Be Part of the Change: Join Us in Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PLM) is deeply committed to advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) across all facets of our work. Grounded in our Cultural North Star values of doing what’s right, making things better, and being kind, our JEDI Plan outlines a comprehensive approach to building an inclusive environment.  We invite you to explore how you can get involved and make a meaningful impact!

Explore Our EDI Initiatives: We are excited to announce the launch of our new EDI webpage! Here everyone (faculty, staff, trainees, students) can dive into our existing initiatives/programs and learn about our upcoming projects (see also JEDI Plan in Action below). 

Join us!: Here are some of the ways you can help our EDI efforts (information in the parentheses indicates which section of our JEDI report provides additional information)

• Contribute to expanding the recruitment pathways into Pathology with our community partners (“Community Engagement”)
• Assist in refining our recruitment, onboarding, and retention processes for staff and trainees to ensure we attract and retain diverse talent (“Structural Elements”)
• Help ensure our department has a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment by offering your input and working on needed changes (“Climate”)
• Create EDI-focused educational opportunities and help improve our understanding of what EDI education our employees would like (“Professional Development/Education”)
• Collaborate to address disparities in patient care and work towards equitable healthcare for all (“Patient Care”)
• Help us understand how our workforce does or doesn’t reflect the demographics of our communities, and create strategies to improve diversity as needed (“People”)

We are thrilled to highlight two of our recent initiatives.

Partnership with Turner-UCLA Allied Healthcare Internship Program

This summer, PLM's EDI Committee proudly continued its partnership with the Turner-UCLA Allied Health Internship Program, offering a transformative experience for 65 students from under-resourced communities throughout Los Angeles. Over the past seven years, this collaboration has hosted 21 cohorts, reached 321 students and introduced them to potential allied healthcare careers in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, including careers in healthcare administration.

Over the course of a week, the students had the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in various areas throughout the UCLA Health system. Our department was honored to host “Lab Day,” where we welcomed the students for five sessions, showcasing key areas of our work. Students participated in rotations and tours across several of our laboratories, including the Blood and Platelet Center, Clinical Laboratory, Cytology, Surgical Pathology, and Molecular Genetics. These experiences provided them with a comprehensive view of the critical roles our department plays in patient care and diagnostics, offering firsthand insights into careers they may not have otherwise considered. Additionally, we hosted a healthcare administration panel, where students engaged with professionals who shared their journeys and offered guidance on how to grow as an allied health professional while navigating the complexities of the healthcare field.

The impact of this partnership is best captured through the voices of volunteers themselves:

Turner-UCLA Allied Health students touring Molecular Genetics with Thien An Huynh, Senior CLS Specialist.

 

– Thien An Huynh, Senior CLS Specialist

Turner-UCLA Allied Health students touring the Blood Bank, Core Lab, and Specimen Processing with Janet Baez, Senior CLS Specialist.

“Sharing my blood bank experience and knowledge to future health care professionals was rewarding, as it allowed me to inspire the next generation, while highlighting the critical role of transfusion medicine in patient care.” – Janet Baez, Senior CLS Specialist

 

Turner-UCLA Allied Health students touring Cytology with Po Chu Fung, Senior Cytotechnologist and Education Coordinator of Cytology Training at UCLA Health School of Cytology.

"Cytology is the study of cells and has always been an extension of Pathology. However, it is a career little known to the general public.

This has been a great opportunity to introduce Cytology to the bright, young interns of the Turner-UCLA Allied Health Internship Program. Our staff presented an introduction lecture and hosted a multiheaded microscope session to show various kinds of cells and disease processes. The interns were highly enthusiastic and excited to learn about Cytology."

– Po Chu Fung, Senior Cytotechnologist and Education Coordinator

Turner-UCLA Allied Health students touring the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center in Ackerman Union with Tom King, Campus Blood Donor Recruiter.

 

“We have been honored to be a part of the Turner-UCLA Allied Health Internship program! We have valued the opportunity to share our mission with the interns and having them learn about careers in phlebotomy.  Many of the interns have donated at schools who partner with us to host blood drives and after their visit, are eager to become more involved at their schools.”  – Tom King, Campus Blood Donor Recruiter

 

– Terri Hill Patton, Community Liaison for the Blood & Platelet Center

Turner-UCLA Allied Health students with Alexander Novak, Pathologists' Assistant (PA), Surgical Pathology.

