UWMC AP Conferences: Click here for information on Anatomic Pathology conferences.

2006/2007 Resident Didactic Lecture Series
Below is the tentative schedule for the 2006/2007 Resident Didactic Lecture Series: Mechanisms of Disease: A Case-Oriented Introduction to the Study of Human Diseases

All talks are Tuesdays starting at 8:00 AM in the UWMC, NE-110 Conference Room. Check the Pathology website regurarly for lecture titles.

2006
November 14: Nancy Kiviat, M.D., Professor
December 12: Bob Hevner, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor

2007
January 9: George Martin, M.D., Professor Emeritus
February 13: Nelson Fausto, M.D., Professor and Chair
March 13: Larry True, M.D., Professor
April 10: Melissa Upton, M.D., Associate Professor
May 8: Ray Monnat, M.D., Professor
June 12: Tom Montine, M.D., Ph.D., Professor

Pathology Seminars: A list of seminars can be found on the Department of Pathology website.

UW Calendar
Looking for a campus calendar of events and don't know where to go? Check out the UW Calendar,
a fully customizable, web based calendar program that lists campus events, lectures, seminars and conferences.

SLU Website
Please visit the UW Medicine South Lake Union Campus website for information on news and events from the Brotman Building.

Faculty Appointments and Promotions

Funda Vakar-Lopez, M.D. was appointed Acting Assistant Professor on October 1, 2006. Dr. Vakar-López's appointment was unanimously recommended by the Department's Appointments and Promotions Committee. Dr. Vakar-López received her M.D. in 1988 from the University of Istanbul. She has been an Assistant Professor with the Department of Pathology, University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Institute since 2002 where she worked as a surgical pathologist with a subspecialty focus on prostate cancer after completing fellowships in Surgical Pathology and Genitourinary Pathology.

Dr. Vakar-López will join the pathology staff at Harborview as a part-time diagnostic pathologist. She will also work with Dr. Larry True on translational prostate cancer research funded by the Prostate Cancer Institute.

NWABR Biotect Expo



The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) is looking for volunteers to help out with their annual Biotech Expo for middle school and high school students. Essay judges and project advisors are needed. The Student Biotech Expo is a unique science fair that engages high school students in creative ways to demonstrate their understanding of biotechnology and biomedicine, and supports their access to resources in the scientific community.

Please visit the NWABR website for details on how you can get involved.

Vista Cafe
Looking for another dining option on campus? The Vista Cafe just opened this week, serving espresso, pastries, soups and sandwiches. The Vista Café is located in the new Genome Sciences Building just west of the Health Sciences Center and is open 8 AM to 2 PM, Monday through Friday.

Plaza Cafe Renovation
Starting November 8th and continuing for the next three months the Plaza Cafe will be under construction. The renovation project will improve the service and decor of the cafe. The Plaza Cafe will remain open during construction.

Save the Dates
2006 Department of Pathology Holiday Party Wednesday, December 13, 2006 from 3-5 pm at the South Campus Center, Portage Bay Room. All Department of Pathology employees are invited to attend.

2007 Dermatopathology Conference The 2007 Dermatopathology Conference is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 19, 2007 at the UWMC. Please watch this space for new conference information.

2007 Pathology Retreat August 24-25, 2007 at the Sleeping Lady in Leavenworth, Washington. All faculty, residents, post-docs, grad students, and selected staff members are invited to attend.

SLU Phase II Construction Update
Every month the Pathology Newsletter will feature photos of Phase II construction taken by Fiscal Operations Supervisor Cindy Lacer to keep you updated on progress the Brotman Building on 815 Mercer.

Below are a mix of photographs capturing the dramatic progress being made since the concrete strike ended last month. They are already working on the garage level floor.

New South Lake Union Construction Project
A local developer is breaking ground next month on a 180,000 square foot life-sciences project next to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. No tenants have been named for the project which should be completed by 2008.

SLU Halloween Potluck

Join the Halloween festivities at the SLU Halloween Potluck on Tuesday, October 31st starting at 11:30 AM. The progressive dinner style potluck starts on the first floor and then works its way on up, covering all floors. Customes are encouraged and welcome.

