Department News
2025
Richard Levenson, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, is the grand prize winner of the Research Image Competition 2025. Levenson received $1500 for his laboratory. Levenson’s image is of loose collagen fibers from a breast tissue specimen mounted on a slide and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin staining (H&E). It was made by polychromatic polscope microscopy (PPM). This microscope uses a special method of combining two beams of white light. Unlike older microscopes that rely on a simpler kind of light interference, this technique creates colorful images even when the sample only slightly changes the light passing through it. Traditional microscopes need much stronger changes in light to produce visible colors, but the PPM can show a full range of colors even with very small changes. Levenson shares the credit for this image with the developer of the PPM, Michael Shribak of the Marine Biological Laboratory.
Assistant Professor Swikrity Baskota has been selected as a Top 5 honoree in the ASCP "40 Under Forty" program. This recognition is a testament to her excellence in cytopathology and the strength of our department.
Residency Program Director Viharkumar Patel was highlighted during the ASCP Annual Meeting's opening address to the attendees for the work he’s done in providing pathology exposure to students and his time volunteering with ASCP.
2025 CAP Distinguished Medical Student Award
Blaine Baker, MS3 and Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD) scholar, UC Davis School of Medicine
The Distinguished Medical Student Award from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) is given to a medical student, in any year of training, for outstanding achievement, aptitude, or interest in pathology. The awardee is recommended for recognition by the pathology contact (department chair, program director, or faculty member) at a US allopathic or osteopathic medical school.
The CAP's Distinguished Medical Student Award honors the student's initiative in learning about pathology and participating in pathology-related activities. It intentionally elevates the specialty by leveraging the involvement of pathologists in medical students' training as they interact prior to and during the selection process.
Rajib Gupta, M.B.B.S.
Renal Pathology Society 2025
Chair, Membership Committee
Kenneth Iczkowski, M.D.
Good Catch Award, Resident/Fellow Research Grant
- Caught specimen mix up prior to finalizing reports
- Folate receptor beta as a marker missed cancer in prostatic biopsies
Kuang-Yu Jen, M.D., Ph.D.
Renal Pathology Society 2025, Elected Councilor to the Renal Pathology Society Board of Directors
Chair, Financial and Fundraising Committee, 5 year term, final year: Society President
Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno, Ph.D.
Selected to serve SOM
- Research space advisory committee (2 years)
- Pathology liaison to office of research for SOM space assessment
Karen Matsukuma, M.D., Ph.D.
Good Catch Award, Sactown Magazine "Top Doc” and Diamond Doc Award
Diagnosed unexpected adenobiral infection in GI biopsies by 2nd opinion reviews
Russell Nordquist, M.D.
Resident/Fellow Research Grant
Folate receptor beta as a marker missed cancer in prostatic biopsies
Yvonne Wan, Ph.D.
Seed Grants for International Activities - $20,000
Explore the genetic landscape for metabolic dysfunction - associated steatotic disease in lean individuals
Promotion to Professor
Zarir Karanjawala, M.D., Ph.D.
Han Lee, M.D., Ph.D.
We are pleased to announce and celebrate the promotion of Zarir E. Karanjawala, M.D., Ph.D. and Han Sung Lee, M.D., Ph.D. to the rank of Professor. This is one of the highest levels of accomplishment within academia.
We are deeply grateful for their continued commitment to the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and to UC Davis Health. For their leadership, professionalism, and service have had a meaningful and lasting impact on our department and the broader academic community.
