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, March 1, 2025, 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 in March (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!

After the success at our volunteer opportunity, we partnered with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank at a volunteer event on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in the City of Industry. 

The PLM volunteers were assigned an assembly line to pack food kits for community distribution. Assembly line tasks included food stations (placing items in boxes), replenishing the food stations (moving food and opening boxes), and stacking the completed food kits on pallets. Our group packed 1,309 kits in a little over 3 hours! 

Thank you to those who were part of our volunteer team in May: Anastasia, Asutosh, Ellie, Jake, Kazi, Kelli, Ko, Marina, Maya, Melinda, Ron, Dr. Sarah Dry, and Dr. Sarah Zhang!

We will look into scheduling another Volunteer Day closer to the holidays and I hope many of you will be able to join us. 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.

 

I am pleased to announce new leadership within the Inclusive Excellence (IE) Committee for the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our outgoing Faculty and Trainee Co-Chairs Drs. Dawn Ward and Erica Fermon, for their exceptional leadership and service. And, I welcome our incoming Faculty and Trainee Co-Chairs, Drs. Israa Laklouk and Cody Forsyth, to their new roles. I look forward to seeing their impact on our IE activities.

Incoming IE Faculty Co-Chair –  Dr. Israa Laklouk

Dr. Laklouk is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the department with expertise in Genitourinary and Head and Neck Pathology, and a member of the Tumor Immunology & Immunotherapy Research Program. Her dedication to fostering inclusive excellence is reflected in her national appointment as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor to the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) Foundation Committee, a prestigious three-year term that began in April 2024. Dr. Laklouk is excited to leverage her leadership experiences to strengthen our department’s commitment to inclusive excellence and continue building on the important work of her predecessors.

Incoming IE Trainee Co-Chair –  Dr. Cody Forsyth

Dr. Forsyth obtained his medical degree from Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he actively supported inclusive patient care and fostered safe academic spaces through his involvement with the Rainbow Health Coalition. He completed his Post-Junior Fellowship at UCLA during the 2022-2023 academic year, which ignited his passion for pathology. Now returning as an Anatomic Pathology/Clinical Pathology resident, Dr. Forsyth brings energy, insight, and a strong commitment to advancing inclusive excellence within our department.

As one of the inaugural Inclusive Excellence Co-Chairs, Dr. Ward (Faculty Co-Chair) played a pivotal role in shaping the vision, strategy, and early framework of our department’s IE efforts. From helping draft the original Inclusive Excellence Plan to launching and nurturing key initiatives, her leadership has been foundational to the growth of this work. Dr. Ward’s thoughtful approach, guidance and dedication have helped shape the foundation of our department’s Inclusive Excellence work, driving initiatives that have elevated our community’s understanding and commitment to inclusive excellence.

Dr. Fermon (Trainee Co-Chair) has been instrumental in advancing key initiatives such as analyzing the resident recruitment process and promoting broad representation and equal opportunity within the clinical learning environment. Her contributions reflect a true dedication to building a culture where all trainees feel valued and included.

We sincerely thank Drs. Ward and Fermon for their outstanding contributions. Their passion, collaboration, and vision have left an indelible mark on our department, and we are grateful for the time, energy, and expertise they have so generously shared.

In their new roles, Drs. Laklouk and Forsyth will work closely with department leadership and IE Co-Chairs to lead IE efforts, including supporting current initiatives and shaping future priorities, to foster an inclusive environment for all.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Laklouk and Dr. Forsyth to their new leadership roles. I am confident their passion and dedication will continue to strengthen our department’s culture of inclusive excellence.

 

Our Clinical Laboratory Scientist Class of 2025 graduated formally on June 26, 2025!

Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) perform and supervise laboratory testing in the clinical laboratory specialty areas of biochemistry, hematology, medical microbiology, immunohematology, immunology, molecular diagnostics, serology and clinical microscopy.   Licensed CLS perform diagnostic testing in hospital clinical laboratories, commercial reference laboratories, or in research and development for biotechnology companies.

The post-baccalaureate clinical training program in affiliation with California State University, Dominguez Hills currently accepts eight students per year. Graduates of the program are eligible for the Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) certification examination of the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) and for CLS licensure by the California State Department of Health.

Congratulations to our graduates: Shanelle, Jenica, Kayla, Nicholas, Thomas, Dan, Jessica, and Bernardo!

This year, we are thrilled to welcome our new CLS Class of 2026 (featured below)!

Join us in giving a warm welcome to Kyla, Ismael, Eunbin, Marco, Karen, Katherine, Ashley, and Dominic — we're so excited to have you at UCLA!