$5 Million Gift to Stem Cell Institute
The University of Washington Institutute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine received good news recently when former Starbucks CEO Orin Smith donated $5 million to help create one of the top stem cell research facilities in the country. Department of Pathology Professor Chuck Murry is co-director of the Institute.

Hans Popper Conference Recap
Nearly thirty faculty members, residents and non-UW phyicians attended the Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society, Pacific Northwest Chapter Annual Meeting, hosted by the University of Washington Department of Pathology on October 21st. Faculty host, Dr. Matthew Yeh, and Drs. Paul Swanson, Melissa Upton and Howard Shulman presented intersting liver cases as part of the department's clinical outreach efforts promoting the clinical skills and expertise of our faculty.

Record Enrollment
The incoming Class of 2010 is setting records before they even take their first final exam. The Class of 2010 represents the highest number of freshman (5,438) ever enrolled at the University of Washington and pushes the overall (39,524) enrollment at UW to record levels. The Class of 2010 also includes the highest percentage of minority students since 1998, when Initiative 200 was implemented. Predictably the record number of students is causing a housing crunch on campus.

Presidential Raise
The University of Washington Board of Regents approved a 17% salary increase for UW President Mark Emmert last week, moving Dr. Emmert's compensation package compensation package into the top ten for university presidents in the United States.

UW Fundraising Update
According to the Seattle Times UW is well on its way to raising $2 billion in grants and private donations by June 2008.

Campus Crime Prevention
With the start of the academic year the University of Washington Police Department is encouraging all faculty, staff and students to be aware of their surroundings and take the necessary crime prevention precaustions. Car prowls and bicicyle theft reports increase this time of the year. Please visit the UWPD website for crime and safety tips.

SCCA Proton Beam Facility
The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) is looking at locations on First Hill and South Lake Union to build a $120 million proton beam cancer therapy center.

MOHAI Looking at New Location
The Musuem of History and Industry (MOHAI), located a short walk from the University of Washington Medical Center, is looking to relocate to the Naval Reserve Buildingon South Lake Union.

Cost of Living in Seattle
The cost of living in Seattle has rapidly increased the past few years, most profoundly represented in the heated real estate market. Compounding the overvalued housing market is the rising cost of education. Fortunately there are many college savings plan options available to parents and the local job market continues to remain strong.

New Assistant to the Chair
Please welcome Jane Norris to the Department of Pathology. Jane replaces Wendy Berry as the Assistant to the Chair, handling all of Dr. Fausto's administrative support needs in addition to many other responsibilities. Prior to joining the Department of Pathology, Jane worked as a grants coordinator in the Department of Microbiology since 1999.
Jane has a wonderfully interesting and well-traveled background. She is a native of England, growing up in a small village 25 miles north of London. Jane attended Leeds University and received her BA in French and Spanish. After graduation Jane lived throughout Europe, teaching English as a Second Language. Various other career pursuits took Jane across the world, from the Caribbean Islands to San Francisco and Hawaii and finally, Seattle.

Jane's non-academic talents include singing, playing the guitar, and sailing. Performing in front of tough audiences and surviving two trips across the Bermuda Triangle should help Jane navigate Department of Pathology administrative operations without too much difficulty.

Jane lives in Carnation with her daughter and two horses on three acres of land with the family dog.

Cyto Hoops
Cytogenetic Techs Jill O'Brien (Gonzaga '05) and Becky Ridzon (UCONN '02) are coaching a girls basketball team (7th graders) for the Boys and Girls Club of Lynnwood again this season. Last year Coach O'Brien and Coach Ridzon focused on the basics in leading the Cytogenetic Stingrays through a very competitive season, making up for what they lacked in talent and skills with spirit, enthusiasm and determination.

And much like last season, the Stingrays need our help. Along with Jill and Becky, members of the UWMC Cytogenetics team will once again sponsor the Stingrays, donating time and money to help pay the registration and facility fees required to participate in the league - fees that unfortunately many of the players can not afford without our support. The Stingrays are a great bunch of kids who lack only the resources to play a game they truly love and enjoy.

If you would like to help out the Stingrays, please contact Jill, Becky or their manager, Doug Chapman. They are accepting donations through Wednesday, October 25th. Coach Jill and Coach Becky promise the Stingrays will get better this season and may even win a few games. Go Stingrays!

