Welcome to Pathology's Bi-Weekly Bulletin | August 8, 2025
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New IMG-Eligible Residency Spot in Pathology
UBC's Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology residency program has been approved to pilot one competitive residency position open to both Canadian and International Medical Graduates (IMGs), starting with the 2026 CaRMS cycle. This is a significant shift intended to support strong local IMGs already engaged in research at UBC. Interested candidates should begin preparing their eligibility documents, including UBC CAP assessment.
▶ More info
For questions, please contact Dr. Jonathan Bush.
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PathDay 2026 Co-Chairs Announced
We’re pleased to announce that Dr. Inna Sekirov (Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC) and Dr. Andrew Minchinton (Associate Professor and Distinguished Scientist, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC) will serve as Co-Chairs for PathDay 2026.
Dr. Karen Sherwood (Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC) will also be joining the PathDay Planning Committee.
We would like to thank Drs. Catherine Hogan and Muhammad Morshed for their leadership and contributions as PathDay Co-Chairs over the past two years.
Thank you to all involved in planning this important departmental event — we look forward to another engaging and inspiring PathDay!
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Weekly Province-wide Pathology Rounds
🩺 Weekly Rounds Update
Please note: Province-wide Pathology Rounds have now concluded for the 2024-2025 Season – have a fun-filled summer!.
Province-wide Pathology Rounds for the 2025-2026 Season will begin on Friday, September 5, 2025 – a calendar invitation will be coming soon!
🔁 Missed a session? View recordings of previous rounds here:
Past Rounds Archive
💡 Have ideas for future rounds or speakers?
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at
pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca
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Dr. Michael Chen Appointed Assistant Professor (Tenure Track)
We are pleased to share that, effective July 1, Dr. Michael Chen transitioned from a clinical to an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in our department. Dr. Chen will continue his proteomics research through the Island Medical Program and maintain his clinical practice with Island Health.
▶ Full bio
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Dr. Marcel Bally Awarded 2025 Carraresi Foundation Research Grant
Congratulations to Dr. Marcel Bally and trainee Dr. Maryam Sharifiaghdam on receiving the 2025 Carraresi Foundation Research Grant from the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative (GCI). Their proposal ranked among the top submissions in a highly competitive pool and was awarded in partnership with OVCARE through the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.
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Dr. Lien Hoang and Team Receive 2025 Gynecologic Cancer Research Grant
Congratulations to Dr. Lien Hoang along with trainees Drs. Jennifer Ji and Allen Zhang, for being awarded the 2025 Sumiko Kobayashi Marks Memorial Research Grant. Their project ranked among the top submissions in a highly competitive pool and is supported by the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative and OVCARE through the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.
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Peer Observation of Teaching
Do you require an observation of your teaching this year for promotion/tenure?
Would you benefit from the opportunity to discuss your teaching and have an observer join your classroom?
The Department has a renewed process for peer review of teaching.
If you wish to have a teaching observation conducted this year, please send your request to Amanda Bradley abradley@pathology.ubc.ca, as soon as possible. Include dates, times and locations of your 2025/26 teaching sessions.
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Research Highlights from Dr. Kevin Bennewith’s Group
Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Bennewith (Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC; Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer) on receiving a Cancer Research Society Operating Grant for his project: "Ionizing radiation to improve CAR T cell efficacy in solid tumours."
Dr. Bennewith’s team also recently published new research related to their ongoing work in cancer immunotherapy:
▶ View publication on PubMed
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Orientation Resource for New Faculty: NFRF Exploration & SPARC Support
SPARC has released a brief introductory video on the NFRF Exploration competition and the support available to UBC faculty. This resource is ideal for new or unfamiliar faculty members looking to explore this funding opportunity.
The video is CWL-protected and can be accessed here:
▶ NFRF Exploration Competition Overview
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Dr. Farhia Kabeer Awarded 2025 AACR-AstraZeneca Fellowship
Congratulations to Dr. Farhia Kabeer, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Huntsman Lab, for receiving the prestigious 2025 AACR-AstraZeneca Endometrial Cancer Research Fellowship. This two-year fellowship, totaling USD $130,000, supports her project on targeting mismatch repair-deficient endometrial cancers beyond immune checkpoints. The award runs from July 2025 to June 2027 and recognizes Dr. Kabeer’s potential as a future leader in cancer research.
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BioConnect BC – August 27 Networking Social
Join the next BioConnect BC on Wednesday, August 27 from 4:00–7:00 pm at Mahoney's at Stamps Landing to celebrate its 9-year anniversary! This monthly event connects professionals in biotech, medicine, research, and industry in a relaxed, social setting.
This month’s sponsor is Zymeworks, a clinical-stage biotech company developing novel biotherapeutics. Appetizers are sponsored; beverages are self-pay.
All are welcome—including researchers, clinicians, trainees, and anyone interested in biomedical innovation and networking.
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Register Now: Annual Staff & Faculty Welcome Back BBQ – Sept 10
The 2025 UBC Faculty of Medicine Welcome Back BBQ will take place on Tuesday, September 10! All departmental staff and faculty are invited to attend this annual celebration.
To register, please send the following to our department contact, Donald Kinloch at pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca:
- Your full name
- Email address
- Whether you are Staff or Faculty
- Preferred time slot (#1 or #2)
- Hot dog preference: BEEF or VEGAN
- Indicate if you are GLUTEN FREE
Registration deadline: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Wristbands will be distributed the week before the event.
🔗 Event details |
🔗 Department Contact
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Notable Cases by Dr. Habib Moshref Razavi:
Todays notable case: CSF Cytology – Neonatal Candidemia with CNS Involvement?
A preterm male born at 29+2 weeks presented with lethargy on day of life (DOL) 15. CSF cytology revealed numerous siderophages with rare hematoidin crystals, suggestive of prior intracranial hemorrhage. These findings are consistent with metabolized blood breakdown products, such as bilirubin crystals, and correlate with known Grade 2 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
Workup for disseminated candidiasis is ongoing.
📷: Siderophage with hematoidin crystal (xanthochromic inclusion) x100 magnification. hashtag#CSF,#IVH#labmedicine, hashtag#morphology
I had seen a similar case four years ago! ▶ https://lnkd.in/ggV5Ua3S
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Pathology Picks:
Here are some additional reads you might be interested in:
- The Faculty of Medicine’s Office of Research and Graduate & Postdoctoral Education invite you to the 2025 Research 101 Webinar, designed to help researchers and staff navigate research resources, funding opportunities, and administrative processes at UBC.
- Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
- Time: 10:00–11:00 am PT
- Location: Online via Zoom (link will be sent by email)
- Registration deadline: August 22, 4:00 pm PT
Open to all, especially researchers and staff new to the Faculty of Medicine.
For more info, visit the 2025 Research 101 Webinar page or contact Evelina Tolstykh.
- Healthy UBC
Read more
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📣 Have News to Share?
Do you have a story, publication, award, event, or other exciting update to share with the UBC Pathology community?
We’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to Debbie Bertanjoli at
dbertanjoli@pathology.ubc.ca.
Let’s celebrate our collective achievements and keep our community connected!
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