Duane Retzlaff

CAP is ready to help pathologists meet challenges, group’s president says

Pathologists face many challenges, but CAP stands ready to help. That was the message from Qihui “Jim” Zhai, MD, FCAP, president of the College of American Pathologists, at a recent speech at UNMC sponsored by the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.

Feb 10, 2026

Dr. Jim Zhai, president of the College of American Pathologists, left, with Dr. Joseph Khoury, chairman of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Dr. Dinesh Pradhan, and others after his speech at the Durham Research Center.

Spotlight on: Vicki Herrera

Versatility is key for Vicki Herrera, a research coordinator working with Dr. Josh Santarpia in UNMC’s Department of Pathology, MIcrobiology and Immunology. “I wear many hats,” she said.

Feb 10, 2026

Vicki Herrera, a research coordinator, in the laboratory where she works in Durham Research Center II.

Dr. Larson wraps up career in scientific research

Marilynn Larson absolutely loves scientific research. It’s what got her through a daily commute between Lincoln and Omaha during her 26 years at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Sometimes sleeping on a cot in her office when she had to get up in the middle of the night for timed experiments, putting on all the protective gear to work in the Biosafety Level 3 Core Facility. “I love, I love the research part. I love the challenge,” she said.

Feb 10, 2026

Marilyn Larson, PhD, visits with Drs. Scot Ouellette and Lisa Rucks at her retirement reception.

Trainees contribute to department’s research output

Recent publications and grants from PMI residents and predoctoral and postdoctoral students.

Feb 10, 2026

Exterior of Durham Research Center II

Fellow working to develop AI prediction model for myeloid neoplasms

Ahmed Ahmed, MBBCh, a hematopathology fellow in UNMC’s Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, is working on a study to develop a deep-learning model. The model would be capable of predicting IHC expression of the TP53 protein directly from H&E-stained whole slide images in myeloid neoplasms. TP53 mutation is a critical prognostic factor in myelodysplastic […]

Feb 10, 2026

Ahmed Ahmed, MBBCh, a hematopathology fellow in UNMC's Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Department announces grants, publications

Department researchers have been awarded two grants. In addition, our researchers’ work has generated nearly 30 manuscript publications.

Feb 10, 2026

Smiling woman in white lab coat seen through shelving in laboratory

Public health lab hosting fellow in CDC program

Casey Field, PhD, entered the CDC’s Laboratory Leadership Service fellowship program in 2024.

Jan 19, 2026

Casey Field, PhD

Pathology laboratories make great catches in two unusual cases

Pathologists, who are often referred to as the doctor’s doctor, play a critical role in diagnosing patients. That point was driven home by two challenging cases that came to UNMC in the last year. Last December, a patient came to Nebraska Medicine with a fever and other symptoms that didn’t yield a clear answer. Clinicians […]

Dec 10, 2025

Safina Hafeez, MD, an assistant professor in UNMC's Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, said a puzzling case turned out to be histoplasma. "It would have been very easy to miss," she said.

NPHL hosting fellow in CDC’s laboratory leadership service program

A fellow in the CDC’s Laboratory Leadership Service program said she has learned and grown a great deal during her time with the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory at UNMC. Dr. Casey Field, who entered the LLS fellowship program in 2024 as a member of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, is over halfway through […]

Dec 10, 2025

Casey Field, PhD, is over halfway through the CDC's two-year Laboratory Leadership Service program at the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory.

Graduate student honored for presentation at national conference

Claire Garman, a second-year PhD student in the Immunology, Pathology and Infectious Disease (IPID) Graduate Program in Dr. Sujata Chaudhari’s lab, won first place in the oral presentation competition at the Entomological Society of America’s (ESA) annual conference last month in Portland, Oregon. Garman presented research on the critical role of chitin biosynthesis in maintaining […]

Dec 10, 2025

Claire Garman, right, with Dr. Sujata Chaudhari. Garman is a second-year IPID graduate student in Dr. Chaudhari's lab.
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