 

Our Cytotech Class of 2025 graduated formally on July 3, 2025 from the School of Cytology!

This one-year training program trains students to detect cancer, its precursors, and other medical disorders. Students will learn to perform a variety of diagnostic and research procedures in the Cytology laboratory, including microscopic examination of human cellular material, assist with biopsy procedures, and provide rapid adequacy assessments.

Congratulations to our graduates: Malak, Sahar, Vu, Aiyang, Ilhami, and Dian!

Below L to R: Dr. Jianyu Rao, Dr. Erika Rodriguez, Mary, Malak, Sahar, Vu, Aiyang, Ilhami, Po Chu, Dr. Neda Moatamed, and Dr. Lily Zhang (not pictured: Dian)

 

Congratulations to Eunice on starting the Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) Program at California State University Los Angeles!

 

Over the past two years, Eunice has worked in the Olympic Analytical Laboratory as an Assay Chemist. During this time, she has instituted our CLS Informational Seminars to raise awareness of the profession and introduce new careers to the UCLA community. 

Eunice formed the idea for the educational seminars as she wanted to create more opportunities for STEM students to learn about different career paths, especially roles not widely talked about in the healthcare field. She created the CLS Informational Seminars, in collaboration with Chemistry 147, to introduce this profession to the UCLA community. 

 

Her goal for organizing these sessions is to increase the visibility of the CLS career in order to combat the growing CLS shortages. These sessions provide a brief overview of the CLS profession, their roles and duties within the clinic, and the programs available in California. The hope is these informational sessions provide guidance and resources for those who are interested in different careers paths within the healthcare field. Additionally, she strived to increase student knowledge regarding different types of clinical laboratories with guest speakers from UCLA Toxicology Lab, Microbiology Lab, Olympic Lab, and many more (all associated with the UCLA Pathology Department).

 

By hosting seminars, arranging laboratory tours, and assisting students in building connections with professionals from different UCLA clinical laboratories (Medical Directors, CLS, CLS supervisors, CLS Program, Directors/Coordinators), the initiative has helped strengthen engagement and raise awareness within the Department of Pathology. Over 30+ students have explicitly stated their interest in pursuing the program after attending the CLS Informational Seminars and touring the clinical laboratories.

 

Thank you to Eunice for all her passion and hard work to start this effort, along with her team, Andrew and Anh-Thi. They created a popular seminar series to support the important effort to educate more young people about the wonderful career opportunities in Pathology. Please join me in wishing Eunice the very best in her professional endeavors!

Join Us for the Greater Los Angeles Heart and Stroke Walk!

I am excited to announce that UCLA Health will be participating in the Greater Los Angeles Heart and Stroke Walk with the American Heart Association on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. We are thrilled our Department Wellness Officer, Dr. Sheeja Pullarkat, will be our Team Captain!

Our Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department is committed to raising $2,500, and we need your support to reach this goal. We have a proud history of exceeding our fundraising goals and we are confident we can achieve this again in 2025.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Register as a Walker: Sign up to join our team "Pathology and Laboratory Medicine" and participate in the walk. Register here.
• Make a Donation: Every donation helps us get closer to our goal and supports a vital cause. To contribute, please visit our fundraising page, select the team "Pathology and Laboratory Medicine," and click "Donate to a Team Member."

Registered UCLA Health walkers who fundraise or donate $50 will receive the UCLA Health team t-shirt and gain entry into UCLA Health’s Team Tailgate on walk day for a delicious BBQ lunch! In addition to multiple chances to win LA Dodgers tickets, please see the attached email for additional rewards!

If you have any questions about donations or registration, please email Anastasia (agustafson@mednet.ucla.edu).

Thank you for your support in making a difference!

Department Summer Picnic – June 10, 2025

Thank you to all those who attended the 2025 Department Summer Picnic! We are thrilled to have received great feedback on the selection of food trucks, the photo/video booths, lawn games, raffle prizes, and the live DJ!

The annual Corn Hole face off with Dr. Dry and Chris resumed this year! Dr. Dry valiantly won the bean bag battle royale! Until next year! 

Our Summer Picnic Committee (Anastasia, Djoko, Heidi, Kelli, Mary Alice, and Maya) spent many hours planning and coordinating this event. If you see them, please thank them for all their hard work and the wonderful event!

