of a genetic loss-of function mouse model of MYO5B. Detailed examination of the cellular localization of apical membrane ion transporters in this model supported the overarching hypothesis that loss of hydration promoting apical transporters, coupled with the maintenance of chloride secretion via the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), promoted water loss from the intestinal epithelium to cause MVID-associated diarrhea. Work using a genetically engineered swine model of MVID also suggested that defects in sodium absorption coupled to maintenance of CFTR mediated chloride secretion in the intestine was responsible for the pathogenesis of MVID associated diarrhea.
Dr. Engevik’s current research continues to focus on the function of MYO5B in apical cellular transport, but on a different facet of human disease pathology associated with this gene. Cholestasis or reduction of bile secretion from the liver in MVID patients was initially thought to be a byproduct of the nutritional interventions necessitated by diarrheal malabsportion. However, incidences of isolated cholestasis have recently been associated with a specific subset of MYO5B mutations. Dr. Engevik’s ongoing work will explore the hypothesis that aberrant bile salt transporter regulation or localization in liver and/or bile duct cells but not intestinal cells is the underlying cause of isolated liver pathology and cholestasis in this setting.
Dr. Engevik has been a member of the ASIP since 2021. She is participating in the 2022 ASIP Summer Research Opportunity in Pathology Program by hosting a student in her laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina. At Experimental Biology 2022, Dr. Engevik received the Dani and Erik Zander Junior Faculty Scholar Award. In the recent past, Dr. Engevik was recognized with the New Investigator Award from The Histochemical Society (2021) and she has received numerous other research awards from international societies and her own institutions. Of note, Dr. Engevik was the winner of the FAESB BioAart competition in 2020—recognizing her exceptional fluorescence microscopy (which was also featured in the ASIP 2022 calendar).
Kristen Engevik, PhD
Dr. Kristen Engevik is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Joseph Hyser at Baylor College of Medicine. For her PhD, Kristen studied gastric epithelial repair and intracellular calcium signaling in the lab of Dr. Marshall Montrose at the University of Cincinnati (UC). Her graduate work resulted in 3 first-author publications, 2 first-author book chapters, and 8 co-author publications.
During Dr. Engevik’s PhD studies, she was the recipient of a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein (F31) award and was selected as a UC graduate student fellow. Following the completion of her PhD in 2019, Dr. Engevik transitioned her research from the stomach to the small intestine. As a postdoctoral fellow, she studies viral pathophysiology and intestinal epithelial biology. Her current research focuses on elucidating host molecular signaling associated with rotavirus infection and understanding the mechanistic consequences of rotavirus dysregulation of host pathways. To date, Dr. Engevik has been a co-author on 13 publications, and has been recognized for excellent research with several awards. Recently, Dr. Engevik was awarded a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein (F32) award. Her ultimate career goal is to become a translational-research oriented principal investigator in the field of gastroenterology focused on infectious disease.
Dr. Engevik has been a member of the ASIP since 2021, and she received the ASIP Experimental Pathologist-in-Training Merit Award in 2021 and 2022. Dr. Engevik delivered a virtual seminar in the ASIP Young Investigator Keynote Seminar Series in 2021. During Experimental Biology 2022, Dr. Engevik participated in the Trainee Highlight Poster Session, SIG Night, and the Women in Pathology Networking Event.
Elena Fekete, PhD Candidate
Elena earned her bachelor of science at the University of Calgary and is currently a PhD candidate in the laboratory of Dr. Andre Buret, also at the University of Calgary. Elena’s research is focused on studying mechanisms of intestinal barrier dysfunction during Giardia infection, including alterations to mucus production and secretion, and alterations to mucin glycosylation patterns during infection. Elena’s research group is currently investigating the role of the microbiome in Giardia-induced alterations to mucin glycosylation patterns, and whether these alterations contribute to dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability.
