Lanbo Xiao, PhD, of the Department of Pathology was recently awarded for his notable contributions in the areas of teaching, mentoring, service, and scholarship at the Faculty Award Celebration on October 30, 2025.
Prostate cancer relies on genetic “switches”, called enhancers, that can turn on tumor-promoting genes. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have discovered histone H2B N-terminal acetylation (H2BNTac), an essential chemical mark of these enhancers.
The Department of Pathology is home to world-class faculty from around the world. One of these is Dr. Kejian Zhang, clinical professor and director of the molecular genetics laboratory in the Division of Genetics and Genomics. Zhang originally came to the United States to learn how to perform clinical research. “I started at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital performing research in the Hematology Oncology department. I was there for seven or eight years before I started my fellowship in human genetics.
The Pathologist's Power List, released every year, recognizes individuals who are shaping the future of pathology and laboratory medicine. The 2025 honorees list is comprised of leading voices who challenge established ideas and advocate for reform. Among the honorees are Dr. Kamran Mirza, Godfrey D. Stobbe Professor of Pathology Education, Director of the Division of Education, and Co-Chair of the Patient and Faculty Advisory Committee, and Michele Mitchell, Patient Advocate and Co-Chair of the Patient and Faculty Advisory Committee.
Department of Pediatrics originally published in 2023 has lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accelerate approval of the drug ONC201 now called dordaviprone for the treatment of diffuse midline glioma (DMG) with an H3 K27M mutation. A rare, aggressive brain tumor that primarily affects children and young adults. This marks the first FDA-approved therapy for this form of cancer.
Researchers discovered two distinct ways mutation of the FOXA1 gene alters tumor formation and therapy resistance in prostate cancer in mouse models.
A study explains the genetic underpinnings of a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer – and offers a potential pathway for new treatments.
Jennifer Brazil, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology at Michigan Medicine began her own research laboratory in 2018. She continued to research the mechanisms by which polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and epithelial glycans can be targeted to alter neutrophil transepithelial migration and neutrophil function under conditions of intestinal inflammation and repair.
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), which measures your heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood out to your body, remains a leading cause of death and hospitalization worldwide. Over the last three decades, clinical trials have highlighted the efficacy of four key medication classes- Beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis), angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i).
The Molecular and Cancer Therapeutics journal recently awarded Dr. Analisa DiFeo, professor, with their annual Outstanding Journal Article Award for 2025 for her article “Small Molecule Mediated Stabilization of PP2A Modulates the Homologous Recombination Pathway and Potentiates DNA Damage Induced Cell Death.”