Current Trends in Pathology: a discussion with alumni
Join us in this special event to celebrate International Pathology Day. Part of our alumni career panel series.
Location: online via Zoom.
Our panel of Pathologists will discuss their careers and trends they see in their varied areas of Pathology.
Please submit questions to the panel through the registration form and ask questions live on the night!
Host and moderator: Dr. Anjelica Hodgson, MD, FRCPC, FCAP
Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto. Gynecologic Pathologist, University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Hodgson is an early career gynecologic pathologist working at Toronto General Hospital-University Health Network and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. She completed her anatomical pathology residency training in the University of Toronto's program and followed this with fellowship training in Gynecologic Pathology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Dr. Hodgson takes great pride in being a part of a medical specialty that a) is dedicated to the evolving understanding of pathophysiology and disease states, b) provides critical information to patients and health care providers, and c) is, in the best way, both an art and a science - with all the field has to offer, who wouldn’t want to be a Pathologist?
The Panel
Dr. Kona Williams, MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Forensic Pathologist, Coroner, and Director, Northeastern Regional Forensic Pathology Unit at Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury, Ontario.
Dr. Williams completed her anatomical pathology residency training at the University of Ottawa and followed this with fellowship training in forensic pathology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Williams enjoys problem-solving and finding the truth about how someone died, which has enormous impacts on patients, families and the general public.
She has always wanted to have her own laboratory, and initially aimed for a PhD, but medical school led her to pathology (coincidentally, she is also the Laboratory Medical Director for HSN). As a First Nations Forensic Pathologist, she has been appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools, Missing Children and Unmarked Burials.
Dr. Andrew Evans, MD, PhD, FCAP, FRCPC
Associate Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto. Chief of Pathology and Medical Director of Laboratory Medicine, Mackenzie Health.
Dr. Evans completed his anatomical pathology residency training at the University of Toronto in 2000 and a fellowship in Genitourinary (GU) Pathology at University Health Network (UHN). He then joined UHN as a staff pathologist and consultant in GU pathology where he was actively involved in patient care, translational research and guideline development in GU pathology and oncology - opportunities that attracted him to become a pathologist.
For over 15 years he served as the Director of Telepathology at UHN, a program which successfully implemented digital pathology for a variety of patient care applications – a first for Canada back in 2004. Over the last 10 years, Dr. Evans has been extensively involved in the development of guidelines and best practice documents for digital pathology with the College of American Pathologists (CAP). He chaired the expert panel for the 2021 CAP WSI Validation Guideline. He chaired the CAP Digital and Computational Pathology Committee 2016 - 2021 and is currently a member of the CAP Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee. His work in digital pathology was recognized with Meritorious Service Award from The CAP in September 2021.
Following his relocation to Mackenzie Health in late 2020, he led the pathology department in its transition to complete digital reporting for surgical pathology. He says this truly an exciting time to be a pathologist as our specialty evolves towards new diagnostic paradigms through digital pathology and AI.
Dr. Gino Somers, MBBS, BMedSci, PhD, FRCPA
Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto. Head of the Division of Pathology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.
Dr. Somers is Division Head of Pathology and interim Chief of Laboratories at SickKids and Professor at the University of Toronto. His research has included independent grant-funded projects and numerous collaborative projects focusing on the biology and pathology of pediatric sarcomas. He has over 110 publications and book chapters and over 40 invited talks. His recent work has focused on implementing cutting-edge molecular diagnostics for pediatric cancer, including NanoString and NGS-based technologies.
Dr. Somers was trained in Anatomical Pathology in Australia and is a member of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He completed a fellowship in pediatric pathology in LMP and has worked at SickKids for almost 20 years. He is past president of the Society for Pediatric Pathology (SPP). He successfully steered the SPP through the pandemic, overseeing the SPP’s first virtual conferences, the implementation of a new website, increased online educational offerings, and a new grant studying racial and socioeconomic disparities and its effects on child health.
According to Dr. Somers, Pathology is the most important discipline in medicine. It provides the bridge between basic science and clinical medicine and is dedicated to understanding human disease. His career in Pathology has provided opportunities in leadership, research, and peer support. However, what gives him the most satisfaction is being part of a team that enables children to lead healthier lives, everyday.
How to volunteer to be a panelist for future events
If you are alumni of any undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate program from LMP and would like to speak at a future event, please contact Jenni Bozec lmp.communications@utoronto.ca.
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