Chair's Message

I am pleased to highlight the accomplishments and continued engagement of our distinguished alumni. Our graduates remain an integral part of the Department’s legacy, advancing pathology through clinical excellence, research innovation, education, and leadership across the globe.

Looking ahead, future Chair’s Messages will include Alumni Spotlights as a way to strengthen connections within our community. Their stories not only reflect individual success, but also highlight the enduring impact of our Department and the shared foundation that connects us all.

Dr. Mohammad Kamal

Dr. Mohammad Kamal is the founder and CEO of OmniPathology Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He completed his residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in 2002, followed by a fellowship in gastrointestinal pathology at UCLA, completed in 2003. 

His specialized training in gastrointestinal and his interest in head and neck pathology has informed both his clinical practice and research interests. Dr. Kamal has led the development of a novel, noninvasive test to detect oropharyngeal HPV using a swab, reflecting his commitment to innovation in cancer screening and prevention. He regularly lectures on colitis and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer, with a focus on clinically relevant pathology and translational applications. Dr. Kamal continues his contributions to the Department through a donation to trainee professional education programs and attending Q&A sessions for residents.       

Dr. Stephen Koh

Dr. Stephen Koh graduated from the Keck School of Medicine of USC in 2005. He completed a combined AP/CP residency at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine in 2009, followed by Surgical Pathology and Dermatopathology fellowships, completed in 2011. He subsequently joined the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG). Comprehensive general training and organ system based signout with subspecialty attendings provided a strong foundation for community practice, which proved invaluable when transitioning to independent practice with a high-volume, multispecialty caseload.

During training, Dr. Koh served as chief resident, gaining meaningful administrative experience. He also focused on research, including work on gene expression microarray technology to distinguish benign nevi from melanoma. This work was supported by UCLA translational research funding and the Sarkaria Fellowship, culminating in the Stowell Orbison Award and Los Angeles Society of Pathologists (LASOP) first prize, as well as national presentations. Research interests continued into practice at SCPMG, where he remains involved in IRB-approved projects. The UCLA residency and fellowship training were instrumental in shaping Dr. Koh’s clinical, academic, and professional development. Dr. Koh continues his contributions to the Department by hiring UCLA Pathology residents and mentoring them on their professional journeys.

Dr. Natalia Liu

Dr. Natalia Liu completed the combined anatomic and clinical pathology residency at UCLA in 2022. She joined her partner at Vanderbilt University, where she completed a GI/Liver Pathology fellowship in 2023. Her training at UCLA provided strong organizational skills and broad surgical pathology experience that formed a solid foundation for managing complex GI/Liver cases at Vanderbilt. She particularly valued the extensive grossing experience at UCLA and the guidance of the pathologist assistants, which proved essential for approaching and staging complex GI/Liver resections during fellowship.

She remained on faculty at Vanderbilt for one year before transitioning to the University of Vermont through a series of serendipitous professional connections that provided job opportunities that matched the career goals for both her and her partner. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Larner College of Medicine (LCOM) at UVM in Burlington, Vermont, with clinical and research interests in GI/Liver Pathology. Her academic focus centers on medical student education, where she serves as the primary lecturer for liver pathology in the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Gastrointestinal block and leads the associated gross labs. She is also deeply involved in mentoring and advising through roles as the Pathology Student Fellowship/Post-Sophomore Fellowship Director, LCOM Specialty Advisor for Pathology, and faculty mentor within the pathology residency program for residents interested GI/Liver Pathology.

She hopes her career path highlights the value of building a broad knowledge base during residency and maintaining professional connections, as these relationships can open unexpected and rewarding opportunities. Dr. Liu continues her contributions to the Department by speaking with residents about careers after residency.

Dr. Judy Melinek  

Dr. Judy Melinek is a graduate of UCLA Medical School and completed a Post-Sophomore Fellowship at UCLA in 1994, followed by a combined anatomic and clinical pathology residency in 2001, during which she served as Chief Resident. She pursued subspecialty training in forensic pathology at the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office and has built a distinguished career in academic, governmental, and private practice settings.

Dr. Melinek is a board-certified forensic pathologist and currently serves as Chief Forensic Pathologist for Communio LTD in Wellington New Zealand and as the CEO and owner of PathologyExpert Inc., where she provides forensic pathology legal consultation and expert witness services in the United States. She previously served as a forensic pathologist at the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office from 2001-2003. Working Stiff: Two years, 262 Bodies and the Making of a Medical Examiner, a memoir about her training in New York, was a New York Times bestseller and chronicled her experiences responding to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. She and T.J. also collaborated on fictional detective novels (First Cut and Aftershock), based on Dr. Melinek’s experience as a medical examiner in San Francisco and Alameda County. Widely recognized for her contributions to medical education and public engagement, Dr. Melinek is also an accomplished speaker, with a professional focus on forensic pathology, ethics, and physician wellness. She has also published academic publications on the subjects of gunshot wound trajectory analysis, sharp trauma, and cognitive bias in forensic pathology decision making. Dr. Melinek remains actively engaged with the Department by delivering lectures to residents and facilitating connections between local students interested in pathology and the Department.

Dr. Alex Nobori   

Dr. Alex Nobori completed the combined anatomic and clinical pathology residency at UCLA in 2019, and served as Chief Resident (conference chief). He continued his subspecialty training at UCLA, completing the Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology Fellowship in 2020 and a Dermatopathology Fellowship in 2021.

Currently, Dr. Nobori is a partner physician pathologist at the Kaiser Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG), where he signs out general pathology cases and serves as the dermatopathologist consultant for his medical center. The training in surgical and clinical pathology at UCLA prepared him extremely well for daily case sign out in general practice. He is also a faculty lecturer in the Health Systems Science Department in the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. 

Dr. Nobori serves in several leadership roles within the Kaiser system, including as the SCPMG Regional Pathology Practice Support Leader, the chair of the West Los Angeles Blood Management Committee, and the lead for the West Los Angeles Laboratory Test Appropriateness Committee. His experiences at UCLA were critical for his early development in health care leadership. He continues to use tools he developed during his chief residency and through the UCLA Resident Quality Improvement and Informaticist programs. He strongly encourages residents to take advantage of these valuable opportunities. Dr. Nobori continues his contributions to the Department by presenting to residents on career development after residency and mentoring new faculty alumni at Kaiser.

Sarah M. Dry, MD
Chair, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine