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Welcome to Pathology's Bi-Weekly Bulletin | Nov 29, 2024

Weekly Province-wide Pathology Rounds

Date: Friday, November 29th, 12:00PM
Presentation Title: "Creating an Accountable Organization: UBC Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Strategic Plan Implementation 2023 - 2024"
Presenters: Dr. Zu-hua Gao & Dr. Hélène Côté. For more details about the presenters and their presentation, please refer to the Poster.

Learning objectives: What did we set out to do? What have we accomplished? What haven’t we accomplished? What are the lessons we’ve learned? What do we plan to do next year?

You can also view previous rounds here. Rounds.

We welcome your participation and suggestions for topics or speakers. Please email your ideas to pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca.

The same Zoom link will be used for all rounds: Join Zoom Meeting
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61199076992?pwd=3Ix1R2FwPB9rwimuOEfPmfhaO6onAa.1
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Dr. Poul Sorensen Awarded 2024 Doctors of BC Terry Fox Medal

Congratulations to Dr. Poul Sorensen, a distinguished scientist at BC Cancer, on receiving the 2024 Doctors of BC Terry Fox Medal in recognition of his outstanding research achievements.

Dr. Sorensen is an internationally renowned expert in the biology and genetics of high-risk childhood cancers. Reflecting on the honor, he shared, “It is deeply gratifying to know that the discoveries I’ve committed my career to uncovering have been recognized... and I hope we can continue to build on this work to give young people a better chance at beating cancer.”

Learn more about Dr. Sorensen’s groundbreaking work here.

Dr. William Lockwood Promoted to Professor (Partner)

Join us in congratulating Dr. William Lockwood on his promotion to Professor (Partner). Throughout his career, Dr. Lockwood has made significant contributions to lung cancer research that have advanced our understanding and treatment of this disease.

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Dr. Samuel Aparicio Delivers Don Rix Distinguished Keynote Address

Dr. Samuel Aparicio, Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, delivered the Don Rix Distinguished Keynote Address on Monday,
November 25. The event welcomed 375 attendees who engaged with Dr. Aparicio’s inspiring message on how fundamental discovery in science drives medical progress.

We extend our gratitude to Dr. Aparicio for this successful and impactful presentation.

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Dr. Zhenwei Ma Recognized at BCCRI Rising Stars Event

Congratulations to Dr. Zhenwei Ma, Postdoctoral Fellow in our department, for receiving an Oral Presentation Award at the BCCRI Rising Stars: The Future of Cancer Research in BC event on November 21, 2024. Dr. Ma’s presentation was recognized for excellence by Drs. Wan Lam and Kevin Bennewith, earning a $100 award as part of the BC Cancer Summit. Well done, Zhenwei, on this well-deserved recognition!

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In Memory of Dr. Dana Devine

We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Dr. Dana Devine, a long-standing member of our department and the UBC Centre for Blood Research (CBR).
Dr. Edward M. Conway, Director of the CBR and Professor of Medicine at UBC, shared the following tribute on LinkedIn:
"Dana was a founding member of the CBR, a visionary in transfusion medicine, and an exceptional mentor and leader. Her legacy includes groundbreaking research, contributions to Canadian Blood Services, and her integral role in the establishment and success of the Centre for Blood Research. Beyond her scientific achievements, Dana was a cherished colleague, friend, and educator who profoundly impacted all who worked with her."
Those who wish to honour Dana’s legacy may consider contributing to the Dana Devine Education and Training Fund, which supports the program she was so proud of. Contributions can be made here.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.

New Publications by Faculty Members

  • Dr. David J. Granville and Dr. Philipp F. Lange, with collaborators "Granzyme B Cleaves Tenascin-C to Release Its C-Terminal Domain in Rheumatoid Arthritis" Investigates how Granzyme B-mediated cleavage of Tenascin-C contributes to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, offering insights into disease mechanisms. Read the full article .
  • Dr. Muhammad Morshed and team "The Distribution of Babesia odocoilei in Ixodes Species Ticks in Canada: Implications for One Health Surveillance" Examines the presence of Babesia odocoilei in ticks across Canada, underlining its significance for human, animal, and environmental health surveillance. Read the full article .
  • Dr. Guangze Zhao, Dr. Bruce McManus, Dr. Decheng Yang, and Dr. Honglin Luo, with collaborators "Coxsackievirus B3-Induced m6A Modification of RNA Enhances Viral Replication via Suppression of YTHDF-Mediated Stress Granule Formation" Explores how RNA modifications by Coxsackievirus B3 enhance viral replication by evading cellular stress responses, advancing our understanding of viral pathogenesis. Read the full article.

