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Welcome to Pathology's Bi-Weekly Bulletin | October 17, 2025

Dr. David Huntsman Receives the 2025 Doctors of BC Terry Fox Medal

Dr. David Huntsman (Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Director, OVCARE; BC Cancer) has been awarded the 2025 Doctors of BC Terry Fox Medal. This prestigious honour recognizes his transformative national and international contributions to oncology research, clinical practice, and education.

Dr. Huntsman’s pioneering work has redefined ovarian cancer as five distinct molecular subgroups, identified hallmark genetic mutations in rare gynecologic cancers, and advanced hereditary diffuse gastric cancer prevention. His leadership in developing opportunistic salpingectomy as a population-level prevention strategy continues to shape cancer care worldwide.

The award will be formally presented at the BC Cancer Summit Awards Dinner on November 21, 2025.

Dr. Daniele Ferrari Receives 2025 Health Research BC Trainee Award

Congratulations to Dr. Daniele Ferrari (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) on receiving a 2025 Health Research BC Trainee Award. Dr. Ferrari’s project, “Exploring the Role of Granzyme B in Aging-Related Pruritus: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential,” is conducted at ICORD under the supervision of Dr. David Granville. The award supports early-career researchers across B.C. advancing discoveries that improve health outcomes and strengthen the province’s research capacity.

UBC Enzyme Technology Featured on CTV News for Breakthrough in Universal Organ Transplant Research

UBC’s Dr. Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) and Dr. Stephen Withers were featured on CTV News in both a video and article discussing their breakthrough enzyme technology that enabled the first successful human transplant of a kidney converted from blood type A to universal type O. This discovery removes the blood group barrier and could greatly increase the availability of compatible organs for transplantation.

Dr. Arun K. Garg Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

Dr. Arun K. Garg (Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) has been recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation as part of its 2025 Champions of Philanthropy program. This special honour celebrates Dr. Garg’s decades of leadership in healthcare, his pioneering work in laboratory medicine, and his efforts to advance culturally responsive and community-based health initiatives.

As the founding Program Medical Director of the South Asian Health Institute and founder of the Canada India Network Society, Dr. Garg has fostered partnerships that strengthen connections between communities and health systems. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to collaboration, compassion, and improving population health both locally and globally.

Read more: Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation – Champions of Philanthropy 2025

Dr. Audi Setiadi Delivers Presentations at ICCS and Webinar on Hyperinflammatory Syndromes

Dr. Audi Setiadi (Clinical Associate Professor, BC Children’s Hospital / UBC) presented at the ICCS International Clinical Cytometry Society Annual Course, where she spoke on “Flow Cytometry for the Diagnosis of Inborn Errors of Immunity.” She also led an educational webinar on October 8 titled “Understanding Hyperinflammatory Syndromes: From Recognition to Response”, covering HLH, cytokine release syndrome, and immune-related effects of CAR T-cell therapy.

Dr. Patrick Tang Receives Michael Smith Health Research BC Investigator Award

Dr. Patrick Tang (Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Research Scientist, BC Cancer Research Institute) has been awarded a Michael Smith Health Research BC Health Professional-Investigator Award (2025-2030) for his project titled “Clinical Genomics for Enhanced Infectious Disease Diagnosis.”

Based at Providence Health Care – St. Paul’s Hospital, this $90,000 grant supports research advancing genomic methods to improve infectious disease diagnostics and patient care through precision clinical microbiology.

New Publication: Placental Morphology and Metabolomic Profile in Obese Pregnancy

Dr. David Grynspan (Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) is co-author of a new study published in Biomedicines (PubMed). The paper, titled “Placental Morphology and Metabolomic Profile in Uncomplicated Metabolically Healthy Obese Pregnancy,” investigates how obesity without cardiometabolic complications affects placental growth and metabolism.

The study identifies distinct morphological and metabolomic changes in placental tissue from metabolically healthy obese pregnancies, highlighting potential biomarkers and the need for tailored clinical approaches in maternal–fetal care.

Read the full article: Placental Morphology and Metabolomic Profile in Uncomplicated Metabolically Healthy Obese Pregnancy

Applications Open: 2026 Faculty of Medicine Staff Mentoring Program in Obese Pregnancy

The UBC Faculty of Medicine invites applications for the 2026 Staff Mentoring Program, launching in January 2026. The program connects staff across diverse roles to foster professional growth, knowledge sharing, and meaningful mentorship relationships within the university community.

Running from January to December 2026, the program includes a kick-off session, monthly mentor–mentee meetings, and a goal-setting workshop. Participants will explore career development in areas such as administration, finance, IT, communications, research, and more.

Application deadline: October 31, 2025. To learn more or apply, visit the Staff Mentoring Program page or contact FoM.OrgDev@ubc.ca.