Melissa Blessing, DO
Dr. Melissa Blessing joined UI Pathology on November 4, 2024 as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Blessing received her D.O. from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, AZ. She completed Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency and a Neuropathology fellowship at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, MN. Dr. Blessing then completed Forensic Pathology fellowship at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS) in Houston, TX, and Pediatric Pathology fellowship at Boston’s Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA.
Following training she spend four years at Baylor College of Medicine / Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, TX practicing pediatric neuropathology, perinatal and pediatric surgical and autopsy pathology, and served as the Medical Director of the Autopsy Service at Texas Children’s Hospital.
In addition to forensic pathology, she practices neuropathology and pediatric/perinatal pathology. Dr. Blessing's autopsy research interests include forensic neuropathology, sudden unexpected and natural deaths in the pediatric population, and optimization of postmortem research and biobanking for oncologic and somatic studies. She is a member of the Children's Oncology Group Young Investigator Program and enjoys a wide range of collaborative and translational opportunities.
She is thrilled to be at the University of Iowa where she can practice all her subspecialties in an academic setting, surrounded by excellent colleagues and snowy winters.
Alex Isaacson, MD
Dr. Alexandra Isaacson joined UI Pathology on July 31, 2024 as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Isaacson received her M.D. from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She held a Pathology Externship.
Dr. Isaacson completed an Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency as well as a Surgical Pathology fellowship at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and served as Co-Chief Resident. Most recently she was a Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology Fellow in the Robert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Her professional interests include bone/soft tissue pathology, head/neck pathology, and immunohistochemistry.
Jiaqing Hao, PhD
Dr. Jiaqing Hao was appointed as a Research Assistant Professor on July 31, 2024. Dr. Hao received his Ph.D. in Immunology from Peking University in China. Upon completion of his degree, he conducted tumor immunology research at the University of Minnesota, before moving on to investigate obesity-associated breast cancer at the University of Louisville. Dr. Hao then joined the University of Iowa as an Associate Research Scientist, where he was mentored by Dr. Bing Li in the Department of Pathology. His research focuses on understanding the role of fatty acid binding proteins in regulating lipid metabolism and their impact on immune cell and cancer cell functions. Dr. Hao is particularly interested in identifying the molecular and cellular pathways linking obesity with breast cancer development and exploring potential therapeutic targets to mitigate associated risks. Recognized as an expert in immuno-oncology, Dr. Hao has published multiple original research articles in Cell Metabolism, Cell Reports, Cancer Research, and received an award from a U01 grant sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.