 

"Being able to volunteer to support the Turner-UCLA Allied Health Internship allowed me the opportunity to give back and connect with the community and demonstrate the possibilities of working in healthcare from a different perspective.      

The most valuable aspect for me was getting to introduce the field of pathology! We are a bit of a small bubble of medicine, but important nonetheless so being able to show the students a different side of medicine that they may be interested in was very rewarding.            

I think seeing some of the students faces when I showed them the variety of specimens! It ranged from awe to maybe a little grossed out.        

It definitely impacted me personally considering I wish I was able to take part in an internship like this. Showing prospective students other fields of medicine allows them find areas that interest them and not just traditional routes that they may be familiar with. 

It was a wonderful experience and I'm glad to have been a part of it, there is nothing I would change from my end." –  Alexander Novak, Pathologists' Assistant (PA), Surgical Pathology.

Turner-UCLA Allied Health students with Maria Estrada, Program Manager, after a healthcare administration panel.

 

– Maria Estrada, MHA, PMP, Program Manager

As the inaugural recipients of the Cultural North Star in Action Grants, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Melanie Ho, author of Beyond Leaning In, for a transformative three-part workshop series titled "Empowering Harmonious Futures: Navigating EDI in Leadership." This series brought together over 200 participants, who came together to grow, enhance their leadership skills, and advocate for EDI through three specially curated workshops.

To make this event possible, we collaborated with the Department of Pediatrics EDI Committee and Pediatric Women in Science and Doctors of Medicine (WiSDoM). The resources and support from these partnerships were instrumental in providing participants with valuable tools to engage in challenging EDI conversations, examine organizational culture, and navigate complex change.

For those who were unable to attend the workshops, recordings of the workshops are available on our EDI webpage.

For the next phase of our “Empowering Harmonious Futures” journey, we are excited to announce our upcoming book club, where we’ll dive deeper into Dr. Ho’s book, Beyond Leaning In, exploring actionable steps to navigate workplace challenges and redefine leadership through collaboration, allyship, and innovation. 

Meet Our EDI Leaders

I am so grateful to our dedicated team of EDI Co-Chairs and Program Managers. They contribute diverse perspectives and expertise from across the department and they are passionate advocates for EDI efforts! Learn more about our EDI leaders and their contributions by visiting the EDI webpage.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. David Lu, who, as an inaugural Faculty Co-Chair, spearheaded key initiatives and established a strong foundation that we will continue to build upon. Following a comprehensive search, we are pleased to announce Dr. Rebecca Sosa as the new Faculty Co-Chair, succeeding Dr. Lu.

 

 

American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Annual meeting took place from September 3-6, 2024 in Chicago, IL. Department attendees included Dr. Allison Chambliss, Dr. Precious Fortes (Cytopathology Fellow), Dr. Cullen Lilley (PGY2), and Dr. Min Zhang (Cytopathology Fellow).

Dr. Monica Wellner and Dr. Allison Chambliss (featured left to right) at their presentation "Driving Success Together: Building, Improving and Sustaining Your Laboratory Stewardship Program."

Congratulations to the PLUGS (Patient-Centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services) Informatics Team on being awarded the 2024 Choosing Wisely Champions! The distinction is bestowed for exemplary work to promote effective test utilization and improve healthcare in the US. 

L to R: Dr. Elise Occhipinti, Dr. Kathrun Golab, and Dr. Allison Chambliss.

Dr. Allison Chambliss accepting the 2024 Choosing Wisely Champion award.

Dr. Allison Chambliss with the award at a roundtable session.

Dr. Precious Fortes presented her poster "A Frozen Tale of Two Tumors in the Pancreas: An Intraoperative Diagnostic Challenge of Clear Cell Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Mimicking Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma."  Department collaborators include Dr. Hanlin Wang and Dr. Sam French.

Dr. Cullen Lilley presented his poster "Systemic Sweet Syndrome Recurrence in Lung Allograft Autopsy Findings from First Reported Case." Special congratulations to Dr. Lilley, whose research, mentored by Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein, was recognized as a Blue-Ribbon Finalist!

L to R: Dr. Precious Fortes, Dr. Cullen Lilley, and Dr. Min Zhang

 

Congratulations to Dr. Min Zhang, who received a travel award to attend the ASCP Genomics 101 Workshop! We’re so proud of our team for representing UCLA Pathology and showcasing their incredible research and achievements!

 

Our Cytology faculty and fellows guided residents through ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) in our dedicated pathology FNA clinic. Hands-on training like this ensures our residents are equipped with essential skills for precise diagnostics and patient care.

