Research Abstract

My clinical practice focuses on the early diagnosis of cancer using the cytological method of diagnosis. My clinical research has centered on pre-operative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, especially early cancer arising in pancreatic cysts. I have demonstrated the value of cyst fluid analysis using a multimodal approach which incorporates cytological analysis of the cells in the cyst fluid, biochemical and molecular testing with clinical and imaging characteristics of the pancreatic cyst, for accurate diagnosis. This research was the first to correlate cytological and histological features of IPMN, to demonstrate the superior accuracy of cytology over imaging in the early detection of malignant cysts, and to demonstrate the value of integrating all ancillary testing of cyst fluid into a comprehensive pathological diagnosis. I have defined the cytological features of high-grade cellular atypia in pancreatic mucinous cysts and led a multidisciplinary team that developed an international standardized terminology system for cytological diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary cytology. I have over 25 years experience as a diagnostic cytopathologist and am a recognized international expert in the field, especially with regard to the interpretation of pancreatic cytology.