During her PhD training, Elena has received the Canadian Association for Gastroenterology Student Research Prize, a Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship, and an Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship. Elena has attended the Experimental Biology meeting in-person on three occasions and online in 2021. Elena’s research has been recognized for excellence with the ASIP Experimental Pathologist in Graduate Training Merit Award in 2021 and 2022. She also received a Scholar Award for PISA2020. Earlier this year, Elena delivered a research talk in the ASIP Young Investigators Keynote Seminar Series.
Janiece Glover, MS, PhD Student
Janiece Glover, MS, PhD Student
Janiece earned her BS from Spelman College in 2014, where she was first introduced to biomedical research during her junior year. Her undergraduate research focused on characterizing the gene MSH2 and understanding the implications of changes in MSH2 in Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC). After graduation, Janiece worked in Health Administration. During this time, she recognized her passion for research and in 2017 she pursued a MS in Biomedical Sciences in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina. Janiece’s master’s thesis focused on protein-interactions in mitral valve prolapse.
Janiece is currently a PhD student at the Medical University of South Carolina working in the laboratory of Dr. Mindy Engevik. Janiece’s PhD research is focused on how the pathogen Acinetobacter calcoaceticus colonizes the intestine and promotes pro-inflammatory responses. Janiece is currently funded by a NIGMS T32-funded training program and a Histochemical Society Cornerstone Grant. Janiece serves as the Diversity & Inclusion Chair for the Medical University of South Carolina Graduate Student Association, is a member of the Black Student Union, member of the University Honor Council, and mentors PREP students. Her ultimate career goal is to inspire future generations of minority scientists by becoming an impactful and productive Black female investigator.
At Experimental Biology 2022 in Philadelphia, Janiece received an ASIP Trainee Scholar Award in recognition of her excellent research. She also participated in the Women in Pathology networking event and SIG Night. Janiece has recently joined the planning committee for the virtual PISA2022 Young Investigator Meeting.
Chhavi Goel, PhD
Dr. Chhavi Goel is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Pathology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pittsburgh, PA). Dr. Goel received her PhD in Allergy and Immunology from Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (India), where she investigated the role of a purified cockroach serine protease allergen in regulating dendritic cell polarization and development of subsequent T-cell immune responses for therapeutic potential in allergen-specific immunotherapy. During her PhD training, she received a fellowship from the Indian Council of Medical Research to support her study, a travel grant award from the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology to attend the annual scientific meeting, and an outstanding research award by the World Allergy Organization during the international scientific meeting.
Later, Dr. Goel joined Amity University (India), where she was actively involved in teaching basic and specialized immunology and life sciences courses for graduate and post-graduate programs. Dr. Goel’s current research focuses on the role of β-catenin signaling in pathophysiology of cholestatic liver disease and seeks to elucidate the underlying cellular/molecular mechanisms. Of keen interest to her, is to understand the role of β-catenin in hepatocyte-to-biliary cellular reprogramming during cholangiopathies and characterize downstream effectors that participate in the initiation of reprogramming during bile duct injury.
Dr. Goel became a member of the ASIP in 2021, and has been active in the Society since that time. Dr. Goel regularly participates in the ASIP scientific meetings and has been recognized for outstanding research through the A.D. Sobel Trainee Scholar Award in 2022 and the ASIP Trainee Scholar Award in 2021.
Zhengping (Ping) Hu, MD, PhD
Dr. Zhengping (Ping) Hu is a postdoctoral Research Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Patricia A. D’Amore in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hu graduated from the MD/PhD program in China, but completed her PhD training in Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio studying the role of connexins in lens homeostasis, transparency, and development. She began her postdoctoral research looking at the endothelial glycocalyx in vascular pathologies, ocular angiogenesis, and age-related retinal disorders, after completing a year of residency training in ophthalmology.
Dr. Hu is now working on an exciting project to elucidate the role of an endothelial specific glycoprotein, endomucin, in normal and pathological vascular development in mice. During her postdoc training, Dr. Hu was awarded the VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation Research Fellowship, Pediatric Ophthalmology Career-Starter Research Grant, as well as the Competitive Renewal Grant from Knight Templar Eye Foundation. She has also received The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Travel Award, North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO)-Vasculata Travel Award, and ASIP Monga-Hans Trainee Scholar Award.
