DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY DIVISIONS DIVISION OF PATHOLOGY- UPMC - Shadyside Hospital Clinical, Research and Training Activities UPMC-Shadyside Hospital is a tertiary hospital that provides a complete spectrum of medical care. The Hillman Cancer Center is located adjacent to UPMC-Shadyside Hospital and serves as the model for cancer care in Western Pennsylvania. The Division of UPMC-Shadyside Hospital is comprised of eight faculty members and additional UPMC pathologists who provide specialty expertise in particular areas of pathology diagnostics. UPMC-Shadyside Hospital plays a critical component in the Centers of Excellence Model that is practiced at UPMC-Shadyside, UPMC-Presbyterian, and Magee Women's Hospitals. Centers of Excellence at UPMC-Shadyside Hospital are cytology, urologic pathology, bone and soft tissue pathology, dermatopathology, molecular diagnostics, informatics, and quality assurance. In 2005, UPMC-Shadyside Hospital will be expanding in four main clinical areas: Bone, Soft Tissue and Melanoma Pathology Alka Palekar, MD Uma N. M. Rao, MD (COE Director) Karen Schoedel, MD Anil Parwani, MD, PhD The Bone Soft Tissue and Melanoma Center of Excellence based at UPMC Shadyside Hospital receives over 5000 specimen and consultations a yearand is committed to providing excellence in clinical service and education. There are experienced pathologists dedicated to the diagnostic, educational and research missions of this section, and they offer skilled interpretation of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of bone and soft tissue, and melanocytic lesions. This subspeciality section is strongly supported by the Research and Diagnostic laboratories in the Department of Pathology at Presbyterian Shady side and Magee Women Hospital (Cytogenetics) and informatics. The COE collaborates and interacts extensively with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute including the Melanoma center. Some of the faculty (UR) also are major participants in national intergroup and interinstitutional studies. The Bone and Soft tissue pathology section offers an ACGME approved fellowship program based at UPMC-Shady side (Fellowship Director: Uma Rao). The research mission of the COE has been focused on clinical-pathological correlative studies as well as translational studies involving gene expression analysis of sarcomas and primary melanoma . Clinical pathology informatics The Informatics Division at UPMC is the premier informatics group in the United States in terms of research and training. Dr. Parwani has been instrumental in re-organizing services and providing key informatics components to the care of cancer patients. Dr. Parwani also directs the residents and fellows when they train at UPMC Shadyside Cytology services This service provides care for patients at the Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC-Shadyside Hospital, and throughout additional UPMC hospitals. The immediate interpretation service is designed to provide rapid diagnoses in a cost effective manner. This service provides exemplary support for the breast radiologic services and provides a key component for the teaching of pathology trainees. Genitourinary Pathology Sheldon Bastacky, MD Guoping Cai, MD Rajiv Dhir, MD Federico Monzon, MD Anil Vasdev Parwani, MD, PhD The Genitourinary Pathology Center of Excellence (GU-COE) is based at UPMC Shadyside Hospital. It receives over 4000 specimen and consultations annually. The GU COE consists of 5 sub-speciality trained pathologists with specific interest in GU diseases. This COE consists of experienced pathologists dedicated to the diagnostic, educational and research missions of this area. This COE interacts extensively with the Research and Diagnostic laboratories in the Department of Pathology at Presbyterian Shadyside Hospitals for supporting clinical work and developing, evaluating and implementing new testing methodologies. There are many ongoing collaborative projects between this COE and other affiliated divisions in the medical center including Urology, Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Urologic Basic Research. The research mission of the COE has been focused on clinical-pathological correlative studies as well as translational studies, involving gene expression analysis, SNP analysis, micro RNA profiling and proteomics of GU diseases, with the objective of identifying novel diagnostic and prognostic markers. Numerous teaching, clinical and research conferences are held weekly. These include a weekly GU pathology consensus conference, a weekly GU research conference, frequently with invited speakers from other institutions, a monthly genitourinary tumor board and a monthly teaching conference for Urology and Pathology residents. The Genitourinary Pathology Center of Excellence an ACGME approved fellowship program based at UPMC Shady side (Fellowship Director: Rajiv Dhir). The other pathologists of the UPMC-Shadyside Hospital laboratory also play a major role in the clinical, teaching, and research mission of the Department of Pathology. Dr. Uma Rao is one of the nations leading experts in bone and soft tissue pathology and is an exemplary teacher, researcher, and diagnostician. Dr. Alka Palekar also participates on the bone and soft tissue Center of Excellence. Dr. Rajiv Dhir directs the genitourinary Center of Excellence and is also the Director of the Tissue Banking facilities. His grant funding is prodigious and he is a leader in genitourinary diagnostics. Dr. Drazen Jukic has markedly increased the volume of dermatopathology specimens and is a leading academic dermatopathologist in Western Pennsylvania. The clinical and anatomic pathology laboratory staff provides the expertise that makes UPMC-Shadyside one of the leading hospitals in the United States in laboratory patient care. These individuals are highly dedicated professionals and are the "sharp edge" in quality patient care.