Stanford Offers a Running Start to the Right Neuropathology Candidate

Another excellent neuropathology job is available in the San Francisco Bay Area with Dr. Hannes Vogel. (Dr. Vogel is pictured with a ribbon just after finishing the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run with a time of exactly 23 hours, 49 minutes, and 55 seconds along with "Team Vogel", including Vogel's wife of one week, Monique, immediately to his right. Most readers will recognize Dr. Greg Fuller of MD Anderson Cancer Center at the far right, who came to the event all the way from Houston). Stanford is seeking a neuropathologist with interest in neurodegenerative disorders. Here are the details:
The Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine seeks an academic Neuropathologist with a research interest and a record of accomplishment in the area of neurodegenerative disorders for appointment at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Professor in the Medical Center Line or University Tenure Line. Faculty rank, and whether the appointment is made in the Medical Center Line or University Tenure Line, will be determined by the qualifications, experience, and interests of the successful candidate.
Neuropathology handles each year approximately 800 neurosurgical specimens from Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC), and an additional 600 consultation specimens from outside of SUMC, including over 300 muscle biopsies from SUMC and non-SUMC patients; the service also is responsible for approximately 250 brain examinations annually. Duties will include sign-out responsibilities in surgical and autopsy neuropathology, including frozen section analysis, but the amount of time spent on clinical responsibilities will be greater if the individual is appointed in the Medical Center Line than for one appointed into the University Tenure Line. It is expected that the successful candidate will serve as the participating neuropathologist on program and core grants in the area of neurodegenerative disorders. If the successful candidate is in the Medical Center Line, she or he also will contribute to the expansion of our diagnostic services in neuropathology to those outside of SUMC, through our consult service. Candidates must hold an M.D. or an M.D., Ph.D. and board certification in anatomic pathology and neuropathology, and are required to hold or to be eligible for a current license to practice medicine in the State of California.
The successful candidate will be expected to lead and/or contribute to clinical, translational and/or basic research projects and to participate in training clinical residents and fellows. Departmental support is available for suitable research projects by Medical Center Line faculty, whereas University Tenure Line faculty are expected to derive a substantial portion of their salary and research support from extramural sources. Applicants should submit curriculum vitae, as well as a brief description of research accomplishments and plans for future research. These, with the names of three references, should be sent to:
Stephen J. Galli, M.D.
Professor and Chair
c/o Ms. Cynthia L. Llanes
Department of Pathology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, CA 94305
E-mail: cllanes@stanford.edu

UCSF Seeks Another Neuropathologist

Since his recent move to the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Arie Perry (pictured) is already looking to expand the neuropathology division. See below for a great opportunity for the right neuropathologist!

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (USA). The Department of Pathology and the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND) at the University of California San Francisco is seeking an outstanding candidate for a full-time faculty member with research, clinical service and teaching responsibilities at the Assistant, Associate or Full Professor level.

The successful candidate will direct his/her own basic or translational research program and will become an integral member of the large multidisciplinary team at UCSF involved in both clinical and collaborative research activities related to neurodegenerative disorders. Additional resources are also available in the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF, the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, the Program in Biological Sciences (PIBS) Neuroscience Graduate Program and the Biomedical Science (BMS) Graduate Program. The candidate will be actively involved in teaching fellows, residents and medical/graduate students and must be willing to participate in departmental and interdepartmental conferences. Candidates must have an MD, valid California medical license and be Board Certified (or board eligible at appointment time) in Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology. Special consideration will be given to candidates with research interests related to Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration or other currently recognized tauopathies, including chronic traumatic encephalopathies. Salary and appointment rank will be commensurate with the applicant's experience and training.

UCSF seeks candidates whose experience, teaching, research or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. UCSF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. The University undertakes affirmative action to assure equal employment opportunity for underutilized minorities and women, for persons with disabilities and for covered veterans.

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation within one month of the appearance of this announcement to:

Arie Perry, MD
Professor of Pathology and Neurological Surgery
Re: Search #M-3372
C/O Shirley McFaden, Personnel Manager
University of California San Francisco
185 Berry Street, Suite 100, Box 0506
San Francisco, CA 94143-0506
Email: Shirley.McFaden@ucsf.edu

Best Post of June 2010: A 38-year-old HIV-infected patient presenting with seizures

The next in our Best of the Month series is from June 29, 2010:

The Diagnostic Slide Session at the recent American Association of Neuropathologists annual meeting in Philadelphia featured a fascinating case by Dr. Sandra Camelo-Piragua, Ronald A. Goerss, and David N. Louis of Massachusetts General Hospital. The case was that of a 38-year-old AIDS patient who had been only intermittently compliant with his HAART therapy. He presented to the hospital with seizures in 2009 after a year of fluctuating neurological symptoms. Imaging studies showed the following white matter changes:

Biopsy showed a marked lymphocytic infiltrate, which included diffuse, perivascular, and follicular arrangements:

Macrophages were also present:

The following stains for organisms were all NEGATIVE: AFB, GMS, HSV1, HSV2, CMV, HHV8, and toxoplasma. An H&E/LFB stain demonstrated that this was a leukoencephalopathic process:

Immunohistochemistry of one of the lymphoid follicles indicated that the lymphoid infiltrate was a reactive, rather a neoplastic process:

Polyoma virus immunohistochemistry for the SV40 (a surrogate marker for JC virus due to cross-reactivity) was found to be positive:

So, the final diagnosis rendered was Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) with concomitant Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS). IRIS is an inflammatory response in HIV-infected individuals upon initiation of HAART therapy. The immune response can be so robust as to cause morbidity, particularly with the brain is involved. Thanks to Dr. Camelo-Piragua for providing the images associated with this interesting case, and I wish her the best of luck in her upcoming move to Ann Arbor where she will take a position on the faculty at the University of Michigan!

An inquiry from Dr. Sandra Camelo-Piragua

Sandra Camelo-Piragua, MD

I featured Dr. Sandra Camelo-Piragua this past June because of the interesting case she presented at the AANP diagnostic slide session. Dr. Camelo-Piragua has emerged from her neuropathology fellowship at Mass General and is a newly minted staff pathologist at the University of Michigan! Congratulations, Sandra! With her permission, I am reproducing an email I recently received from her. If you can help her in her quest, please write back to her directly or post a comment. Thanks!

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I am interested in buying a couple of muscle and nerve pathology books that are currently out of print in their editorial houses:

Pathology of Skeletal Muscle by Stirling Carpenter and George Karpati Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (January 15, 2001)

ISBN-10: 0195063643

ISBN-13: 978-0195063646

Atlas of Peripheral Nerve Pathology by R.H. M. King A Hodder Arnold Publication; 1st edition (July 15, 1999)

ISBN-10: 0340586664

ISBN-13: 978-0340586662

Please let me know if anybody is interested in selling a second hand copy that you are not currently using or if anybody knows where I can purchase them directly.

Thank you all for your help,

Sandra Camelo-Piragua, M.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor

University of Michigan

Pathology Department

Neuropathology Division

1301 Catherine Rd.

Medical Science Building I. Room M4213

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

e-mail: sandraca@umich.edu