Dr. Hu has been a member of the ASIP since 2018. During Experimental Biology 2022, she Co-Chaired the ASIP President’s Symposium along with Dr. Pat D’Amore. Dr. Hu also participated in the Women in Pathology Networking event and SIG Night. Dr. Hu is passionate about vascular biology and eye research, and she plans to pursue a career as an independent investigator in the future. Dr. Hu has recently started tweeting about her scientific journey. Follow her @Dr.ZhengpingHu.
Elaine Jaffe, MD
Dr. Jaffe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine with a MD in 1969, did an internship in pathology at Georgetown University Hospital (1969-1970), and then came to the National Cancer Institute at the NIH in 1972 as a resident in the Laboratory of Pathology. Dr. Jaffe has remained at the NCI/NIH since that time. She completed a fellowship in hematopathology from (1972-1974) prior to becoming a Senior Investigator in the Hematopathology Section of the Laboratory of Pathology at the NCI/NIH (1974-1980), and Head of the Hematopathology Section in 1980 (a position she still holds). In 1982, Dr. Jaffe became Deputy Chief of the Laboratory of Pathology, and then became Acting Chief from 2005-2008. Dr. Jaffe became an NIH Distinguished Investigator in 2019. Hence, for over 50 years, Dr. Jaffe has worked at the National Cancer Institute. Her long tenure is surpassed only by her productivity over this period of time.
Over the course of her 50+ year career, Dr. Jaffe has published 743 original papers, 44 invited commentaries and editorials, 103 book chapters, and she has authored/edited 7 major textbooks. Dr. Jaffe’s basic science and translational research is focused the pathobiology and genetics of human lymphomas and lymphoproliferative disorders with emphasis on their relationship to the normal immune system, and relevance for diagnosis and classification. The impact of Dr. Jaffe’s work on this field can be easily seen in her H-index, which is 186. This H-index reflects remarkable impact of Dr. Jaffe’s work and clearly shows that her work is being seen and cited by many investigators.
Dr. Jaffe has been elected into leadership positions with a number of scientific societies, including the Executive Council (1988-1991) and Advisory Board (1996-2000) for the American Society for Hematology, member of the Steering Committee (2001-2005) and Chair of the Medical Sciences Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Meritorious Awards Committee (1997-2000, 2004-2007) for the American Society for Investigative Pathology, President (1998-1999) of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Chair of the Membership Committee for the National Academy of Medicine (2017-2019), President of the Society for Hematopathology (1994-1996), and President of the Washington Society of Pathologists (1988-1989), among others. She has also served on numerous Editorial Boards for scientific journals, and has contributed her time to numerous intramural groups and activities at the NIH. Further, Dr. Jaffe has served on many advisory committees and boards outside of the NIH and has served as organizer to numerous national and international scientific meetings and conferences. This observation, combined with her list of invited presentations, delivered all over the world, speaks to her local, national, and international reputation as a scientist.
Dr. Jaffe is a devoted educator and mentor, and has been recognized on a number of occasions for her excellent teaching in the clinical setting and the laboratory. She received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the NCI in 2001 and the Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award in 2006 from the NIH Clinical Fellows Committee, among others. Since her appointment as Head of the Hematopathology Section in 1980, she has trained more than 60 Clinical Fellows in Hematopathology. Since 2015, Dr. Jaffe’s trainees in the Hematopathology Section have authored more than 50 articles in the peer-reviewed literature.
