The Department of Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine educates medical students, graduate students, clinical residents, and fellows in pathology and is committed to improving our specialties through impassioned teaching and instruction, innovative research and excellence in patient services though our affiliated care facilities.
Message from the Chair
“The only constant in life is change” is a familiar phrase that generally rings true. At this specific time, it resonates a bit louder in the Department of Pathology, since some current changes are also bringing a large degree of uncertainty and anxiety to our workplace. Our research mission in particular is witnessing times of great uncertainty regarding the level of financial support we will receive from the NIH for our laboratory-based investigations. Federal funds for many NIH and Department of Defense grants have been frozen until further notice. The university has stepped in to fill the gap, and our hope is this will be resolved soon, yet no one knows. Aside from this, there are federal budget proposals to drastically cut NIH funds in the future. While there will be many debates and negotiations before any changes are approved, we are all anxious about what the future of research will look like at academic medical centers such as our own.
In our clinical world, we are facing a major move of our clinical labs, as well as our faculty and trainee space. In about one year, nearly all of the clinical labs, faculty offices and trainee spaces (with the exception of Blood Bank, Blood Gases, Gross and Frozen Rooms) will be moving from Feinberg/Galter into the Olson Building and additional clinical space for faculty and trainees within the Medical Center that is still being discussed. Given our relatively recent experience with renovations on the 7th floor of Feinberg/Galter, we all know and appreciate the high quality of space upgrades that our Medical Center provides, yet many unknowns remain, which can be unsettling.
Some other changes are more expected and uplifting. This time of year brings warmer and sunnier weather to Chicago, which is always a mood boost. The changes to our residency program and fellowships, which are noted in the newsletter, are always a morale builder as we welcome in the next generation of pathologists to our department. Our advances in digital pathology are a welcome change: we are going live with scanning slides for diagnostic purposes at all of our NMHC Hospitals in the coming months. And the academic promotion of many of our faculty is expected in the near future, which will bring a sense of accomplishment to many as their reputation for advancing our missions in clinical care, education and research are recognized.
What gives me the most hope in times of uncertainty is the recognition that Northwestern Medicine and Northwestern University are among the strongest and most admired healthcare and academic institutions on the planet, and that we will emerge as strong as ever through these uncertain times in a Department of Pathology. There are things we can control and things that we can’t, and in times like these it is best to focus on controlling the controllable and to continuing on your road to academic and clinical excellence. When it comes to times of change, those who adapt the best come out on top, and we at Northwestern Pathology are in a strong position to achieve this.
Trainee Highlights
Welcome New Residents!
Northwestern Pathology is thrilled to welcome the newest class of PGY-1s starting June 23, 2025!
Welcome New Fellows!
Northwestern Pathology is thrilled to welcome our new fellows to the Department beginning July 1, 2025!
Chief Residents
Departmental Highlights
USCAP 2025
This year's USCAP (United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology) Conference was a resounding success for Northwestern Pathology! Faculty and trainees participated in more than 30 platform sessions, poster presentations, and special events—showcasing groundbreaking research and innovative advancements. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for the Department to highlight its contributions and forward-thinking approaches in emerging areas of pathology.
Research Retreat
In February, the Department of Pathology hosted a Research Retreat led by Dr. Peng Ji. This event highlighted the outstanding research across our department and fostered valuable discussions and collaborations. Congratulations to the Poster Winners! Best Basic Science Posters: Erika Arias (1st Place), Xu Han (2nd Place), and Jian Shen (3rd Place). Best Translational Posters: Inci Aydemir (1st Place), Ermin Li (2nd Place), and Amy Tang (3rd Place). Best Clinical Posters: Ramin Nateghi (1st Place), Lucy Fu (2nd Place), and Frank Rojas (3rd Place).
Holiday Party
On December 11, 2024, the Department of Pathology gathered for the annual holiday party. Our members from across spectrum of clinical, research and administration teams were brought together to celebrate the season at D4 Irish Pub in Streeterville.
Digital Pathology Update
Over the past six months, the Department of Pathology at Northwestern Medicine has made significant investments in our digital pathology infrastructure. Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) now has five Leica GT450 systems onsite to assist with the digitization of glass slides. In late December, NMH onboarded two dedicated lab assistants to prospectively scan slides for optional digital sign-out.
We initially went live with gastrointestinal (GI) biopsies, ensuring that all cases were scanned prior to the release of glass slides. Since then, we have also successfully initiated digital sign-out for cardiac cases, with our first remote sign-out occurring on March 10th by Dr. Jon Lomasney. In the coming months, we intend to expand our digital operations to include placenta and genitourinary cases.
In parallel with these go-live efforts, Northwestern Medicine has continued to evaluate various image management systems (IMS) to replace our current viewer, eSlide Manager. A diverse team of clinical, IT, and administrative leaders reviewed three vendors: PathAI, Fujifilm Synapse, and Sectra. We have chosen our next IMS and are currently working through contracting. The adoption of a new IMS is a significant milestone in our digital pathology journey as an integrated health system with a planned implementation in Fall 2025.
As we work to secure our next round of capital funding for further expansion, we are prioritizing additional subspecialties for validation planning in order to support future advancements.
We appreciate the continued support from our community as we move forward with these transformative initiatives in digital pathology.
Departmental News
Ramsey Awarded the 2024 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award
The College of American Pathologists awards Glenn E. Ramsey, MD, FCAP, the 2024 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his remarkable contributions to transfusion medicine within the CAP. The article can be viewed here.
Wong and Chen Honored with the 2025 ASCI Young Physician-Scientist Award
The Young Physician-Scientist Award recognizes physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research. Out of only 50 recipients nationwide, two of our outstanding faculty in Pathology, Waihay J. Wong, MD, PhD and Jonathan H. Chen, MD, PhD have been honored with the prestigious ASCI Young Physician-Scientist Award.
Brat Named Board of Directors for USCAP
Daniel J. Brat, MD, PhD is now on a three-year term on the governing board for USCAP, for, April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2028
Cooper Awarded the Millennium Club for Research Excellence
Lee A. Cooper, PhD received over 100 citations for his article "Predicting cancer outcomes from histology and genomics using convolutional networks," click here to read more.
Bronson Awarded the Joost Award for Most Outstanding Teacher for Phase 1B
This nomination puts Taylor Bronson, MD in the top 10 of all faculty members who teach in Phase 1 (over 350).
WGN Highlights the Work of Our Pathology Team
Upcoming Events
Monday Noon Conferences
Monday Noon Conferences are designed to provide Northwestern faculty and trainees with further education in special topics within pathology. The Pathology Departments hosts two types of Monday Noon Conferences: outside speakers invited by faculty and Calandra speakers, which are student research presentations.
Grand Rounds
The Northwestern Pathology Grand Rounds Lecture Series attracts some of the highest caliber experts in the field of pathology. This year, we have hosted renowned thought leaders in policy, business, and research such as Dr. Octavia Peck Palmer, Dr. Casey Bennett, Dr. Jiaoti Huang, and Dr. Amy Young. In May, we are hosting Dr. Sarah Dry and Dr. Shishir K. Maithel.
Graduation
Trainee graduation will take place June 13, 2025 at Maggiano's Little Italy.
New Trainee Welcome Breakfast
A welcome breakfast for the new trainees will be held on Wednesday, July 2, in the Harris Family Atrium on the 3rd floor of Prentice.