MARCH 2025
RESEARCH UPDATES
RESEARCH CORE UPDATES
Technology Center for Genomics & Bioinformatics (TCGB)
The Technology Center for Genomics & Bioinformatics (TCGB) is a fully automated, high-throughput genomic Center equipped with all major next generation sequencing. TCGB provides state-of-the-art genomics technologies, comprehensive services, specialized expertise and a wide range of trainings, enabling these services in a cost-effective and timely manner to serve basic science and translational/clinical research. In addition, TCGB provides pre-experiment consultation and post-experiment support, including preparation of grant applications, publications, and strategic planning for additional research steps. TCGB also provides educational training to faculty, staff, and students to raise awareness of new directions and major discoveries in the areas of genomics and bioinformatics.
PPMS Implementation Update: Streamlining Operations for the UCLA Sequencing Core
Technology Center for Genomics & Bioinformatics (TCGB) successfully deployed PPMS on November 18, 2024, marking a significant step in modernizing operational workflows. PPMS, a web-based scheduling and service management platform, is now in use across the sequencing cores with collaboration from BSCRC, UNGC, and the TCGB staff. Currently, we are focused on streamlining processes within the system to ensure an optimal user experience and enhance overall efficiency. This includes refining workflows and addressing feedback from core users. Ongoing efforts aim to fully integrate PPMS into daily operations and financial billing, ultimately improving transparency and ease of use for all stakeholders.
DGSOM & UCLA Health Marketing Highlight TCGB
WorldWise Productions, in partner with the DGSOM and UCLA Health Marketing, captured footage of the exciting research and innovation happening TCGB. At the request of Dr. Paul Boutros, Interim Vice Dean for Research, DGSOM, the production team spent an entire day filming with the TCGB team.
- High binding carbon electrodes in the bottom of MULTI-ARRAY and MULTI-SPOT microplates allow for easy attachment of biological reagents (10X greater binding capacity than polystyrene).
- MSD assays use electrochemiluminescent labels that are conjugated to detection antibodies. The labels are called SULFO-TAG and allow for ultra-sensitive detection.
- Electricity is applied to the plate electrodes by an MSD instrument leading to light emission by SULFO-TAG labels. Light intensity is then measured to quantify analytes in the sample. (Click to enlarge image)
UCLA-STAR PROGRAM
The Department continues to take an active role in training outstanding pathologist-scientists. In association with the UCLA-STAR program, we have created a training pathway tailored to the unique needs of pathologist-scientists.
Dr. Ting Zhang, MD, PhD, entered this pathway in 2020 as an AP resident and is currently a Neuropathology fellow, having completed her AP training in June 2023. She will join the department as a STAR Fellow as of July 2025. During her residency, she conducted research under the mentorship of Drs. Daniel Geschwind, Harry Vinters, and Shino Magaki in the Neuropathology section. Her work applied spatial transcriptomics and proteomics profiling to multiple regions of postmortem brains from COVID-19 patients, revealing a low presence of viral mRNA, but a disproportionately high brain-wide molecular response. She also identified mitochondrial and synaptic defects in deep-layer excitatory neurons, with significant overlap in pathways implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. This research led to a first-author publication.
Translational Research Fund (TRF)
The purpose of the Translational Research Fund (TRF) is to help prepare and support UCLA Faculty-initiated research with particular focus on translational projects. TRF funding is also intended to foster greater involvement by UCLA pathology residents and fellows in research projects.
Congratulations to our November 2024 Submission Recipients!
BPC is partnering with multiple campus affinity and other student groups on blood drives to raise awareness of the importance of blood donation and to recruit the next generation of donors. Because blood types are genetically determined, it is essential we have donors from many ancestries to meet the needs of all our patients both in LA and across the country. If you haven’t donated before, please consider coming to donate your first unit with us!
Photo credit - Daily Bruin & Edward Ho, photographer
In support of the community after the LA wildfires, our Department partnered with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to host a food drive and volunteer event. We collected over 10 boxes from multiple sites across the department, which were delivered directly to the Food Bank.
On Saturday, 3/1, a group of Department volunteers participated in a volunteer event at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The PLM volunteers were assigned to bag up lemons for community distribution. Our group bagged 13,500 pounds of lemons in a little over 3 hours!
Thank you to those who were part of our volunteer team this past Saturday (Alma, Ana Rachelle, Anastasia, Ashley, Diana, Dr. Dry, Dr. Pullarkat, Dr. Sarah Zhang, Elisa, Elise, Heidi, Jake, Karla, Kelli, Ko, Luna, Mary Alice, Melinda, Paul, Ron, Tiffany, Victoria, and Voicu) and to everyone who donated items to the Food Bank!
We will look into scheduling another Volunteer Day in a few months, and I hope many of you will be able to join us again. As more opportunities become available, we will share with the Department. I appreciate all that each of us has done and will continue to do to support and help each other.
Everyone was frustrated. Pathology reports were not always finalized when patients arrived for their post-lumpectomy follow up visit with their breast surgeon. Breast pathologists tried to sign out lumpectomies as quickly as possible, yet several times a week they would be called to review a case urgently as the patient was in the office.
Dr. Liang Ding showed Drs. Diana Vulcain and Peggy Sullivan how to manually identify a patient’s next appointment information so they could prioritize lumpectomies for sign out. This immediately resulted in a significant increase in cases being finalized prior to the patient’s follow-up appointment, leading to a thank you email from one of our breast surgeons.
While this was a significant improvement, the manual process was time consuming. Enter Dr. Jitin Makker, who figured out how to have the next appointment date information automatically entered into the outstanding list in Beaker. With this new automated feature, our breast pathologists can easily identify and prioritize their cases for sign out. This feature is available to all pathologists and all services – please contact Dr. Makker if you are interested in learning how to access this.
This is a great example of the power of communication and collaboration. I’d like to thank Drs. Ding, Makker, Sullivan and Vulcain for their interest in and commitment to finding a solution. And, I’d like to thank our breast surgeons for their support and for taking the time to let us know how much this change on our end has improved their ability to care for our patients.
This development aligns with the principles of Clinical Decision Support (CDS), specifically the "Rights of CDS," which emphasize delivering the right information to the right person, in the right format, at the right time, within the right workflow. If you have ideas for similar improvements that could enhance your workflow, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Jitin Makker (jmakker@mednet.ucla.edu).
Grants, Publications, & National Recognition
The below photo captures (left to right) Dr. Nick Stanzione (Faculty), Dr. Ruoji Zhou (PGY-2), and Dr. Precious Fortes (Cytopathology Fellow), attending the California Society of Pathologists Annual Conference in San Francisco.
Clinical Seminar Series - Topic: Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility
Adriana Zeevi, PhD (D) ABHI
Professor of Pathology and Surgery
Director of Histocompatibility Laboratory
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Daljit S. & Elaine Sarkaria Lectureship & Quality Day
Inclusive Excellence Series
Krystal Tsosie (Diné/Navajo Nation), PhD, MPH, MA
Assistant Professor at School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
Affiliated Faculty at School of Human Evolution and Social Change,
School of Life Sciences Human Dimensions
"The Future of Indigenous Genomics: Ethics, Clinical Testing, and Biobanking"