Dr. Jaffe has received numerous awards over the course of her 50+ year career—too many to list here. Her recent awards include: the Inaugural Brooks Ragen Endowed Lectureship (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 2021), the Berard-Dorfman Founders Award (Society for Hematopathology, 2019), the Board’s Distinguished Pathologist Award (United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, 2019), Honorary Fellow of The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (2019), NCI Center for Cancer Research Federal Technology Transfer Award (2017, 2018, 2019), Arthur Purdy Stout Society President’s Award (2016), Philip Levine Award for Outstanding Research (American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2014), Henry M. Stratton Medal (American Society of Hematology, 2013), NIH Merit Award and NIH Director’s Award (awarded to the members of the Lymphoma Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project, 2010), NIH Director’s Merit Award for graduate medical education (2005 and many others). In 2008 she was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dr. Jaffe has received a number of awards from the American Society for Investigative Pathology, including the ASIP Gold-Headed Cane Award (conferred at the Experimental Biology 2022 meeting), the ASIP Rous-Whipple Award (2016), and the ASIP Chugai Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Scholarship (2008). Most recently, Dr. Jaffe became the inaugural recipient of the James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology in Cancer Research (2022), and was recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services with the DHHS Career Achievement Award (2022). The citation associated with the DHHS Career Achievement Award reads: “Dr. Elaine S. Jaffe has changed the way in which the diagnosis of lymphoma is made on a worldwide basis—(1) revolutionizing the integration of traditional pathological methods with immunologic and genomic approaches; (2) harmonizing for the first time the diagnosis of lymphoma and leukemia internationally; and (3) describing multiple new disease entities that have resulted in changes to clinical practice and management for numerous patients.”
Christi Kolarcik, PhD
Dr. Kolarcik earned a BS in Biology and a BS in Chemistry from the Schreyer Honors College at The Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA). She then moved to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where she completed a PhD (with honors) in Cellular and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Kolarcik’s dissertation research was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Bowser (with secondary mentor Dr. David Lacomis) where she studied retinoid signaling in motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). During her time in graduate school, Dr. Kolarcik was a Fellow in the Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering and Regeneration Training Program (associated with the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Swanson School of Engineering), and a Fellow in the Clinical and Translational Science Training Program. Dr. Kolarcik remained at the University of Pittsburgh as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Bioengineering doing research in neural and tissue engineering. She was subsequently appointed as a Research Associate and Research Instructor.
Dr. Kolarcik is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Neuropathology Center of Excellence within the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Kolarcik’s laboratory is focused on ALS with an emphasis on understanding the impact of muscle fiber type on motor neuron degeneration. Dr. Kolarcik is committed to translating her scientific endeavors for the benefit of those affected by neuromuscular disorders like ALS. Dr. Kolarcik has been recognized for excellence in research, education, and mentoring over the course of her career. In 2020, she received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award at the University of Pittsburgh, and previously with the Provost Development Award from the University of Pittsburgh (2009).
Dr. Kolarcik has been an active and engaged member of the ASIP since 2007. During her time as a trainee member of the Society, she received a number of Scholar Awards associated with the Annual Meeting, including the AD Sobel ASIP Education Fund Scholar Award in 2011. In 2016, Dr. Kolarcik received the ASIP Young Scientist Leadership Award, which recognizes the exceptional achievements of an early-stage biomedical researcher. Most recently, Dr. Kolarcik is the recipient of the Fred Sanfilippo-ASIP Visiting Lectureship (2022). Within the ASIP community, Dr. Kolarcik has served on the Committee for Career Development, the Education Committee, and the Research and Science Policy Committee. She served on the Planning Committee for the 2020 Pathobiology for Investigators, Students, and Academicians (PISA) conference. Dr. Kolarcik also serves a Co-Chair of the ASIP Neuropathology Scientific Interest Group. As a SIG leader, Dr. Kolarcik regularly contributes to the scientific program of the ASIP Annual Meeting.
Maryknoll P. Linscott, MD-PhD Student
Maryknoll P. Linscott, MD-PhD Student
Maryknoll P. Linscott earned a BS in molecular genetics (with research distinction) and a BS in biochemistry from The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH). She then earned an MS in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) before entering the MD-PhD program at the Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey, PA). Maryknoll is currently a rising 6th-year student and is currently studying various genetic mechanisms that promote PIK3CAH1047R-driven mammary carcinogenesis. Maryknoll’s research is being conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Edward Gunther in the Department of Medicine and the Penn State Cancer Institute. Using different transgenic mouse models, she is investigating pathways that cooperate with an overactive PI3K pathway to unravel possible mechanisms of tumorigenesis and treatment resistance. As a future physician-scientist, she plans to pursue pathology as her specialty and aid in the improvement of diagnostic and prognostic tools in cancer. Notably, Maryknoll is a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, receiving more than $340,000 worth of support from the foundation for her undergraduate and graduate studies.
