UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Spring Edition July 2014 | Page 1

AWARDS &

RECOGNITIONS

2

NEW EMPLOYEES &

SPRING SEMINAR

3

ALUMNI

PUBLICATIONS

4

RECIPIENTS &

EVENTS

5

NEWS 6

Inside this issue:

Spring Newsletter—July 2014

U C L A P A T H O L O G Y A N D L A B O R A T O R Y M E D I C I N E

Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week—Lab Gives Back Initiative

UCLA Launches joint venture with Chinese firm to open sophisticated

lab in Shanghai

UC and UCLA Department of Pathology have signed an agreement with Centre Testing International Corporation, to create a

company that will operate a clinical laboratory in Shanghai. The new lab will support clinical

trials and enhance medical care for Chinese patients with cancer and other diseases.

The new company, CTI-Pathology/UCLA Health, is jointly owned by CTI and the Universi-

ty of California. The 25,000-square-foot facility — the first of its kind in China — will offer

genetic and molecular diagnostics and other sophisticated tests that exceed the scope of the

average lab in China, and UCLA pathologists will train Chinese lab specialists to accurately

interpret the tests. The signing ceremony (pictured at left) took place at RRUCLA in April. The lab is expected to open in Sep-

tember. The partnership is the first between a Chinese company and a U.S. academic medical center to create a specialized

laboratory in China. More Info.

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week was April 20-26, 2014. The UCLA Department of Pathology

and Laboratory Medicine recognizes and commends the dedication and commitment of laboratory pro-

fessionals and pathologist. | Read More

The Stars of the Lab celebrated National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week in red-carpet style with

their Lab Gives Back initiative, celebrating the stars of the Mattel Children‘s Hospital Chase Child Life

Program. The superstars of the lab gave wholeheartedly and succeeded in raising $2500 in one week.

Thanks to all at UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine labs who participated, including those in

Brentwood, Santa Monica, Ronald Reagan UCLA Core Lab, Ronald Reagan UCLA Laboratory Support

Services, and UCLA Transfusion Medicine. Here‘s to you for making Lab Week 2014 such a wonderful

success for both the lab and UCLA Health!

Designed by Transfusion Medicine Staff member

UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Spring Edition July 2014 | Page 2

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Jonathan Braun discusses how gut microbes

may play a role in Crohn‘s Disease on NPR.

Listen to the story.

Clinical Omics‘ interviews Dr. Braun in

Pathologists Emerge from the Lab, which de-

scribes how modern genomics has dramatically

changed the role of pathologists in medicine.

Dr. Alistair Cochran co-authors study showing

that celecoxib suppressed both BRAFi-

accelerated skin tumors and soft-agar colonies,

warranting its testing as a chemo preventive

agent for non-melanoma skin lesions in patients

treated with BRAFi alone or in combination

with MEKi. | More Info

Women’s History Month—March

March is Women‘s History Month, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Health we are

proud to celebrate all the women on our faculty and staff who, echoing the words of President Obama, help us

‗make progress in our time.‘ We congratulate one of our trailblazers, Dr. Elaine Reed, who was chosen as the Office

of Diversity Affairs‘ Faculty Spotlight during Women‘s History Month last March: More Info

Dr. Romney Humphries was interviewed recent-

ly for KTLA Channel 5 discussing contamina-

tion findings on lemons used to flavor water at

restaurants. | Listen

UCSF Partners with UCLA in New Exome Se-

quencing Initiative. Clinical Laboratories at

UCSF Medical Center have entered into a part-

nership with UCLA to have their laboratories

perform exome sequencing for inherited disor-

ders on UC San Francisco patients. | More Info.

Dr. Stanley Nelson and Dr. Carrie Miceli fight

a very personal battle with Duchenne Muscular

Dystrophy and are leading the effort to find

treatment and extend lives. | U Magazine

Dr. Wayne Grody has been appointed to the Na-

tional Research advisory Council, US Depart-

ment of Veterans Affairs Veterans Administra-

tion Health System.

Dr. Ram Raj Singh is the recipient of the 37th

Michael Einbender Distinguished Lectureship

in Medical Research of Lupus from the Univer-

sity of Missouri.

