On January 16th, 2026, the microbiology lab lost a beloved member of our team, Amber Martin. In honor of her passion for education, the Department of Pathology and the Center for Advancement have established the Amber Martin Laboratory Science Fund.

Featuring: Bing Li, PhD; Peter Lehman, MS; Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD; Apruva Patel, PhD

Featuring: Stephanie Chen, MD; Kimberly Fiock, PhD; Daniel Griffin, MD; Deqin Ma, MD, PhD; Steven Moore, MD, PhD; Megan Samuelson, MD

Melissa Blessing, DO has been appointed to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Forensic Sciences for the 2026–2031 term.

Tre’Andice Williams, a graduate student in Marco Hefti, PhD’s research laboratory, was accepted to the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellowship for the 2026-27 term.

Featuring: Alexandra Isaacson, MD; Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA

Aranza Pinedo, MD, M.Ed, M.MEd received the Pathologist in Training Best Abstract Award from the Renal Pathology Society at the 2026 USCAP annual meeting for her abstract “Training Gaps, Perceptions, and Career Interest in Nephropathology among U.S. Anatomic Pathology Residents: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study and Call to Action.”

Congratulations to Narges Firouzshahi, MS, a doctoral student in Marco Hefti, PhD’s research laboratory, who has received the Graduate College Summer Fellowship for Summer 2026.

Featuring: Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA; Aaruni Khanolkar, MBBS, PhD

Mohammad Heidarian, MSc receives the Ballard & Seashore Fellowship Award for Fall 2026 Semester. Heidarian is a student in our Experimental Pathology PhD program and a member of Vladimir Badovinac, PhD's research laboratory.