Maryknoll has been a trainee member of the ASIP since 2021. At Experimental Biology 2022, she received the Monga-Hans Scholar Award for Excellence in Neoplasia Research. Maryknoll’s research has been very—she has published 12 papers and numerous abstracts, and has given many invited talks at her own institution and elsewhere. Her research has also garnered award recognition at several meetings. Recently, Maryknoll has joined the leadership of the ASIP Breast Cancer Scientific Interest Group as the trainee co-leader.
Besides research, Maryknoll dedicates her time serving in several outreach and editorial activities. She co-founded Penn State College of Medicine's (501c3) student-run mobile free clinic, SCOPE to serve uninsured and underinsured communities in central PA. Combining her passion for research and service, she also helps promote and expand scientific literature as co-editor-in-chief for two student-run journals, the Penn State Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of Student-Run Clinics. In her free time, Maryknoll loves spending time with her husband and learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Tanya Mayadas, PhD
Dr. Mayadas is Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Senior Staff Scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Mayadas earned her PhD from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY in 1989. She completed her doctorate research investigating the biosynthesis and post-translational processing of von Willebrand factor, a multimeric glycoprotein required for hemostasis.
In 1990, she began a joint postdoctoral training at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cancer Research Center and New England Medical Center, Tufts School of Medicine, Boston MA. In 1993, she was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and was promoted to Professor of Pathology in 2010.
She is internationally-recognized for her work in immune and vascular cell mediated mechanisms of inflammation. A major research interest of her lab is to understand pathways driving neutrophil and monocyte-mediated tissue injury particularly in the context of IgG-mediated renal autoimmune diseases. Her scientific contributions have been acknowledged by a Young Investigator award by the Society of Leukocyte Biology (1996), an American Heart Association Established Investigator Grant (2001), the Stewart-Niewiarowski Award for Women in Vascular Biology (2010) and the Distinguished Innovator Award from the Lupus Research Institute (2015).
In education, she received an award for Excellence in Tutorial Facilitation by Harvard Medical School in 2009, 2013, and 2015. Dr. Mayadas has been a member of the ASIP since 1992. She has served in the past on the Program Committee and is a regular attendee/participant in the ASIP scientific meetings.
Sonika Patial, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Sonika Patial, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Dr. Patial completed her DVM at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Palampur, India) and an MVSc from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (Izatnager, India). She then completed a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) and did postdoctoral research training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS – Research Triangle Park, NC). Dr. Patial is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (DACVP). Dr. Patial is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA). Dr. Patial’s research is focused on gaining a better understanding of the association between environmental stimuli, post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene expression, and inflammatory disease pathogenesis. Her current work investigates how post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene expression regulate the initiation, progression, and the resolution of inflammation in lung and liver injury models. Dr. Patial has been a member of the ASIP since 2018. In 2020, Dr. Patial received the Hans-Monga Junior Faculty Scholar Award. Dr. Patial is very active in teaching and mentoring and several of her trainees have received Scholar Awards to attend the ASIP Annual Meeting. During Experimental Biology 2022 in Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Patial Co-Chaired a symposium on “Regulatory RNAs in Health and Disease.”
Julie Randolph-Habecker, PhD
Dr. Randolph-Habecker graduated from Hiram College (Hiram, OH) after majoring in biology and with minors in chemistry and fine arts. She subsequently completed a Master’s in Clinical Chemistry from The Ohio State University where she worked in the laboratory of Dr. John A. Lott. Dr. Randolph-Habecker remained at The Ohio State University to work in Dr. Daniel D. Sedmak’s laboratory in the Department of Pathology where she studied immune evasion by cytomegalovirus in and endothelial cell model and in solid organ transplant patients leading to completion of her PhD. It was during her PhD training that Dr. Randolph-Habecker joined the ASIP and began to attend the ASIP Annual Meeting to present her research. One occasion she received an ASIP Travel Award to attend the meeting. Her focus in cytomegalovirus research led her to a postdoctoral fellowship at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle, WA) to work in Dr. Beverly Torok-Storb’s laboratory studying cytomegalovirus strain virulence in the marrow model and in marrow transplant patients.