2014 UCLA Chancellor’s Award Recipient

UCLA postdoctoral scholars were honored at the 2014 Postdoctoral Scholars Reception for their important

contributions to the university's interrelated missions of research, teaching, and public service.

Of the approximately 1,167 registered UCLA postdoctoral scholars, 28 were nominated for the Chancellor’s

Award for Postdoctoral Research. The nominees represent virtually every dis-

cipline at UCLA, from the basic and applied sciences to the professional schools,

the social sciences, and the humanities. Nicole Valenzuela, PhD, post-doc re-

searcher in Dr. Elaine Reed‘s lab has been awarded a 2014 UCLA Chancellor‘s Award for Post-

doctoral Research, recognizing her research and its impact. | Read More

NPR interviews Dr. Anthony Butch for May

10 article, ―Athletes Chased by Technology In

The Sport of Anti-Doping‖ | Read More

Dr. Robert Schiestl was selected president-

elect of the Council of the Environmental

Mutagen Society.

Dr. Peter Tontonoz, has received the Gerald

D. Aurbach Award for Outstanding Transla-

tional Research from the Endocrine Society. |

Read More

UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Spring Edition July 2014 | Page 3

Welcome New Employees

March 2014

Raphael Domingo—CLS, SMH

Ericka Grande—CPT I, SMH

Angel Guillory—CPT I, SMH

Crystal Trang Le—Sr. CLS Spec. SMH

Thuy Nhi Hguyen—HLT, Anatomical

Path RRH

Kathy Salveson—Sr. CLS Supv. SMH

Derliefe Tanyag—CLS, Brentwood

Annex

April 2014

Layla Chahine—CPT II, RRH

Crystal Douglas—CLS, Blood Bank

RRH

Susan Groszek—Registry CLS, Blood

Bank RRH

Vincent Lee—HLT I, BURL

Cathleen Nguyen—HLT I, Brentwood

Annex

Nam Nguyen—Cytogenetic Techn II

Spring Laboratory Seminar—April 19, 2014

The annual Spring Lab Seminar was our ‗kickoff‘ event as we celebrated National Medical Laboratory Profes-

sionals Week 2014. The seminar brought together over 160 laboratorians who gathered at the Ronald Reagan

UCLA Medical Center to listen to a wide range of topics. This year‘s lectures delved into research, safety, and

career pathways in the laboratory.

The developments in ―Stem Cell Based Gene Therapy for HIV Infections‖ was presented by UCLA Adjunct Professor, Dr.

Masakazu Kamata. Mean, Standard Deviation, and Coefficient of Variation are formulas that laboratorians use daily. Lily Car-

rasco discussed these formulas in her ―Concepts in Quality Control Data Management‖ review lecture. ―The Meaningful Use of

A1C in Diabetes Testing‖ discussed by Scott Joksch was a hot topic as it is estimated that globally over 350 million people have

the diabetes. Assistant Director of UCLA Health‘s Safety Department, Elizabeth Genta, provided fire and earthquake safety tid-

bits for both the workplace and the home in her discussion of ―Health & Safety in the Lab‖. The newest member of the Transfu-

sion Medicine team, Dr. Dawn Ward, brought us up to date on current thoughts regarding ―Patient Blood Management: A Team

Approach to Patient Care‖. The day concluded with Dr. Hencelyn Chu providing insights into ―Medical Laboratory Techni-

cians: Scope of Practice and Career Pathways‖.

Gifts to all attendees were provided by UCLA Health Human Resources. Two lucky attendees were winners of UCLA Health

bags. The only requirement to be entered into the Spring Seminar drawing was attending the full day seminar. And Dr. Ward‘s

wish for a ‗selfie‘ was granted at the conclusion of her lecture! Congratulations to all of our attendees for a job well done!

A special thanks to our outstanding speakers who generously offered their time and expertise to provide attendees with current

issues in the field of laboratory medicine. Presentations by most of our speakers can be found on the UCLA Pathology website.

Hero DeGuzman—HLT, Brentwood

Zechariah Dimas—CPT 1, SMH

Enrique Garcia—CLS, Brentwood

Josephine A. Medina—CLS II, Cytoge-

netics

Violeta Osegueda—HLT II, Blood Bank

RRH

Brad Sollenberger—Adm. Analyst, Ops.

