LMP was well represented at the Association for Molecular Pathology annual meeting
The 2023 Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah last November proved to be an immensely enjoyable experience, brimming with enlightening presentations and engaging discussions. AMP is the leading organization in the field of molecular diagnostics, and its annual meeting is widely considered the “premier gathering” of molecular professionals (amp.org).
The meeting was well attended by UMN-LMP Pathology faculty, trainees, and alumni. Drs. Bharat Thyagarajan, Sophia Yohe, Pawel Mroz and Siddhartha Sen were the faculty members representing UMN-LMP. Trainees included Drs. Abdulaziz Al Mana and Ravi Bommu. Dr. Mroz is part of the AMP leadership and serves on the Hematopathology subdivision. Our faculty and trainees made presentations on topics spanning the latest advancements in molecular pathology and innovative diagnostic techniques.
Dr. Bharat Thyagarajan gave a corporate workshop presentation on the performance of a HDPCR-based multi-analyte assay in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a 24-hour turnround time.
Dr. Siddhartha Sen presented a poster on his research exploring the use of optical genome mapping (OGM) heme malignancies. His study compared the concordance of results obtained by OGM and standard-of-care testing on residual flow cytometry samples from heme malignancies in a clinical laboratory setting. This project was generously funded by UMN-LMP, with Drs. Yohe and Sen as co-PIs.
Dr. Ravi Bommu, MGP fellow, presented an ‘Early Bird Case Study’ titled: RNA Sequencing Detects Novel Fusion Partner for PDGRFA Rearranged Myeloid/Lymphoid Neoplasms With Eosinophilia.
Dr. Abdulaziz Al Mana, Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Fellow, presented a poster titled: "Performance of a Rapid Digital PCR Test for the Detection of Actionable NSCLC Variants Tested at the University of Minnesota-ARDL."
We also hosted a dinner for the attending faculty, former alumni, and current trainees. Alumni included Drs. Zoltan Oltvai (currently Professor at the University of Rochester), Susan Harley (Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas), Guang (Geoff) Yang (Assistant Professor, UPenn) and Sayak Ghatak (Molecular Pathologist, NCI). Our new incoming cytogenetics and molecular faculty, Dr. Jennifer Laffin, also attended the dinner. Dr. Azhar Saeed, former MGP fellow (currently Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont) and Dr. Chris Zarbock, CP residency alumnus (currently Molecular and Informatics Fellow at WashU), attended the meeting, but could not make it to the dinner due to other commitments.
As we continue to explore the frontiers of molecular pathology, our participation in the AMP meeting highlights UMN-LMP’s steadfast commitment to shaping the healthcare landscape through pioneering research and innovative technological advancements.