In 2003, Dr. Randolph-Habecker was appointed as the Director of Experimental Histopathology at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center—where she remained for 13 years. In this position, Dr. Randolph-Habecker performed collaborative research in areas including cancer, infectious disease, chronic illness, and basic research – accelerating the research of her colleagues. Dr. Randoph-Habecker’s laboratory did routine work but also developed novel histology protocols for human, mouse, canine, rat, and other models of disease. Her laboratory specialized in special stains, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, digital pathology, and multispectral imaging. Dr. Randolph-Habecker also helped plan and implement a histopathology laboratory in Kampala, Uganda as part of the Fred Hutch/Uganda Cancer Institute clinic. Dr. Randolph-Habecker is currently Professor of Pathology and Pathology Division Chief at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (Yakima, WA). In her current position, Dr. Randolph-Habecker spends considerable time teaching medical students. She is also starting a bench research facility, and continues to work in outreach to underrepresented communities including the Yakima Nation and the Hispanic community in the Yakima valley, as well as in rural communities in Uganda.
Dr. Randolph-Habecker has been a member of the ASIP since 1998, and she currently serves as a member of the Committee for Career Development. Prior to Experimental Biology 2022, Dr. Randolph-Habecker participated in a virtual career workshop for trainees planning to attend the meeting. The workshop focused on the “elevator pitch” and communicating one’s science in a concise manner while networking at the meeting. During the Experimental Biology 2022 meeting in Philadelphia, Dr. Randolph-Habecker participated in the Women in Pathology events, including the Networking Session. Dr. Randolph-Habecker is also an active/engaged member of the Histochemical Society (HCS).
Nakisha Rutledge, PhD
Women in Pathology Co-Leader Nakisha Rutledge recently defended her dissertation research (April 2022) and completed her PhD in the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University (Chicago, IL). Dr. Rutledge’s dissertation is entitled Human CD99L2 Regulates a Unique Step in Transmigration Between Those Regulated by PECAM-1 and CD99, and is based upon research she performed working in the laboratory of Dr. William A. Muller (Janardan K. Reddy, MD Professor of Pathology). This work was partially supported by a National Research Service Award-F31 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). Dr. Rutledge will begin her postdoctoral research training in September 2022 in the laboratory of Dr. Aaron Esser-Kahn at the University of Chicago, working in the area of vascular immunoengineering. Prior to entering graduate school at Northwestern University, Dr. Rutledge received a BS in Biochemistry from Spelman College (Atlanta, GA). Her undergraduate research focused on the identification of natural products as potential therapeutic targets for prostate cancer.
Dr. Rutledge has been a member of the ASIP since 2017 and has been very engaged since that time. She currently serves on the ASIP Committee for Career Development and as a Co-Leader of Women in Pathology. Dr. Rutledge is a regular attendee of the ASIP scientific meetings and has received a number of awards for her excellent research. She received ASIP Trainee Scholar Awards to attend the Experimental Biology meetings in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022. In 2020, Dr. Rutledge received an A.D. Sobel Trainee Scholar Award, and a PISA2020 Gall Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research.
Pepper J. Schedin, PhD
Dr. Schedin graduated from the University of Colorado (Boulder, CO) with a BA in cellular and developmental biology, and then completed a PhD in molecular genetics (working in the laboratory of Dr. William Wood) at the University of Colorado (Boulder, CO). Dr. Schedin subsequently undertook postdoctoral research training in the laboratory of Dr. Henry Thompson at the AMC Cancer Research Center (Denver, CO), where she studied breast cancer prevention. Following the completion of her postdoctoral training, Dr. Schedin was appointed as Scientist in the Cancer Prevention Division of the AMC Research Center prior to being appointed as a Full Member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Schedin was promoted through the academic ranks and became Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center in 2009. In 2015, Dr Schedin moved to the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine to become Professor of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology. At OHSU, Dr. Schedin served as Co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, where she contributed to the successful bid for NCI comprehensive cancer center status. Dr. Schedin is committed to mentoring, and is co-creator and director of the Early Career Faculty Advancement Program (ECAP) within the School of Medicine, as well as founding member and facilitator of the OHSU wide Mentoring Academy, a program that teaches mentoring skills to faculty of all ranks.
