On Oct. 1, 2025, Giselle López, MD, PhD, was appointed as associate director of graduate Sstudies. She will work closely with Grace Kerby Distinguished Professor of Pathology Soman Abraham, PhD, who has served as director of graduate studies for 25 years. Abraham will continue as director through July 1, 2026, when López will assume the role.
Duke’s Graduate Program in Pathobiology and Translational Biosciences was established in the early 1960s with the goal of training investigators to understand and solve fundamental problems in experimental pathology.
López earned her MD and PhD degrees from Duke in 2014. During her time as a student, she served as a teaching assistant from 2009-2011 for the Pathology Molecular Aspects of Disease Course. She has been an integral member of Duke Pathology since 2018, when she joined the Department as a physician scientist. Her lab is focused on searching for cures for brain tumors. In 2024, she was accepted into the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Future Leaders Development Program.
In October 2023, she received the Spark Award from the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) in recognition of her strong leadership skills and for her vocal advocacy for inclusive scientific practices. Read more about the award and advocacy work here.
In July 2023, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) named López to its prestigious ASCP 2023 40 Under Forty list in recognition of her research and work mentoring the next generation of physicians and scientists. Read more about that honor, and watch a short video about her work here.
López actively mentors Duke Pathology graduate students, residents, and faculty members, in addition to mentoring undergraduate students interested in pursuing MDs and PhDs. She served on the Duke Pathology Strategic Planning Committee in 2021, and in 2022 was named chair of the Subcommittee on Advising and Mentoring for the Duke Pathology PhD Program Reappraisal. She currently serves on the steering committee for the Duke Medical Scientist Training Program.