Mgmt.

May 2014

Dr. Masakazu Kamata Lily Carrasco Scott Joksch Elizabeth Genta Dr. Hencelyn Chu Dr. Dawn Ward and Jowin Rioveros Elsa Tsukahara

Prize Winner

The Fall Seminar will be held on

September 20, 2014

UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Spring Edition July 2014 | Page 4

One of the goals of the Pathology Research Alumni Committee is to highlight publications from our current and

recently former graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and residents in the departmental newsletter. If anyone

has additional publications (newly published, first-author only) that should be highlighted, please contact Doug

Smoot (dsmoot@mednet.ucla.edu). -- Joshua Deignan, PhD, FACMG, Assistant Professor, Pathology & Laboratory

Medicine, Chair, Pathology Research Alumni Committee

PATHOLOGY RESEARCH ALUMNI COMMITTEE & PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATIONS: November 2013 – February 2014

GSRs:

Maomeng Tong – GSR (Jonathan Braun lab)

Reprograming of gut microbiome energy metabolism by the FUT2

Crohn's disease risk polymorphism. Tong M, McHardy I, Ruegger P,

Goudarzi M, Kashyap PC, Haritunians T, Li X, Graeber TG, Schwager

E, Huttenhower C, Fornace AJ Jr, Sonnenburg JL, McGovern DP,

Borneman J, Braun J. ISME J. 2014 Apr 29. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2014.64.

[Epub ahead of print]

Jonathan Jacobs – GSR (Jonathan Braun lab)

Immune and genetic gardening of the intestinal microbiome.

Jacobs JP, Braun J. FEBS Lett. 2014 Mar 5. pii: S0014-5793(14)00181-

1. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.02.052. [Epub ahead of print] Review.

Lisa Kohn – CMP Graduate (Gay Crooks lab)

Human Lymphoid Development in the Absence of Common γ-Chain

Receptor Signaling. Kohn LA, Seet CS, Scholes J, Codrea F, Chan R,

Zaidi-Merchant S, Zhu Y, De Oliveira S, Kapoor N, Shah A, Abdel-

Azim H, Kohn DB, Crooks GM. J Immunol. 2014 Jun 1;192(11):5050-

8. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1303496. Epub 2014 Apr 25.

Airie Kim – CMP Graduate (Tomas Ganz lab)

Mouse models of anemia of cancer. Kim A, Rivera S, Shprung D, Lim-

brick D, Gabayan V, Nemeth E, Ganz T. PLoS One. 2014 Mar 28;9

(3):e93283. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093283. eCollection 2014.

Airie Kim—CMP Graduate (Tomas Ganz Lab)

A mouse model of anemia of inflammation: complex pathogenesis with

partial dependence on hepcidin. Kim A, Fung E, Parikh SG, Valore EV,

Gabayan V, Nemeth E, Ganz T. Blood. 2014 Feb 20;123(8):1129-36.

doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-08-521419. Epub 2013 Dec 19.

Post Docs: Ronik Khachatoorian - Postdoc (Samuel French lab)

The NS5A-binding heat shock proteins HSC70 and HSP70 play distinct

roles in the hepatitis C viral life cycle. Khachatoorian R, Ganapathy E,

Ahmadieh Y, Wheatley N, Sundberg C, Jung CL, Arumugaswami V,

Raychaudhuri S, Dasgupta A, French SW. Virology. 2014 Apr;454-

455:118-27. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.02.016. Epub 2014 Feb 28.

Minh Thai - Postdoc (Heather Christofk lab)

Adenovirus E4ORF1-induced MYC activation promotes host cell ana-

bolic glucose metabolism and virus replication. Thai M, Graham NA,

Braas D, Nehil M, Komisopoulou E, Kurdistani SK, McCormick F,

Graeber TG, Christofk HR.

Cell Metab. 2014 Apr 1;19(4):694-701. doi: 10.1016/

j.cmet.2014.03.009.

Jayanth Kumar Palanichamy - Postdoc (Dinesh Rao lab)

miRNA dysregulation in cancer: towards a mechanistic understanding.