Dr. Schedin’s research program seeks to understand how normal breast development contributes to breast cancer risk and patient outcomes. They focus on the unique windows of breast development that occur during puberty, pregnancy/lactation/wean cycle, and peri-menopause, as these developmental windows associate with high risk for breast cancer development and progression. Because tissue remodeling is the hallmark of these risk windows, Dr. Schedin examines mammary epithelial-stromal interactions and how these interactions are modulated by physiology, including reproductive factors. Dr. Schedin’s laboratory is at the forefront of investigating the normal mammary gland tissue environment and has shown that extracellular matrix proteins and immune cells are highly malleable, remodeling in response to puberty, pregnancy, lactation, weaning, menopause, and even dietary intake. This stromal ‘plasticity’ contributes significantly to breast cancer risk, but also identifies unique developmental windows that can be targeted for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Current areas of research focus include understanding how postpartum mammary gland involution increases risk for breast cancer progression. From a prevention perspective, the strength in this ‘window of risk’ approach lies in the ability to limit duration of treatment, thus reducing treatment-related side effects associated with current breast cancer chemoprevention strategies. From a treatment perspective, Dr. Schedin has identified novel stromal markers, as well as potential drivers of breast cancers diagnosed in specific developmental windows, which can be exploited for targeted drug development. Dr. Schedin’s laboratory utilizes a variety of experimental models and approaches, including the rat MNU model, breast cancer xenografts, transgenic, and immunocompetent mouse models, 3D multi-cell co-culture systems, and human breast tissues. The systems approach utilized by Dr. Schedin has yielded promising results for prevention and treatment of poor-prognostic postpartum breast cancer, which accounts for ~50% of all young women’s breast cancer.
Taylor Ticer, PhD Candidate
Taylor is a PhD student at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC). She earned her BS from the University of North Florida in 2017, where she conducted her first laboratory research studying antibiotic resistance mechanisms of Klebsiella pneumoniae while working in the laboratory of Dr. Terri Ellis. Taylor then completed a research internship at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL in the lab of Dr. Joy Wolfram studying the ability of adipose-derived nanoparticles to suppress inflammation.
Taylor began her work towards a PhD at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2018 where she is a member of Dr. Mindy Engevik’s laboratory. Taylor’s research group studies gastrointestinal microbes and how they influence and are influenced by the host gastrointestinal tract. Her current project focuses on the relationship between Clostridioides difficile and Klebsiella pneumoniae during C. difficile infection. Taylor is currently funded by an NIDDK T32 training grant.
Experimental Biology 2022 in Philadelphia was Taylor’s first in-person scientific conference, where she received an AD Sobel Trainee Scholar Award in recognition of her excellent research. During Experimental Biology 2022, Taylor participated in the Women in Pathology Networking event, the Trainee Highlights Poster Session, and SIG Night.
Louisa Tichy, PhD Candidate
Louisa is in the second year of an MS/PhD program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), studying Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Physiology. In 2016, Louisa came to the U.S. (from Munich, Germany) as a student-athlete playing golf on the Division I UNCG Women's Golf Team while pursuing a BS in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology. As a student-athlete, her plan was to continue playing the golf at a competitive level. However, in 2019 she became involved with the research side of Kinesiology and came in contact with Dr. Traci Parry. Louisa then started working in Dr. Parry’s laboratory which focuses on exercise oncology, cancer cachexia, and cardioprotection research.