New UWMC AP Coding Supervisor
With Julie Moody cutting back on her workload, the Department was fortunate enough to find someone as talented as Aleksandra Lazarevic, M.D., CCS, to replace Julie as our new Coding Supervisor. Aleksandra has been with UWMC for six years. She is currently located in NE-140C and can be reached at 206-598-5024. She will be working with Joan, Mariko and Julie. Please stop by and introduce yourself. Aleksandra enjoys gardening and playing piano and violin.

Award-Wining Resident
Pediatric Pathology Fellow Sara Duesterhoeft won the Gordon Vawter Award at the Society for Pediatric Pathology meeting earlier this month. Dr. Duesterhoeft's paper was entitled "Three Cases of a Single Umbilical Artery Arising from the Aorta, in Support of the Vascular Steal Phenomenon of Caudal Regression". Department of Pathology Professors, Drs. Raj Kapur and Joe Siebert were co-authors. The award was for the best presentation by a resident or fellow.

Introducing Will Reed
Robyn Reed, M.D., Ph.D. (pictured right with young Will) and her husband, Chris, welcomed a very health baby boy - Will - into the world on September 5th. Robyn is currently a PGY3 Resident completing her first year of clinical pathology training in Laboratory Medicine.

Chiyen Miller: Spring 2006 Employee of the Quarter Recap
Drs. Paul Swanson and Charlie Alpers recently presided over a recognition ceremony in honor Chiyen Miller (pictured sitting with EM Technologist Holly Predd), the Spring 2006 Department of Pathology Employee of the Quarter. Chiyen's nomination by Dr. Roberto Nicosia was in acknowledgement of her outstanding supervision of the Electron Microspy Laboratory, praising her commitment to service, innovation and accountability. After a difficult decision making process, the Department of Pathology Employee Recognition Team was most impressed by Chiyen's nomination. Chiyen's effective leadership of the EM Lab during the transition from standard film photography to digital technology stood out amongst a strong field of nominations.

The other Spring 2006 Employee of the Quarter nominees represented a wide variety of dedicated, talented and motivated employees. Their exemplary work is greatly appreciated and is vital to the success of the department's clinical, research and teaching mission. Please extend your thanks and gratitude to the following nominees:

Ellen SeagrenUWMC Anatomic Pathology

Jessica NorbergAutopsy Services

Pam StephensUWMC Anatomic Pathology

Ron HansonSouth Lake Union

Kim NguyenGrants Management

Employee Milestones

Toshi Namiki Assistant Research Scientist Recently celebrated his fifth year anniversary with the Schwartz Lab

UW HR Newsletter
Learn more about the array of benefits available to you and register for upcoming events and seminars in the latest edition of the Benefits and WorkLife newsletter. This issue includes important information on Open Enrollment and the upcoming Benefits Fairs. For more information please visit the Benefits and Worklife website.

Inclement Weather Policy
With Summer over and the Fall rains and winds already greeting our daily commutes, now is a good time to brush up on the University's Inclement Weather Policy.

UW Parking and Transportation Website
Please visit and bookmark the UW Parking and Transportation website for all your campus parking and transportation needs and information.

Fremont Bridge Approaches Replacement Project
Please visit the Fremont Bridge Approaches website for details on the bridge closures and how it may impact your communte. The site also features construction updates, alternative route information, and now a live web cam.

Seattle Transit Tunnel
For construction updates on the Seattle Transit Tunnel and how it may impact your commute, please visit the Seattle Transit Tunnel website.

Sound Transit Light Rail
For updates on the Sound Transit Light Rail project, including the University Station, go to the Sound Transit Light Rail Project website.

Please visit the links below for information on various UW sponsored transporation programs:

UPass Information

UW Shuttles, Motorpool and Flexcar Offer Options

UW Vanpools and Carpools Looking for Riders

Office Equipment Available
The only Budget/Finance news to report this month is the availability of several office items at no cost. Check out the items below and contact Zale Carroll if you are interested. Zale can be reached at 616-7505.

New PCS Team Member
PCS has a new team member! Justina Rompogren has been hired as a student helper to expertly handle the Department's computer inventory needs. Justina is currently a Junior at the University of Washington studying Linguistics. She will help the PCS team plan a complete overhaul of their entire inventory process, creating and applying new bar-coded labels to all of the department's computers. Welcome Justina and good luck!