The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University is pleased to announce the 2024 Brown Pathology Pilot Project Research Grant Awardees ($25,000 per project). The program objective is to foster translational research collaborations and provide funding support for clinical faculty in the Brown affiliated hospital systems. 

Awardees: Diana O. Treaba, MD & Patrycja Dubielecka, PhD
Project Title: Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to define chemoresistance-inducing osteo-mesenchymal clone in acute myeloid leukemia: cracking the HARDCORE biopsy

Awardees: Stephanie Barak, MD & Lalit K. Beura, PhD
Project Title: Impact of microbiome on anti-HPV functions of CD8 T cells using human cervical organoids

Congratulations!!

Brown Pathology Pilot Grant Award Selection Committee Chairs
Liang Cheng, MD, Vice Chair for Translational Research
Geralyn M. Lambert-Messerlian, PhD, Vice Chair for Clinical Faculty Development

Dr. Jeffrey Bailey, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine has been selected to receive the Dean’s Excellence Awards in Graduate and/or Postdoctoral Teaching and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences! Dr. Bailey's contributions to teaching and mentoring will be acknowledged at an awards ceremony and reception with the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences.

Dr. Liang Cheng, Professor of Pathology and Surgery (Urology), Vice Chair of Translational Research, published a new paper entitled  “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for  Prostate Cancer Management” in Cell Reports Medicine.

According to Dr. Cheng, AI-based tools could reduce workload and assist clinicians in formulating treatment recommendations.  Future efforts should focus on improving the generalizability of AI algorithms and bridging the gap between regulatory testing and real-world clinical practice datasets. This entails prioritizing robust AI systems that are well-designed, rigorously tested, and continuously monitored for accuracy. Collaboration between AI scientists, pathologists, urologists, oncologists, and regulatory agencies is essential, along with ongoing training to effectively integrate AI into clinical practice.

Please see full article at:

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(24)00175-7

Congratulations to Dr. Geralyn Messerlian (Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Development of Pathology) who has been appointed Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).  This is the official journal of the Endocrine Society.

(JCEM) Editorial Board

The AMIA 2024 Informatics Summit organizing committee has selected Dr. Ece Uzun as a recipient of the SPC Award. Dr. Uzun's efforts have not only upheld the standards of excellence that AMIA stands for but have also significantly enhanced the experience for all participants. It is the hard work and commitment of reviewers like Dr. Uzun that enable our community to advance the frontiers of informatics, driving innovation and improving healthcare outcomes.  Dr. Uzun has been invited to attend the exclusive AMIA Leadership Reception. This event is a wonderful opportunity to network with peers, engage with leaders in the field, and enjoy an evening of celebration and camaraderie.

Dr. Jessica Claus' study, "Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Malignant Epithelioid Angiomyolipoma/PEComa (MEAML) of the Kidney," has been selected for the Dr. Ondra Hes Award for Best Kidney Cancer Research.  Dr. Liang Cheng is the senior author of this investigation. 

This award is established to honor the legacy of Dr. Ondra Hes, a world-renowned kidney cancer pathologist. It is given every year for the best research paper in kidney tumor pathology presented at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) annual meetings.

The award certificate and check will be given during the Genitourinary Pathology Society (GUPS) Companion Meeting to be held on Sunday, March 24th from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in Baltimore, MD.

Dr. Jessica Claus is the first recipient of the Alexander Feldman Travel Grant award, Association of Clinical Scientists, to attend the ACS Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, April 2-4, 2024.

Professor Liang Cheng published State-of-the-Art Article on Bladder Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment this month in BMJ (Journal impact factor, 107). Please see the link below:

https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-076743

Dr. Wafik El-Deiry has been named to the National Academy of Inventors Class of 2024.  This distinction recognizes Dr. El-Deiry’s success in patents, licensing, and commercialization and for producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society.  Dr. El-Deiry’s research is focused on mechanisms of therapy resistance with a focus on drug discovery and development. He has been prolific in his development of novel therapeutics, especially in the treatment of cancer and currently has 19 issued patents. He discovered and brought a first-in-class small molecule treatment for gliomas into clinical trials. His discoveries have led to the founding of three start-up companies to date, including one since coming to Brown in 2019, and he remains active in the translation of basic science discoveries into therapies for patients who need them most.  Here at Brown, he received the inaugural Inventor of the Year Award from the Office of the Vice President of Research for 2021, a year in which he filed nine patents. He led the University in patent submissions and won the award again in 2023.  The National Academy of Inventors’ mission is to recognize and encourage academic inventors, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The formal induction ceremony will take place at the NAI annual conference in June.

We are pleased to announce the Winners of the 2024 Brown Pathology Travel Award:

Jessica Claus, MD

Sadeq Islam, MD

Flora Mae Sta. Ines, MD

Fazilet Yilmaz, MD

Brown Pathology Travel Award Selection Committee Chairpersons:

Liang Cheng, Vice Chair for Translational Research
Geralyn M. Lambert-Messerlian, Vice Chair for Clinical Faculty Development
Christopher P. Elco, Director of Brown Pathology Residency Program