Two Duke Pathology faculty members were invited speakers at UltraPath 2026, the international meeting of the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology (SUP), held May 10–16, 2026, in Mobile, Alabama.
Sara E. Miller, PhD, professor of Pathology, and David N. Howell, MD, PhD, professor of Pathology and senior vice chair, delivered multiple presentations during the weeklong meeting, which brings together experts from around the world to advance the application of diagnostic electron microscopy and ultrastructural pathology.
The meeting opened with “Ultrastructural Pathology 101: Foundations of Diagnostic Electron Microscopy,” an educational program designed for residents and fellows. Subsequent sessions focused on a range of subspecialty areas, including kidney, muscle, tumor, cytology, infectious disease, and genetic disease pathology.
Miller organized and chaired the meeting's Infectious Diseases session and presented "Primer on EM Identification of Unknown Infectious Organisms." She also co-authored three additional presentations in the session with collaborators from Mayo Clinic Rochester and UMass Chan Medical School–Baystate.
Howell co-presented "A Tale of Two Viruses: Unusual Manifestations of Viral Infection in Renal Transplants" with Tim A. Fields, MD, PhD, a former Duke Pathology resident and faculty member who is now based in Kansas City, and Miller. Howell also presented "Diabetic Nephropathy and Concomitant Renal Diseases: The Role of Electron Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Dual Glomerulopathies" during the renal pathology session.
Founded in 1986, the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology promotes the use of electron microscopy and related technologies in diagnostic pathology and biomedical research. Through its biennial UltraPath meeting and the journal “Ultrastructural Pathology,” the society provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge related to cellular and tissue structure at the micro and nanometer levels.
Duke Pathology has maintained a longstanding presence and leadership role within the organization. Miller and Howell have participated in numerous UltraPath meetings around the world, including those held in Sydney, Australia; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Regensburg, Germany.
Notably, three Duke Pathology faculty members have served as president of the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology: Miller, Howell, and Victor L. Roggli, MD, who retired on June 30, 2026. Having three faculty members from the same institution elected to the society's presidency is a rare distinction and reflects Duke's longstanding contributions to the field of ultrastructural pathology.
In addition, John D. Shelburne, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of Pathology, previously served the society as treasurer and later as historian.
Learn more about the SUP and future UltraPath meetings, including the 2028 meeting in London, here. The SUP is also a Companion Society of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) and holds a Companion Meeting in conjunction with each yearly USCAP meeting. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in or a desire to learn about cell architecture at the fine structural level. Learn more in the membership section.