 

Chicken thighs were used to simulate parotid/neck lesions due to their similar ultrasound properties. Pitted olives (stuffed with surprise smearable diagnoses) were inserted at varying depths, and ultrasound guided the FNAs. For a vegan option, tofu was used. These methods help trainees sharpen their ultrasound and FNA skills in a fun, creative way!

UCLA Pathology's Phantom FNA Recipe

Craving some hands-on learning? This FNA Phantom Recipe is adapted from the innovative work of Dr. David Lieu and Dr. David Lu.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken thigh (with skin and bone for a realistic lesion texture)
• Pitted olives (secretly stuffed with a smearable diagnosis!)
• Ultrasound gel (just a touch)
• Tofu (vegan-friendly option to keep everyone included)

Directions: 

1. Start with your chicken thigh. Using a scalpel, make small tunnels, the perfect hiding spots for your mystery olives—aka solid nodules.
2. Insert the olives at varying depths and distances for a diagnostic challenge.
3. Now comes the fun part! Use your ultrasound to find the nodules, perform your FNA, and reveal your diagnosis under the microscope.
4. Want a plant-based option? Try tofu, and get ready for some firm fun. 

Reader Warning: While this dish may look appetizing, it’s strictly for learning. Diagnose, don’t dine!

Best shared with amazing Pathology Trainees.

Content, photos, and graphics provided by Dr. Precious Fortes and Dr. Cullen Lilley

Our residents had the privilege of attending an insightful lecture on coagulation/hemostasis by our Associate Program Director for Clinical Pathology, Dr. Zhen Mei (featured above). Dr. Mei’s expertise and passion for teaching make complex topics engaging and understandable, enriching the residents' educational experience.

Anatomic Pathology Leadership participated in Coaching for Peak Performance for their Q3 outing. The course is an interactive session designed to help leaders develop tools to improve their coaching skills in the workplace.

 

Back L to R: Ying Yong, Alex Martin, Kelly Bartlone, Amber Garibay, Jill Thomson, Mary Levin

Front L to R: Maloney Chester, Qing Kong, Toshi Ching, Cathy Clarito

 

Congratulations to Dr. David Dawson (Co-Director), Dr. Olukimi Ajijola (Co-Director, Cardiology) and team on the expansion of the UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) with the renewed NIH grant! The grant will allow the MSTP to expand the training positions from 26 to 30 - the maximum number of slots provided by the NIH relative to program size.

 

Dr. Dawson states “We wanted our students to reflect an identity as a physician-scientist, which means that they are thinking and applying science when they see patients — but at the same time, during scientific investigation, they’re thinking about patients and applying tenets of patient care in their science as well. We think that by doing so, we’re going to create a new generation of trainees that live and breathe the physician-scientist mindset in all that they do.”

 

Congratulations to PGY2 Dr. Cullen Lilley on being selected for Pathologist Magazine's Pathologist Power List 2024!

 

The list features the top 100 most influential individuals in Pathology and spotlights “inspirational figures behind innovation and achievement in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.” As part of his contributions and dedication to Pathology, Dr. Lilley was featured as a rising star in the Destined for Excellence category. We are so proud of Dr. Lilley’s accomplishments in this arena and greatly look forward to supporting him in his future endeavors!

 

Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Dry, Dr. Scott Nelson, and collaborators on their publication "The landscape of drug sensitivity and resistance in sarcoma."

The article was also featured in UCLA Health News.

 

 

 

Congratulations to our Caption Contest Winner, Oscar Rodriguez, with the caption "She may examine life's quiet mysteries, but when the beat drops, she's the real CASE to watch!"

 

The below photo captures Dr. Dry enjoying the Silent Disco at the Summer Picnic.

 

The below photo captures our trainees enjoying the photo booth at the Summer Picnic.

 

Please send your captions to Anastasia (agustafson@mednet.ucla.edu) by Monday, October 14, 2024 for a chance to win a prize! One entry per person.

 

Thank you to our August Grand Rounds Speakers! To view or listen to the presentations, please visit our DOMTV channel.

 

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Series

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

 

 

Quality M&M

Friday, October 25, 2024 at 8:00 AM PT – Virtual
Clinical Seminar Series – Topic: Molecular
Jakob Kather, MD, MSc
TUD Dresden University of Technology
“Artificial Intelligence-Based Biomarkers in Precision Oncology”