PATHOLOGY IN FOCUS Vol 6 Issue 1 February 2012 Message from the Chair One of my major our rapidly growing Division of complex data sets to continue to Inside this issue: goals in 2012 is to Informatics and further develop- fulfill the classic central role of Faculty Profile: Bailey 2 expand the capa- ment of our biorepository pro- determining diagnosis, prognosis, bilities of our gram. and appropriate therapy”. In part- 3 Accolades molecular diag- nership with UAB Medicine, we are Healthy Heart Month 3 nostics labora- Increasing attention is being fo- taking the necessary steps to en- tory. Multiple cused on the discipline of Pathol- sure that the UAB Department of Where are They Now? 4 Department of Pathology faculty ogy and the important role of pa- Pathology becomes a leader in From the Graduate Students 5 have been working closely with thologists in patient management. “next-generation” pathology and From the Chief Residents 6-7 UAB Hospital leadership to develop In a recent editorial (Arch. Pathol. that our patients derive the maxi- Pathology Grant Awards 8 a plan for new equipment, person- Lab. Med. 135:1531-1532; 2011), mum benefit from our initiatives. nel, and laboratory space to meet several Chairs of large academic the growing demand for molecular Departments of Pathology stated Best wishes, testing in microbiology, oncology, “In a value-oriented health care Kevin A. Roth, M.D., Ph.D. and hematology. These efforts system, the pathologists will then require thoughtful integration with become the integrator of large, Faculty Profile: Hyunsoo Kim, Ph.D. Dr. Hyunsoo pital in Boston. In 2009 he joined sion of Informatics in the Depart- Kim is an Assis- the Center for Systems and Com- ment of Pathology. This database is tant Professor putational Biology at the Wistar then the key resource to analyze Pathology In Focus in the Division Institute in Philadelphia, as a Staff new biological data obtained as a Editorial Committee of Informatics Scientist. There, he worked exten- part of collaborative work. For Editor-in-Chief: who arrived at sively with next generation se- example, one can better identify C. Bruce Alexander, M.D. UAB in November 2011 when the quencing data analysis, namely interesting candidates that are division was just implementing an RNA-seq and ChIP-seq, and small related with high impact biological R. Pat Bucy, M.D., Ph.D. informatics-driven personalized RNA-seq. Dr. Kim’s current work network components associated Rakesh Patel, Ph.D. medicine component in the Depart- aims to use next generation se- with specific diseases. Dr. Kim has Walter C. Bell, M.D. ment of Pathology. He is a bioinfor- quencing technology and informa- experience on The Cancer Genome Marisa B. Marques, M.D. matician and a computational bi- tion technology innovation to ad- Atlas (TCGA) project, and has a Majd Zayzafoon, M.D., Ph.D. ologist who is interested in devel- vance to a new era of personalized particular interest in cancer diag- Angie Schmeckebier oping methodologies and algo- medicine and precision medicine nosis and treatment via computa- Margaret Dotzler rithms for finding new biological for better health care. Towards tional approaches handling per- facts, and analyzing genomics data this goal he first carefully aggre- sonal genomic data such as whole for helping biomedical research. gates biological knowledge building genome sequencing (WGS) data, Dept. of Pathology Website: He received his Ph.D. degree from a large database designed to take RNA-seq, and small RNA-seq data. www.path.uab.edu the University of Minnesota, Twin full advantage of knowledge inte- Although his earlier work was Cities, in 2004 and postdoctoral gration capabilities of semantic focused on brain tumors, i.e. Newsletter E-Mail: training at Georgia Tech. in Atlanta web technologies and resources, Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), he [email protected] and at Brigham and Women’s Hos- some already in place at the Divi- Cont’d... Pathology In Focus Page 2 Faculty Profile: Hyunsoo Kim, Ph.D., cont’d. is now extending this experience to (CCC), UAB Department of Com- computational cancer diagnosis other cancers so that he can puter and Information Sciences. with individual patient’s genomic achieve a deeper understanding of Dr. Kim’s laboratory is also devel- profiles (whole genome sequenc- the genetic basis of cancer. To oping a service capability in (1) ing, RNA-seq, small RNA-seq). this end he is building collaborative next generation sequencing data connections and memberships with analysis (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center small RNA-seq), (2) preliminary Faculty Profile: Shannon Bailey, Ph.D. We are de- initiation, progression, and sever- process and is currently a full time lighted to ity of liver diseases and how liver member of the National Institute on welcome disease may impact risk for car- Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Ini- Shannon