 

Conferences, Training, & Technology

American Society for Microbiology – Microbe Conference – Los Angeles, CA

The American Society for Microbiology – Microbe Conference took place from June 19-23 at the LA Convention Center. Department attendees included Dr. Suki Chandrasekaran, Dr. Omai Garner, Dr. Shekina Gonzalez-Ferrer (Microbiology Fellow), Dr. Cullen Lilley (PGY-3), Dr. Amorce Lima (Microbiology Fellow), Dr. Collette Match (Microbiology Fellow), Dr. Shaun Yang, and Dr. Ran Zhuo (Microbiology Fellow). They also had the chance to connect with colleagues and Microbiology Fellowship alumni! 

Dr. Lilley and Dr. Rodney Rohde (Chair for the Medical Laboratory Science Program in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University) were invited to present on the profession of Microbiology. During their presentation "Microbial Journeys: Navigating Career Pathways from Lab Bench to Leadership", they discussed different career options for those in Microbiology. Dr. Lilley focused on Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as well as medical lab science and Dr. Rohde focused on leadership as a chair in academia. 

Dr. Suki Chandrasekaran provided a presentation "Conundrums and Controversies in Clinical Microbiology: a Roundtable Discussion."

Dr. Amorce Lima (Microbiology Fellow) gave a presentation "Validation of a Semi-Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Malaria Diagnosis."

Dr. Ran Zhuo (Microbiology Fellow) presented her poster "Genomic and Clinical Characteristics of NDM-5 and OXA-48-Like Carbapenemas Producing Escherichia coli in Southern California, 2020-2024."

Dr. Shaun Yang gave a presentation "Integration of Genomics in the Management of Fungal Infections" and hosted booth displays of rich history of Southern California Branch of ASM (SCASM) and local Microbiology Programs, including UCLA.

(L to R): Dr. Shaun Yang, Dr. JR Caldera ('24), Dr. Deisy Contreras ('19), and Dr. Hannah Gray ('24)

(L to R): Dr. Rodney Rohde, Dr. Rebecca Yee (Chief of Microbiology, George Washington University Hospital), and Dr. Cullen Lilley

Department Research Grants

I’m delighted to announce our FY25 Q4 (April–June 2025) Faculty Research Grants.

Valerie Arboleda – Bridges to Stem Cell Research, Therapy and Careers: A Talent Development Program For Training Diverse Undergraduates (Sponsor: CSU Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation)

Valerie Arboleda – Extending the Utility and Performance of Variant Effect Predictors with Protein Language Models (Sponsor: University of California San Francisco, prime sponsor NIH)

Monica Cappelletti – Immunogenic Peptide Priming of Dendritic Cells For Ret + NSCLC (Sponsor: Lungevity Foundation)

Suki Chandrasekaran – Pattern Bank-Pneumo-001-Sp-000 (Sponsor: Pattern Bioscience, Inc.)

Sarah Dry & Shino Magaki – Human Virome Characterization Center for The Oral-Gut-Brain Axis (Sponsor: NIH)

Michelle Hickey, Harry Pickering, Elaine Reed, & Jonathan Zuckerman – The UCLA Delayed Immunological Tolerance after Kidney Transplantation Program (Sponsor: CIRM)

Yuna Kang – Stem-Derived Il13ra2 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells For Patients With Melanoma And Advanced Solid Tumors (Sponsor: CIRM)

Anthony Sisk – Elucidating The Role of Trop2 in Prostate Cancer (Sponsor: NIH)

Congratulations to Dr. Shaun Yang and collaborators on their recent publication in The Journal of Clinical Microbiology "Development and validation of next-generation sequencing-based clinical test for triazole resistance prediction in Aspergillus fumigatus."

 

The rising rates of antifungal resistance have been expressed by many as “the silent pandemic,” profoundly reshaping the landscape of fungal disease management. Innovations in clinical mycology, however, have remained limited, particularly in comparison to the significant advances seen in the greater field of microbiology. 

 

Pathology Art Collective 

Our Pathology Art Collective showcases the creativity of the members of our Department. We are now accepting submissions to be displayed and featured here, which may include paintings, drawings, photography, poems, etc. If your creativity involves home improvement projects, cooking, gardening, sewing, theater, musical performance etc., please feel free to submit photos. Please send your submissions to Anastasia (agustafson@mednet.ucla.edu). 

 

 

Friday, July 25, 2025 at 8:00 AM PT – Virtual
Clinical Seminar Series – Topic: Neuropathology
Meaghan Morris, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pathology
Johns Hopkins University

"Combing Pathology and Spatial Transcriptomics to Investigate
Aging and Alzheimer's Disease"

 

 

Friday, August 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM PT – Virtual
Clinical Seminar Series – Topic: GYN
Brooke Howitt, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology
Stanford University