Palanichamy JK, Rao DS. Front Genet. 2014 Mar 18;5:54. eCollection

2014. Review.

Residents/Fellows: Aaron James – Resident

Clavicular and meningeal alveolar soft part sarcoma: An unusual case

and literature review. James AW, Chang L, Levine B, Dry SM. J Or-

thop. 2014 Jan 10;11(1):48-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2013.12.014. eCollec-

tion 2014 Mar.

Aaron James—Resident

Lentiviral encoded PPARgamma shRNA alters the balance of osteogen-

esis and adipogenesis, improving bone microarchitecture. Tissue Engi-

neering, Part A.

James AW, Shen J, Khadarian K, Pang S, Nguyen A, Chang L, Asatrian

G, Zhang X, Ting K, Soo C. Mar 2014, In press.

Aaron James—Resident

Association of splenic hamartomas with Alagille syndrome: A case

report.

James AW, Nguyen A, Said J, Genshaft S, Lassman CR, Teitell M. Fet

Pediatric Pathology, Apr 2014, In press.

Aaron James—Resident

From pericytes to perivascular tumors: correlates between pathology,

stem cell biology, and tissue engineering. Int Orthop.

Mravic M, Asatrian G, Soo C, Lugassy C, Barnhill RL, Dry SM, Peault

B, James AW. Jan 2014, In press.

Aaron James—Resident

Current and future efforts in bone tissue engineering.

Mravic M, Peault B, James AW. BioMed Research International, Bone

Tissue Engineering and Regeneration Special Edition, Mar 2014, In

press.

Aaron James—Resident

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma: MRI features and

literature review

Levine BD, Seeger LL, James AW, Motamedi K. . Skeletal Radiology,

Mar 2014, In press.

Gregory Fishbein – Resident

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation: status and challenges.

Fishbein GA, Schoen FJ, Fishbein MC. Cardiovasc Pathol. 2014 Mar-

Apr;23(2):65-70. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2013.10.001. Epub 2013 Oct 8.

Michael Alberti – Resident

The Influence of Serum Separator Tubes on Mycophenolic Acid Con-

centrations Determined by HPLC. Alberti MO, Fukuchi AM, Kelly KA.

Ther Drug Monit. 2014 Apr 8. [Epub ahead of print] No abstract avail-

able.

UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Spring Edition July 2014 | Page 5

Recipients and Events

2014 BRUIN RUN/WALK: The Chase Child Life Program at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA

Pathology employees participated in the 2014 Bruin Run/Walk benefitting the Mattel Children‘s Hospital. Team Kadin, was led

by Captain Leslie Chew. This program provides emotional support to patients and their families to help them cope with the

stresses of their illnesses and hospitalizations. Many staff and faculty who could not participate in the 5k run/walk supported

Team Kadin with their generous donations. We hope more will join us next year!

Eunice Kim, a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) intern, is one of this year‘s Siemens – ASCP National

Scholarship awardees. Since 2003 Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and the American Society for Clinical

Pathology (ASCP) have partnered to help address the nation‘s shortage of medical laboratory professions

by promoting the profession and assisting students‘ educational costs. Applicants are evaluated on

Knowledge, Community, Leadership, and Career Advancement. After graduating from UC San Diego,

Eunice continued with her passion to combine both working in a laboratory and her desire to help others

by pursuing a career in the medical laboratory profession. Eunice is currently completing her one year clinical internship at UCLA

Health as part of the California State University Dominguez Hills-UCLA affiliated program.

Siemens-ASCP Scholarship Recipient

2014 City of Angels Fun Ride

The 2014 Volkswagen City of Angels Fun Ride took place on Sunday, May 4, and began and ended at the Los Angeles Police

Academy in Elysian Park. The event was a big success, with riders getting an early start to cover the advanced (62 mile)

or recreational (32 mile) rides. Over the past three years, rides have raised funds that helped UCLA purchase a much needed

new box truck for their off-site blood drives. The ride is sponsored by Volkswagen and organized by Peter Heumann.

Dean Eugene Washington invited eleven medical students to join him on the 32 mile ride. Congratulations to Clinical Laborato-

ries Director of Operations Paul Colonna, and Special Donor Coordinator at the Blood and Platelet Center ("B&PC"), Matt

Hoffman, who were among those who braved the advanced ride. Paul was joined by his daughter and sister who participated in

the recreational ride. Drs. Linda Baum and her husband, Leland Powell, also rode the recreational ride. Thanks to all event vol-

unteers, including event liaison and B&PC Recruitment Supervisor, Linda Goss, who worked the registration area (starting at

5:45AM!), along with Transfusion Medicine Chief, Dr. Alyssa Ziman, who also served as event organizer.