M. diovascular disease. Her studies tial Review Group AA-1, Biomedical Bailey, Ph.D., are focused on identifying a Research Review Subcommittee. as the newest mechanistic link between the se- Shannon is a member of the steer- member in verity of alcohol and obesity- ing committee for the UAB Center the Division of related fatty liver disease (i.e., for Free Radical Biology and has Molecular and steatohepatitis) and increased risk been active in the UAB School of Cellular Pathology effective Febru- for cardiovascular disease. Her Medicine strategic planning proc- ary 1st, 2012. Dr. Bailey received her work has contributed to under- ess as a member of the Oxidative Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the standing how disruption in nitric Stress and Mitochondria work- University of Oklahoma Health Sci- oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide group. She has also made sub- ences Center, College of Medicine (H2S) signaling, and changes in stantial contributions to graduate in 1996. Shannon completed her mitochondrial function, contribute education at UAB and is currently Postdoctoral research in the labo- to various pathologies including Chair of the Pathobiology and Mo- ratory of Carol C. Cunningham in liver and cardiovascular disease lecular Medicine Curriculum Com- the Department of Biochemistry at as well as cancer. More recently, mittee. Shannon is also on the Wake Forest University School of in collaboration with Dr. Martin Editorial Board of several journals Medicine from 1996-1999. In 1999, Young in the Department of Medi- including Free Radical Biology & she was appointed Instructor in the cine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Liver International and Department of Biochemistry and in Disease and Dr. Karen L . Gamble, the Biochemical Journal. 2000 was promoted to Assistant Department of Psychiatry, Division Professor in the same department. of Behavioral Neurobiology, she Please join us in welcoming Shan- In 2001, Dr. Bailey moved her re- has also started to investigate the non to our department. search to UAB where she served as role of disruption of cellular cir- an Assistant Professor in the De- cadian rhythms in contributing to partment of Environmental Health liver disease. Sciences, School of Public Health until her promotion to Associate Shannon is currently Principal Professor in 2006. Investigator of two NIH R01 grants and one R21 grant and is co- Shannon’s research program ex- investigator on three other NIH plores how genetic, environmental, grants. She has also played an and life-style factors influence the active role in the NIH peer review Pathology In Focus Page 3 Accolades: sory Council. Her term runs from Ralph Sanderson, Jill Adamski, M.D. 1/1/12 to 12/31/13. Ph.D. was appointed was appointed as a to the Graduate new member of the Hyunsoo Kim, Ph.D. Biomedical Sci- Faculty Advisory was appointed as a ences Steering and Council. Her term new member of the Oversight Commit- runs from 1/1/12 to 12/31/13. Faculty Advisory tee (GBS-SOC). This is a three Council. His term year term. runs from 1/1/12 to 12/31/13. Xu Feng, Ph.D. was Majd Zayzafoon, appointed as a new Ph.D. was ap- member of the Rakesh Patel, Ph.D. pointed as Scien- Faculty Advisory was appointed tist for the UAB Council. His term Associate Editor Nutrition Obesity runs from 1/1/12 to 12/31/13. for the American Research Center Journal of Physiol- (NORC). Andra Frost, M.D. ogy—Lung Cellular was appointed as a and Molecular Physiology. He was new member of also appointed as a Senior Scien- the Faculty Advi- tist for the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). Remember… February is Heart Awareness Pathology Celebrates American Heart Month! Month! Go Red………. Pathology In Focus Page 4 Where Are They Now? Ana Stankovic, MD, PhD, MSPH Dr. Ana K. Stank- group of 60 associates, and addi- Tennessee. She is the author of ovic received her tional groups in China, Japan and numerous publications and is cur- residency training Europe. Her primary focus is on rently focusing her research on in Clinical Pathol- developing the medical/clinical improving the quality of laboratory ogy at UAB in 1995 strategy for the Preanalytical testing and increasing awareness -1998, and her fellowship training Systems business and overseeing of the impact of the preanalytical in Blood Banking and Transfusion various functional activities. She phase on clinical results. Dr Stank- Medicine from UAB in 1996-1997. also is responsible for Global BD ovic is a strong advocate for pa- She was Chief Resident Regional Medical Affairs. Her work tient safety in healthcare and a (Laboratory Medicine) in 1997-98. has given her the opportunity to champion for use of Lean and Six Dr. Stankovic also received a Mas- visit laboratories all over the Sigma methods to improve clinical ter of Science degree in Public world and experience the different laboratory processes.