On April 24th, 2024, Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellow Vanessa L. Smith, M.D., PGY-7, presented a talk titled “An Introduction to the Brain Autopsy” for the American Association of Neurpathologists (AANP) Teaching Rounds. She discussed different approaches to brain autopsy in varied neuropathology settings, illustrated a basic brain autopsy, and identified appropriate sections to take during brain autopsy for histologic examination dependent upon the patient’s history and gross findings. Watch the recording here.
In June 2023, Smith presented a platform abstract titled "Survey of Neoplastic and Malformative Lesions in Patients with Surgical Resection for Epilepsy at a Single Institution" at the AANP Annual Meeting in Monterey, CA. This was the culmination of her work on the topic with Shih-Hsiu “Jerry” Wang, MD, PhD.. In November 2023, she presented a poster at the annual meeting for the Association for Molecular Pathology on her work with Duke’s Molecular Lab titled “Enhancing Fusion Oncogene Detection in Driver Negative Pancreaticobiliary Carcinomas, a Single Institution Experience.”
She completed her Neuropathology fellowship and her Anatomic Pathology/Clinical Pathology residency at Duke University School of Medicine, got her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and her Master of Science and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Smith recently accepted a faculty position at University of Virginia practicing molecular genetic pathology and neuropathology. She will begin on Aug. 1st, 2024, one month after finishing her fellowship at Duke.