While working in Dr. Parry’s laboratory as an undergraduate research assistant, Louisa became deeply interested in the basic science and animal research side of kinesiology (including the exercise aspect). From that point forward, Louisa was interested in how exercise could help prevent or improve certain disease states, specifically cancer cachexia. During her senior year of college golf (fall of 2019), Louisa decided to remain in the U.S. after graduation and work in Dr. Parry's lab to pursue both the MS and PhD. She started her graduate studies at UNCG in the fall of 2020 and recently successfully defended her Master's thesis (March 2022), entitled "Effects of Low Intensity Treadmill Exercise during Cancer Cachexia in the Male Tumor Bearing Mouse."
Throughout her student-athlete career, Louisa and her teammates received numerous awards for academic excellence, including SOCON Commissioner's medals, WGCA Division I All-Scholar Team awards, as well as Academic All-Southern Conference nominations. Besides being a member of ASIP and receiving the ASIP Trainee Scholar Award in 2021 and 2022, she is also a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Southeast Chapter of ACSM (SEACSM). During the SEACSM conference in February 2022 (Greenville SC), Louisa was chosen as one of the finalists for the masters research poster competition and she was awarded first place. As one of the graduating master's students this spring semester, Louisa was chosen by the UNCG Department of Kinesiology as the American Kinesiology Association (AKA) Masters Scholar Graduating Student Award recipient, and was chosen by the AKA as one of the finalists for the AKA National Masters Scholar Award where she received honorable mention as one of the finalists.
This is Louisa’s second year as an active member of the ASIP and she just recently attended the Experimental Biology 2022 meeting in Philadelphia. During Experimental Biology 2022, Louisa participated in meetings of the ASIP Membership Committee and the Education/Career Development Committees. She plans to increase her engagement in the ASIP by joining these committees in the coming year.
Jennifer Truong, PhD Candidate
Jennifer Truong, PhD Candidate
Jennifer is a fourth-year PhD candidate at Emory University in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Dawson. She completed the Honors Chemistry track and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in May 2014 from Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA). Following graduation, she gained additional research experience as a research technician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institutes in Boston, MA (2014-2015) and later as a senior research associate at a biotechnology company, Mitobridge, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas) in Cambridge, MA (2015-2018). Jennifer’s current research is focused on understanding bile acid homeostasis and their relationship to the pathogenesis of hepatobiliary disease. In the laboratory, Jennifer has been interested in studying the binding kinetics of bile acid mimetics, sequestrants, and transport inhibitors to study the pathogenesis of disease and molecular mechanisms.
This is Jennifer’s first year in the ASIP and she attended her first in-person conference at Experimental Biology this spring! She had the opportunity to deliver her first research talk to a live audience during the Liver Pathobiology: Therapeutics and Pathway Targets session and shared her work on the characterization of a cholestatic liver injury mouse model with a humanized bile acid composition and investigated the effects of pharmacologic inhibition of ileal bile acid transporter. Jennifer was awarded the ASIP 2022 Monga-Hans Trainee Scholar Award for Excellence in Liver Pathobiology Research. You can connect with her on Twitter at @jennktruong.
Menglu Yang, MD, PhD
Dr. Menglu Yang is a research associate in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass Eye and Ear, and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Yang holds a medical degree from Peking University, where she completed residency training in the field of ophthalmology. She did her internship in the Department of Pathology at the University of Oslo, prior to postdoctoral research training at the Schepens Eye Research Institute. Her research interests are focused on the resolution of inflammation and the inflammasome pathways of ocular surface diseases. Dr. Yang’s current research project is to investigate the role of innate immune response in Sjogren’s disease. She was awarded the ASIP Trainee Scholar Award in 2021, and Travel Awards from the American Association of Ophthalmology in 2020 and 2021. Dr. Yang has been directing and teaching the Medical Mandarin lecture at Harvard Medical School since 2018 to over 100 medical students.
Dr. Yang has been a member of the ASIP since 2020. She delivered a virtual seminar in the ASIP Young Investigator Keynote Seminar Series in early 2022. During Experimental Biology 2022, Dr. Yang Chaired a minisymposium on Inflammation and Immunologic Pathobiology of Disease. Dr. Yang is planning to increase her engagement in the ASIP by joining the Committee for Career Development and the Program Committee.