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Notable Cases by Dr. Habib Moshref Razavi:

Today's case of interest involves a 32-year-old man presenting with a 3-4 day history of fever and 6 days of watery diarrhea, along with severe neutropenia. He had "reactive lymphocytosis" on peripheral blood film review. His past medical history was unremarkable, and he reported no recent travel or sick contacts. On presentation, his vitals included a temperature of 38.9°C, heart rate of 142 bpm, and blood pressure of 166/84 mmHg. Lab work revealed severe neutropenia (<0.1) and lymphocytosis, initially attributed to a viral infection.

However, given the presence of atypical cells on peripheral blood (panel 1, Giemsa stain x100 magnification), flow cytometry for a lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) panel was ordered. The results showed an expanded monocyte gate and a large population of myeloblasts with monocytic differentiation (CD15, CD64, and dim/negative cMPO) was identified upon myeloid flow reflex. There was aberrant expression of CD4, CD56, and CD123, raising suspicion for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). Additionally, the flow showed features of a myeloid neoplasm with monocytic differentiation, including bright expression of CD64, CD15, CD11b, and CD36. The aspirate revealed numerous blasts, some with classical monoblast morphology, while others exhibited features suggestive of BPDCN, including hand mirror morphology and perinuclear "pearl necklace" vacuoles (panel 2-8, Giemsa x100 magnification; some blasts also showed phagocytic activity).

A bone marrow core trephine biopsy showed complete effacement of the marrow (panel 9, H&E x5 magnification), with non-contributory CD34 (shown) and CD117 staining. This case is currently being worked up with additional staining (TCL-1, muridimase, TCF4, CD303) to confirm the diagnosis and rule out BPDCN. This is a second recent case where the differential diagnosis includes BPDCN versus AML with monocytic differentiation, as both share overlapping morphological and immunophenotypic features. Please refer to a previous post here.

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📅 Date: Friday, January 17, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: MSAC - 2750 Heather Street
✉️ Please RSVP by January 10th so we can make proper arrangements 🔗 Registration
❓ Questions? Contact Donald Kinloch at pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca

**Final Call: Nomination Deadline for Department Awards – Today at 4:00 PM, November 29!**

Don’t miss the chance to recognize your colleagues' outstanding contributions! Submit your nominations now for our Department Awards, which will be celebrated during the January Seasonal Celebration on January 17, 2025. Submit here: Nomination page

Seed Grant Workshop Announcement

We are excited to announce the PGAP - Pathology Grant Application Practicum, led by Dr. Cheryl Wellington, Professor and Vice Chair of Research, starting in January 2024. This workshop is open to clinical and academic faculty, as well as graduate students, research assistants, and postdocs. The workshop will cover key aspects of grant writing, culminating in the awarding of two $15,000 seed grants.

  • Workshop Dates: Jan 10, Jan 24, Feb 7, Feb 14, Feb 28, Mar 14, Mar 28,
    Apr 11, Apr 25 and May 9
  • Time: Fridays, 9-11 am
  • Location: UBC Hospital G226 Vassar Seminar Room (hybrid format available)

Please visit this link to register. For more details, refer to the workshop outline.

Feel free to reach out to Dr. Cheryl Wellington or Genevieve Macmillan for any questions. We look forward to your participation!

Pathology Picks:

Here are some additional reads you might be interested in:

  • Canadian Microbiology Proficiency Testing (CMPT) There's still time to register for our Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Interpretation course. The course covers a number of topics in AST, including breakpoints, selection of effective antimicrobials based on lab results, quality control and assurance, and more. It's self-paced, and eligible for continuing-education credits. More information is available on the POLQM website: Register here.
  • An opportunity with Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, B.C. Pathologist, Anatomical or General.
  • An opportunity with Richmond Hospital in Richmond, B.C. General/Anatomical Pathologist.