Pathology announces winners of Allan Tucker Pathology Resident Research Forum

Gary Carnahan, M.D., Ph.D. assistant professor

of pathology, presents Zan Ahmed, M.D., with
the first place award.

Thirteen residents competed in the third annual Allan Tucker Pathology Resident Research Forum, hosted by the Department of Pathology on June 10. 

Zan Ahmed, M.D., a third-year resident, won first place for his presentation, “A Dive into Pathology Informatics: Modern Patient Blood Management.” The study offers insight into previously unknown metrics and a better understanding of transfusion practices at USA Health University Hospital. 

“The data-driven approach provides a glimpse into the benefit of utilizing pathology informatics to yield information on improving quality of care,” Ahmed said. “By understanding clinician culture on transfusion practices, laboratories can work collaboratively to improve outcomes and utilization.”

Gary Carnahan, M.D., Ph.D., presents the
second place award to Lingling Xian,
M.D., Ph.D.

Lingling Xian, M.D., Ph.D., a first-year resident, won second place for her presentation, “MYB dysregulation is an early event in pancreatic carcinogenesis.” 

“MYB, a proto-oncogene encoding for a transcription factor, is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, and studies conducted in our lab have demonstrated its role in the promotion of pancreatic tumor growth, metastasis and desmoplasia,” Xian said.

The goal of the study, she said, was to examine the association of MYB dysregulation with early genetic changes reported in pancreatic cancer and its pattern of expression in progressive precancerous lesions.

Sara R. Avalos, M.D., a fourth-year resident, won third place for her presentation, “Studying p53 aggregation in breast cancer with conformation-sensitive antibodies.” 

Gary Carnahan, M.D., Ph.D., presents the third
place award to Sarah R. Avalos, M.D.

“Some cancer-associated mutations destabilize the p53 protein native folding and promote its aggregation as amyloid fibrils and oligomers, an event that is believed to be related to the gain of oncogenic function,” Avalos said. 

Triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive subtype of breast cancer, features one of the highest rates of p53 mutations (~80%), significantly higher than the average in other human cancers (~50%). “Aggregation of p53 appears to be a frequent phenomenon in breast cancer, with potential relevance in the pathogenesis of this disease,” she said.

The winners received book allowances of up to $400 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place. 

Serving as judges at the forum were Wei Xin, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology and director of anatomic pathology; Gary Carnahan, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and medical director of blood bank and transfusion; and Debanjan Chakroborty, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and member of the Cancer Biology Program at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute.

The forum is named in honor of the late J. Allan Tucker Jr., M.D., who served as the Louise Lenoir Locke Professor and Chair of Pathology as well as the director of anatomic pathology.