Pathologist Investigator Residency / Research Training Program - PIRRT / Physician Scientist Graduates
Thomas Pearce, MD, PhD
Current Faculty Profile >>> https://path.upmc.edu/Personnel/Faculty/Pearce.htm- Graduate of the Washington University in St. Louis MSTP
- PhD in neuroscience with Dr. Daniel Moran
- Started Pathology residency training: 2014
- PIRRT research year: 2016-17 with Dr. Robert Turner
- Fellowship: Neuropathology
- Current position: Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
"My research involves developing convolutional neural network models for detecting and quantifying the histopathologic changes in human brain tissue affected by neurodegenerative conditions."
Jason Cheng-Hsuan Chiang, MD, PhD
Current Faculty Profile >>> https://www.stjude.org/chiang- Graduate of Johns Hopkins University and National Taiwan University School of Medicine
- PhD in Neuroscience with Hongjun Song; Post-doctoral with Guo-li Ming
- Started Pathology residency training: 2011
- PIRRT research year: 2014-15 with Charleen T. Chu
- Fellowship: Neuropathology
-Current position: Assistant Member, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
" PIRRT program is an excellent combination of both clinical and research training!"
Rebecca J. Leeman-Neill, MD, PhD
- Current Faculty Profile>> http://sklad.cumc.columbia.edu/pharm/cumc/profile_new.php?id=413- Graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University MSTP
- Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology with Jennifer Grandis
- Started Pathology residency training in 2010
- PIRRT research year: 2011-12 with Dr. Yuri Nikiforov
- Additional research: 2015-2016 (during Hematopathology fellowship) with Dr. Daniel Johnson
- Fellowship: Hematopathology
- Current position: Assistant Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center.
- "The PIRRT program has given me the opportunity to pursue my research interests during residency. As an AP/CP resident, I completed my first year of residency…[and spent] my second year as a PIRRT fellow in Dr. Yuri Nikiforov's lab, researching the possible genetic basis of individual susceptibility to radiation induced thyroid carcinogenesis in a post-Chernobyl cohort."
Grzegorz (Greg) Gurda, MD, PhD
- Current Faculty Profile >> http://www.gundersenhealth.org/find-a-doctor/profile/grzegorz-gurda/- Graduate of the University of Michigan MSTP and the AP/CP Residency program at Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Integrated with Breast/Gyn and Molecular Genomic Pathology Fellowship 2014-2016.
- Current position: Director of the Gundersen Cancer Biobank in the Kabara Cancer Research Institute.
My interests lie at the intersection of endocrinology, metabolism and neoplasia. My work addresses diet and hormonal milieu as important components of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment/treatment-resistance within cancer subtypes specific to gastroenterology and women's health."
Edward Plowey, MD, PhD
- Current Faculty Profile- Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign MSTP
- PhD in Molecular and Integrative Physiology with Tony G. Waldrop
- Started Pathology residency training: 2005
- PIRRT research year: 2006-2007 with Charleen T. Chu
- Additional research: 2008-2009 Charleen T. Chu and Jon Johnson
- Fellowship: Neuropathology
- Assistant Professor of Pathology, Stanford University
- Current position: Director of Translational Neuropathology, Biogen, Cambridge, MA
"The PIRRT program allowed me to dedicate one full year's effort to postdoctoral bench research following my first year of AP/NP Residency. Along with a second year of postdoctoral research between my third and fourth years of AP/NP training, the PIRRT program helped me to integrate critical research training time with a rigorous graduate medical education. This training helped me to establish the underpinnings of my independent research program today. The PIRRT program was a major factor in making me the top candidate for an excellent academic neuropathology faculty position with 75% effort dedicated to my laboratory research."
Julia Kofler, MD
- Current Faculty Profile- Graduate of the MD program of the University of Vienna, Austria
- Started Pathology residency training: 2005
- PIRRT funded research year: 2007-08 with Clayton Wiley
- Fellowship: Neuropathology
- Current position: Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh
Co-director and Neuropathology Core Leader of the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's disease research center (ADRC)
Craig Horbinski, MD, PhD
- Current Faculty Profile- Graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo MSTP
- AP/NP training: 2004-2009, joining the fellowship component of PIRRT
- Fellowship research mentor: Ian Pollack, MD
- Assistant Professor of Pathology and of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
- Current position: Associate Professor of Pathology and Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University
"After my M.D., Ph.D. training, I went to Charleen Chu's laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh to study the roles of oxidative stress and autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases. I then chose pathology as a medical specialty because of the opportunity to merge research and clinical endeavors while studying disease on a fundamental level. My training as an Anatomic Pathology resident and Neuropathology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh has given me invaluable new skills and insights. The high volume of cases allowed me to analyze and interpret clinical molecular diagnostic biomarker tests on literally hundreds of gliomas, fostering an interest in the molecular biology of gliomas. Because of this unique opportunity, I have developed expertise in pediatric and adult glioma biomarkers, and have successfully obtained a K08 that focuses on autophagy and oxidative stress in gliomas. The variety and quality of experiences available at the University of Pittsburgh made it possible for me to utilize all my training to pursue such novel avenues of research."
Scott Kulich, MD, PhD
- Current Faculty Profile- AP/CP/NP training: 1996-2003
- Research mentor during training: Charleen Chu, MD, PhD
- Current position: Associate Professor of Pathology, Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Hospital
Rafael Medina-Flores, MD
- Current Faculty Profile- NP training: 2001-2003
- Research mentor during training: Clayton Wiley, MD, PhD
- Current position: Neuropathologist, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin
Marie C. DeFrances, MD, PhD
- Current Faculty Profile- AP training: 1997-2001, University of Pittsburgh
- Research mentor during training: George Michalopoulos
- Current position: Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh
Rebecca Crowley, MD, MS
- Current Faculty Profile- AP/Medical Informatics training: 1997-2001, University of Pittsburgh
- Research mentor during training: Michael Becich
- Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Intelligent Systems and Pathology, University of Pittsburgh
- Current position: Professor of Biomedical Informatics, CIO Institute for Personalized Medicine
David Krisky, MD, PhD
- AP training: 1999-2002, University of Pittsburgh- Research mentor during training: Joseph Glorioso
- Senior Director of Medical Science and Clinical Safety, Diamyd Medical
- Current position: Vice President and CMO of Periphagen