Melad Dababneh M.B.B.S., Assistant Professor, Anatomic Pathology, will serve as section head of Head and Neck Pathology, effective June 1. Dababneh joined the UAB Department of Pathology in 2024 from Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s Robert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute where he completed his fellowship in head and neck pathology.

Fourteen UAB chief residents recently completed the Chief Residents Leadership Development Workshop. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, was held on May 9, 2025.

Craig Maynard, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, has been named scientific director of the UAB Gnotobiotic Core Facility effective May 15.

Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., Professor, Molecular & Cellular Pathology, Associate Director for Education and Training, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, was selected for the 2025-2026 class of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) program at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Paul Benson, M.D., Professor, Autopsy Section Head, Anatomic Pathology, attended the Third Annual International Post-Tuberculosis Symposium at the STIAS Institute in Stellenbosch, South Africa, April 14-16. Benson joined his collaborators Adrie Steyn, Ph.D., Professor, UAB Microbiology, Africa Health Institute, and Threnesan Naidoo, MBChB, MSc, LLM, Professor, Water Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While advances in technologies have improved our understanding of the molecular alterations that occur during breast cancer onset and progression, user-friendly tools for breast cancer data analysis are scarce. To determine effective treatment options, researchers need access to specimen data.

The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine recognized 15 faculty members for their outstanding contributions to research, education, and clinical care at the Spring 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception.

The UAB Department of Pathology hosted its third annual Staff Retreat on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The day-long event featured an array of speakers and team activities.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 19 winners of the 2025 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty.

This year April 20-26 is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, an annual celebration of medical lab professionals and pathologists who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy led by the American Society for Clinical Pathology. This week’s theme is Mystery Machine of Diagnostics: Another Case Solved by the Lab.

Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D., Division Director, Women’s Health, Section Head, Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology, has been named the Hazel Gore, M.D., Endowed Professor in Women's Health in the Department of Pathology, effective April 4.

April 14 marks the 12th annual Pathologists’ Assistant (PA) Day, led by the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants. PAs are often responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the anatomic pathology service and play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare services in both surgical pathology and autopsy by determining patients’ pathologic diagnoses.

Goo Lee, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, will serve in the roles of interim section head of gastrointestinal (GI) pathology and GI fellowship director, effective Monday, April 14. Lee assumes the role from his predecessor, Sameer Al Diffalha, M.D., Vice Chair for Outreach and associate professor in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, who has served in these capacities since 2017. 

The UAB Department of Pathology recently funded travel awards to four trainees, Dr. Ashleigh Riegler, Ezgi Sari, Courtney Swain and Resha Rajkarnikar, who will present their research at national meetings this year.

Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D., Division Director, Women's Health, has been named section head for bone and soft tissue pathology, effective April 1. Wei assumes the position from Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D., Robert W. Mowry Endowed Professor, who recently retires on December 31, 2024, after 34 years of service in the UAB Department of Pathology. 

Several members from the UAB Department of Pathology participated in the annual Birmingham Kidney Walk and Celebration on April 5 at Samford University’s Track and Field Complex.

Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair in Pathology, has been named president of the Genitourinary Pathology Society (GUPS), effective April 1.

On April 2, the UAB Department of Pathology honored Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D., Robert W. Mowry Endowed Professor, Anatomic Pathology, with a symposium featuring guest speakers, colleagues and former mentees of this esteemed pathologist. Siegal joined UAB in 1990 where he was recruited as division director of Anatomic Pathology and professor in the Department of Pathology, a position he held for 25 years.

In a molecular diagnostic laboratory, having a system for tracking specimens, or assays, is integral to workflow efficiency and accuracy. Although streamlining this process often proves to be challenging, members from the Division of Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics in the UAB Department of Pathology have developed the In-house Lab Assay Database (ILAD) to customize and expedite specimen tracking.

Research is an essential part of health care. Every year, new discoveries are made that allow us to better understand the human body. Many of these discoveries would not be possible without enrolling patients as research participants. This is where the UAB Institutional Review Board (IRB) comes in. By protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects, UAB is able to continue learning through conducting human subjects research while also ensuring the health and safety of the participants.