Kadin

Residents and Fellows

Vanda Farahmand—Resident

Widely metastatic parotid acinic cell carcinoma to bone and liver: A

case report, review of literature, and review of diagnostic challenges.

Vanda Farahmand Torous, Rachel Conrad, Hanlin L Wang, David Y

Lu. Journal of Cytology and Histology, 2014

Atsuko Seki – Fellow

Sympathetic Nerve Fibers in Human Cervical and Thoracic Vagus

Nerves. Seki A, Green HR, Lee TD, Hong L, Tan J, Vinters HV, Chen

PS, Fishbein MC. Heart Rhythm. 2014 Apr 23. pii: S1547-5271(14)

00460-3. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2014.04.032. [Epub ahead of print]

Winnie Wu – Resident

Strong expression of chemokine receptor CCR9 in diffuse large B-cell

lymphoma and follicular lymphoma strongly correlates with gastroin-

testinal involvement. Wu W, Doan N, Said J, Karunasiri D, Pullarkat

ST. Hum Pathol. 2014 Mar 13. pii: S0046-8177(14)00107-5. doi:

10.1016/j.humpath.2014.02.021. [Epub ahead of print]

UCLA Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Spring Edition July 2014 | Page 6

Department News

Newsletter Committee: Arnold Scheer, Daisy Castro, Khanh Andrews, Karyn Greenstone,

Bushra Yasin

Send us your suggestions for future newsletters at : Email Dcastro@mednet.ucla.edu

Have a lactation question:

Christy Whiteside, IBCLC RLC

Lactation Consultant

Contact Info: E: CWhiteside@mednet.ucla.edu

P: 310-267-9517 Pager: 800-233-7231 ID92469

Welcome New Mothers

To help new mothers balance the demands between their career and parenthood, the David Geffen School of Medicine,

Deans Office, the Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) and Rehabilitation Center provide Lactation

Rooms for your convenience. More Info.

Location: B Level, Room BE-144 Center for Health Sciences

For access: Push buzzer for entry Hours: 24/7 except 7:30pm-

8:30pm. If you would like to use this facility, please call 310-

825-5225 and ask to speak with the charge nurse.

Location: Rehabilitation Center-Room A376 1000 Veteran,

Los Angeles, CA 90095 Hours:8:00am-5:00pm

New mothers interested in using the Lactation Room should

contact Dr. Fabiola Quintero-Rivera, via email at

FQuintero@mednet.ucla.edu

UCLA Pathology & Laboratory

Medicine has joined Facebook! Coming Soon!

The 2014 UCLA Department

of Pathology and Laboratory

Medicine Annual Report

In honor of Poetry Month last April, The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine instituted the first

annual ―Pathology Poetry Tweet.‖ Dr. Braun invited faculty, staff and trainees to submit a tweet poem of 140 char-

acters or less (rhyme not required), about what they do, or what it is like doing it. Entries were posted on the web-

site, tweeted on our twitter account, @UCLAPathology, and shared on our Facebook page. We thank those who

participated (entries below). Get ready with your 2015 Pathology Poetry Tweets!

Appendicitis

Transmural inflammation

Serosal polys

By: Serge Alexanian, MD , Housestaff

On the autopsy service:

"To die is different from what anyone

supposed, and luckier"

- Walt Whitman

Submitted by: Jonathan Said, MD

"If you don't have time to do it right,

when will you have the time to do it

over?" - John Wooden

Submitted by:

Khanh Andrews, UCLA Core Laboratory

"Where names concerning illness come

plumed with midnight sounds, and spirits stir

from slumbers like angels out of clouds"

By: Poetry Man,

a former frozen section pathologist

"Down in the lab of B403, We be run-

ning your specimen like old school gee's -

Answering questions be our specialty,

With CICARE of the upmost quality"

By: Kathy Gordy, UCLA Clinical Labs

More Pathology Poetry Tweets

Coming in April 2015!