Pathologists' Assistant Program News

On July 10, 2025, the graduating class of Pathologists’ Assistant (Path A) Program students gave their senior seminar presentations in Duke’s Barrus Conference room to Department of Pathology faculty, Path A Program staff, family, and friends.  The senior seminar is the last course that students need to complete in order to finish the program. It culminates with a professional presentation of a pathology (autopsy) case.

On August 6, 2025, we welcomed eight new Pathologists’ Assistant (Path A) students at the annual White Coat Ceremony in the Duke South Amphitheater in Durham, North Carolina.  Speakers at this year’s ceremony included Johnston-West Endowed Department Chair of Pathology Jioati Huang, MD, PhD, Program Director

From Sept 7-11, 2025, various members of the Duke Pathologists’ Assistant (Path A) Program attended the 50th annual American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants (AA

On August 29, 2025, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) named Duke Pathologists’ Assistant Jonathan Chen, MHS, PA(ASCP) to its prestigious

On Sept. 1, 2025, Michelle Johnson, MHS, PA (ASCP)CM, was promoted to assistant professor in pathology.  An alumna of the Duke Pathologists’ Assistant Program (’99), Johnson started her career at Duke as a staff pathologists’ assistant in the Surgical Pathology Laboratory.

On July 30, 2025, Pathologists’ Assistant Program student Cadey Cousins was awarded the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants (AAPA) Travel Grant to attend the AAPA 50th Annual Fall Conference in Denver, Colorado Sept. 7-11, 2025. AAPA awards the travel grant to one second-year non-delegate pathologists’ assistant student. It covers registration and travel expenses for attending the conference. In addition, her winning article will be published in the AAPA journal, The Cutting Edge, later this year.

On July 31st, 2024, welcomed eight new Pathologists’ Assistants with a White Coat Ceremony in the Duke South Amphitheater at 7 p.m.

On July 11th, 2024, the graduating class of Pathologists’ Assistants celebrated at a banquet held at The University Club in Durham, North Carolina. During the event, Jonathan Chen, MHS, PA (ASCP)CM, received the Resident Teaching Award, which is given to a pathologists’ assistant whom residents have voted as having distinguished themselves in teaching effort and ability.

April 14th was National Pathologists’ Assistant Day, and we’re shining a spotlight on Staff Pathologists’ Assistant Jonathan Chen, MHS, PA(ASCP)CM, who joined the Duke Surgical Pathology Lab in 2019.

On Oct. 27th, Pathologists’ Assistant Program Director Michelle Johnson, MHS, PA, (ASCAP) CM, presented at an Exploring Cancer webinar series titled “Careers in Cancer,” along with Senior Community Health Educator Veronica Carlisle, MPH, CHES; Physician Assistant Jessica Veale, MHS, PA-C; and Patient Navigator Manager Valarie Worthy, RN, MSN.