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Resident's Corner

Bonnie Balzer, Dermatopathology Fellow, received her PhD in 1995 from the University of Virginia Chemistry Department and her MD in 2000 from Stanford University School of Medicine. She was an intern in OB-GYN from June 2000 to March 2001 and became a resident in Anatomic Pathology at Stanford University Medical School from April 2001 to June 2003. The following year, she was a Surgical Pathology Fellow at Stanford University Medical School after which she undertook a Soft Tissue Fellowship at Emory University Medical School, which she completed in June 2005, prior to joining the department.

Shahreen Billah, PGY-1, received her MD from the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston. During her medical school training, she was a member of the Future Pathologists Group and Pathology Student Society. She is engaged to be married early in 2006.

Suzanne Brandt, PGY-1, received her MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She received her BS in economics from the Miami University in Ohio. During her medical school training from 2002-2003, she served as a tour guide at Georgetown University for medical school applicants.

Xia Chen, Hematopathology Fellow, received her MD from Hunan Medical University, China, in 1987. After surgical residency training at Hunan Medical University, she became a Research Associate in the Department of Biology at Carleton University, in Canada, where she obtained her master's degree. In 1996, Dr. Chen joined the Pathology Department as a Staff Associate in Dr. William Muller's laboratory where she studied the location and function of PECAM1 (CD31) and transendothelial migration. In July 2000, she joined our Pathology Residency Training Program, finishing in June 2004. In July 2004, she was appointed an Instructor and Assistant Attending Pathologist for the year prior to her hematopathology fellowship.

Yingbei Chen, PGY-1, received her MD in 1998 from Peking Union Medical College in China, followed by a year as an intern at Peking Union Medical College. She then came to the United States to pursue her PhD, which she received in 2004 from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Since June 2004, she has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Melissa Gill, Dermatopathology Fellow, received her MD in 2001 from Brown Medical School, followed by residency training in Anatomic Pathology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia Campus. In 2003, she was the recipient of a House Staff Award, Clinical Research Grant at Columbia. Dr. Gill completed her residency training at Columbia in June 2005.

Henry Haskell, Dermatopathology Fellow, received his MD in 2002 from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. In July 2002, he entered the Pathology Residency Training Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital finishing in June 2005.

Lawrence Kiss, Renal Pathology/ Research Fellow, received his MD in 2001 from the State University of New York at Stonybrook. In July 2001, he joined our Pathology Residency Training Program finishing his training in June 2005. Dr. Kiss is currently spending his time working with Dr. Surya Seshan in renal pathology and Dr. William Muller in basic science.

Kristina Loukeris joins, PGY-1, received her MD in the spring of 2005 from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. During her medical school training from 2002-2003, she was in the Pathology Honors Program. During summer months since 1998, she was a Research Assistant in a number of laboratories at New York University School of Medicine. She competes in triathlons and is currently engaged to be married.

Kambiz Merati, Hematopathology Fellow, received his MD in 1995 from Tehran University of Medicine. From 1996 to 1997, he was a housestaff physician at the Nasr Education Center in Iran and from 1998 to 1999, prior to coming to the United States, was a primary care physician in Iran. In July 1999, he joined the pathology residency training program at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center finishing his training in June 2003. In July 2003, he was appointed a Hematopathology Fellow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, after which he was a Surgical Pathology Fellow at Ohio State University.

Libo Qiu, Cytopathology Fellow, received his MD in 1985 from Hengyang Medical College in China followed by receipt of his MSc in 1988 from Hunan Medical University in China. From 1988 to 2001, he held a number of teaching positions in China, the United Kingdom and United States. In 2001 he became a resident in pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine where he completed is training in June 2005.

Miroslav R. Radevic, Gastrointestinal Pathology Fellow, received his MD in 1993 from the University of Belgrade School of Medicine. From May 1993 to May 1994, he was a medical intern at Zemun Medical Center in Belgrade followed by seven months of residency training in general surgery at the same institution. In the United States, Dr. Radevic did pathology training at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Theresa Scognamiglio, Research Fellow, received her MD in 2001 from MCP-Hahnemann University of Medicine. In July 2001, she joined our Pathology Residency Training Program finishing her training in June 2005. Dr. Scognamiglio is currently spending the year in the laboratory of Dr. Yao-Tseng Chen, where she is working on translational research projects. As a resident Dr. Scognamiglio was the recipient of the prestigious Stowell-Orbinson Award at the 2005 USCAP meeting.

Raana Sela, a PGY-1, received his MD in May 2005 from the University of Miami School of Medicine. During his medical school training, he was a member of the University of Miami School of Medicine Mentoring Program, mentoring medical students.

Ramapriya Vidhun, Cytopathology Fellow, received her MD in 1995 from the Rajah Muthiah Medical College in India followed by an internship year at the same institution. From 1995 to 1997, she was a Casualty Medical Officer at St. Isabel's Hospital in India and then was in private practice in the city of Madras, India from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, she was appointed as a Research Associate in Pathology at Mt. Sinai Hospital, followed in 1999 as an appointment as a Research Associate in Endocrinology also at Mt. Sinai. In July 2000, she entered the Pathology Residency Training Program at Danbury Hospital, completing her training in June 2004. Prior to joining us, she was a Fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Gloria Young, PGY-1, received her MD in May 2005 from Boston University School of Medicine. During her medical school training, she volunteered in the Boston University School of Medicine Outreach Van Project and Creative Arts Society, and served as a tour guide for medical school applicants. Prior to medical school she worked as an immunohistochemistry technician.

The department congratulates our June 2005 pathology residency program graduates and wishes them luck in the next phase of their career.

Dr. Cheri Aubertine and her husband John welcomed baby Ella in June. Dr. Aubertine is currently doing a surgical pathology fellowship at the University of Vermont.

Dr. Melissa Murray joined Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as a Breast Fellow.

Dr. Micheal Rivera, also joined Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as an Oncologic Pathology Fellow, and next year he will undertake a cytology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Congratulations also go to our residents finishing the program in June 2006 and accepted to outstanding fellowships:

Dr. Pramod Gumpeni will be a Fellow at the Office of the Medical Examiner for the City of New York.

Dr. Emily Duncanson will be a Fellow at the Office of the Medical Examiner for the City of New York.

Dr. Scott Merlin will be an Oncologic Fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Dr. Alexandros Polydorides will be an Oncologic Fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Dr. Jamie Shamonki will be a Surgical Pathology Fellow at University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.

Bramlage MP, Scognamiglio T, See BS, Larone DH: Stability of Mueller-Hinton Agar Plates Flooded with Glucose and Methylene Blue for Fluconazole Disk Diffusion Testing of Candida Species.

Drs. Michael Rivera and Alexandros D. Polydorides presented at the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists held in Pittsburgh, PA, in June 2005.

Dr. Polydorides received the Paul E. Strandjord Young Investigator Award for his abstract: "Immunohistochemistry of Cell Clot Paraffin Sections: An Efficient and Accurate Method for the Detection of Intracellular Antigens, Including Prognostic Markers in CLL."

Dr. Rivera's abstract was entitled "The New Colorimetric Vitek 2 Yeast Indentification Card Compared to the Older Fluorometric Card and Evaluation of CHROMagar Candida as a Source Medium with the New Card."

Congratulations to Dr. Pramod Gumpeni who was married in August and to Dr. Matthew Bramlage who was married in September.

Welcome to Dr. Jamie Shamonki's new daughter, Cosette and Dr. Scott Merlin's new son, Liav.

We also congratulate all of our recent graduates who took and passed their Pathology Boards: Drs. Sun Chung, Wen Fan and Melissa Murray. Dr. Sun Chung is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in our Department and Dr. Wen Fan is working at Bio-Reference, a commercial laboratory in New Jersey.

Five residents traveled to Atlanta, GA, to the 105th American Society of Microbiology Meeting to present their work. The residents who attended and presented at the meeting are: Theresa Scognamiglio, Michael Rivera, Stephen Rohan, Pramod Gumpeni and Matthew Bramlage. The abstracts they presented are:

Aubertine, CL, Rohan SM, Rivera M, Zinchuk R, Larone, DH: CHROMagar Candida as a Source Medium for Ioslates to be Tested with the New Vitek 2 Yeast Identification Card.

Rivera M, Aubertine CL, Rohan SM, Azurin CJ, Larone DH: Comparative Study of the New Colorimetric Vitek 2 Yeast Identification Card vs. the Older Fluorometric Vitek 2 Yeast Card.

(Left to right): G. Young, MD;
S. Billah, MD; K. Loukeris, MD;
S. Brandt, MD; Y. Chen, MD;
R. Sela, MD (kneeling)
 
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