Researchers find common immune system mechanism between pregnancy, cancer

To understand why some cancers successfully circumvent the immune system to grow unchecked, researchers turned to pregnancy. “In pregnancy, the immune system does not reject the growing fetus, so we know there must be mechanisms active in the placenta. In cancer, it’s the same thing: the growing tumor is not rejected by the immune system. It means the cancer cells have developed strategies to suppress immune rejection, same as in pregnancy,” said Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D., professor of experimental pathology.

Pathology Informatics Summit

The University of Michigan Department of Pathology was honored to serve as co-host of this year’s Association of Pathology Informatics Summit, held at Eagle Crest Resort in Ypsilanti, Michigan, May 20-23, 2024. Director of Pathology Informatics Dr. Ulysses Balis served as this year’s conference director, along with Henry Ford Health System’s Dr. Mark Tuthill, who served as co-chair, with incredible support provided by U-M's Beth Gibson, conference manager and CME coordinator, and the U-M Pathology Informatics team who dedicated hundreds of hours toward the planning of this meeting. This year’s Summit enjoyed an exuberant turnout, with nearly 400 in attendance.

Engineering Hope

There are times in many people’s lives that can be called defining moments. Moments when their lives suddenly take a turn, and the entire trajectory of their lives change. This was true for Matthew Iyer, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pathology.

The Certification Advantage

A patient’s biopsy or other tissue sample passes through many hands on its way from the patient to the diagnosis. In many cases, the physician and nurses with the patient pass the tissue along to those who prepare it for transport to the laboratory. The transporter delivers it to the specimen processing area, where lab techs check it in and ensure all the details are correct and the specimen meets criteria for testing.

AP-funded Grant Leads to Human Pathology Cover Story

The Division of Anatomic Pathology in the Michigan Medicine Department of Pathology offers grant funding for faculty and trainees to pursue research interests related to anatomic pathology that may not otherwise be funded. One of these internal AP grant-funded projects, led by first-author Eman Abdulfatah, MD and senior-author Rohit Mehra, MD, resulted in a recent cover story in Human Pathology entitled “Extragonadal germ cell tumors: A clinicopathologic study with emphasis on molecular features, clinical outcomes and associated secondary malignancies.”

13th Annual Advances in Forensic Pathology

The 13th Annual Advances in Forensic Pathology Conference was held on May 16-17, 2024, at Weber’s Inn in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hosted by the University of Michigan Department of Pathology, the well-attended conference packed the conference room with medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement, forensic pathologists, pathology assistants, forensic residents and fellows, and others.

Celina Kleer, MD Elected to the AAP

Congratulations to Celina Kleer, MD, the Harold A. Oberman Collegiate Professor of Pathology and Director of Breast Pathology Research, on her election to the prestigious Association of American Physicians (AAP).

Dr. Daniel Boyer named Hematopathology Section Director

We are pleased to announce Dr. Daniel (Dan) Boyer as the Hematopathology Section Director. Dr. Boyer received his MD and PhD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2009 and subsequently completed an Anatomic Pathology residency and Hematopathology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, serving as the Chief Resident in Anatomic Pathology during his training experience.

Drs. Rouba Ali-Fehmi and Lee Schroeder win Global Health Equity Awards

The Center for Global Health Equity (CGHE) at the University of Michigan announced the winners of their CGHE Grant competition and two of Pathology’s faculty were among the four award recipients. Dr. Rouba Ali-Fehmi and team were awarded one of three CGHE Seed Grant Awards and Dr. Lee Schroeder and team received the year’s only Impact Accelerator Program Award.