Diagnostic Services

Department of Hematopathology


Wilson, North Carolina
Dr. Thorne picture

North Carolina
Joined in 1993

Surgical Pathology
Cytopathology
Gastrointestinal Pathology
Gynecologic Pathology
Blood Banking

D. Cheryl Thorne, M.D.

Dr. Thorne is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, as well as in the subspecialties of Cytopathology, Blood Banking, and Forensic Pathology. Her primary areas of interest are cytopathology, gastrointestinal pathology, and coagulation and blood banking. Dr. Thorne is also a co-founder of Eastern Carolina Pathology and currently serves as the Medical Director of the APP/ECP laboratory.

After earning a B.S. degree in bacteriology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Dr. Thorne earned her M.D. degree in 1974 from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill where she also completed he residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. She then went on to complete fellowship training in Blood Banking at North Carolina Memorial Hospital, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as well as a fellowship in Forensic Pathology with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Dr. Thorne also has special training in renal pathology and electron microscopy. She is member of several professional organizations including the College of American Pathologists (CAP), American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP), American Association of Blood Bank Institutions, and the Wilson County Medical Society. Dr. Thorne also serves as Laboratory Medical Director for Halifax Memorial Hospital, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.

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Denver, Colorado
Dr. Bitter picture

Colorado
Joined in 1998
Hematopathology
Surgical Pathology

Mitchell A. Bitter, M.D.

Dr. Bitter is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, as well as Hematology. A nationally recognized expert, Dr. Bitter brings extensive experience and leadership in diagnostic hematopathology as head of the Department of Hematopathology at UniPath.

After earning a B.A. degree in biology from the State Uinversity of New York at Binghamton, Dr. Bitter earned his M.D. degree in 1978 from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois and was also elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Following a residency in pathology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, Dr. Bitter completed his fellowship in hematopathology at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He was invited to join the faculty at the University of Chicago as Assistant Professor of Pathology; and also served as Assistant Director of Hematopathology.

In 1989, Dr. Bitter returned to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center as Director of Hematopathology and the Clinical Hematology Laboratory; while there, he rose to the rank of Professor of Pathology and developed an active consultation service. He continues to be affiliated with UCHSC as Clinical Professor of Pathology. Dr. Bitter has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals in the areas of leukemia and lymphoma, and is also the author of several book chapters.

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Dr. Mclaughlin picture

Colorado
Joined in 2010

Hematopathology
Surgical Pathology

Cristina Smith McLaughlin, M.D.

Dr. McLaughlin is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. She is also subspecialty board-certified in Hematology.

After earning a B.A. in history from Reed College, Dr. McLaughlin received her medical degree in 2004 from the Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Medicine in Portland, Oregon, where she also completed her pathology residency and served as co-chief resident. Dr. McLaughlin completed a surgical pathology fellowship at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; and then returned to Portland, Oregon to complete a fellowship in Hematopathology at the Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Medicine. Dr. McLaughlin is a member of several professional societies, including CAP, ASCP, USCAP, and the American Society of Cytopathologists. She has also served as CAP junior inspector.

Dr. McLaughlin has been involved in several research projects, publications and presentations in pathology. She has also been the recipient of a number of honors and rewards, including American Society of Hematology Scholar, the Alma B. Sneeden Pathology Award, and Collegiate All-American in Women's Rugby while attending Reed College.

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Dr. Miller picture

Colorado
Joined in 2010

Hematopathology
Surgical Pathology

Mark E. Miller, M.D.

Dr. Miller is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology as well as Hematology. Dr. Miller currently serves as Medical Director of Flow Cytometry at UniPath.

After earning a B.S. degree cum laude in biology from the University of Colorado at Denver, Dr. Miller earned his M.D. degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado in 2002. He then completed his residency and a fellowship in Hematology at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. Following his fellowship, Dr. Miller served as staff pathologist for several medical centers and pathology laboratories, including serving as Assistant Medical Director in Hematologic Flow Cytometry at ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Miller has also been a CAP inspector.

Dr. Miller has been the recipient of multiple scholastic honors and rewards, including Young Investiators Award by the Academy of Clinical and Laboratory Physicians and Scientists (ACLPS). He has also been involved in multiple research projects and has given numerous presentations in hematology.

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Dr. Yang picture

Colorado
Joined in 2011

Dermatopathology
Hematopathology
Surgical Pathology
Molecular Pathology

Qinghong Yang, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Yang is board-certified in Anatomic Pathology and Hematology, and is also board eligible in Dermatopathology. After earning a B.S. in biology from Hangzhou University, China, Dr. Yang completed some graduate work in biology at Zhejiang University, China and University of Florida, Gainesville; and ultimately earned a Ph.D. in genetics from SUNY at Stony Brook. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in human genetics at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.

Dr. Yang received her M.D. degree in 2006 from Duke University Medical School in Durham, North Carolina. She then completed her residency in Anatomic Pathology including a three-month soft tissue pathology fellowship, and subsequently a fellowship in Hematopathology at the Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School / Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. She has also completed a fellowship in Dermatopathology at the Department of Dermatology, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Yang also founded and was the Chief Technology Officer of FreshGene, Inc., Mountain View, California, which was a venture-backed molecular diagnostics company that was acquired by Panomics, Inc. in 2003 which eventually became part of Affymetryx, Inc., Santa Clara, California in 2007. While at FresGene, Dr. Yang, invented, developed and optimized a new SNP/point mutation genotyping technology with three issued patents. Dr. Yang is active in a number of professional organizations and has been the recipient of multiple scholastic honors and rewards. She has also been involved in multiple research projects and is well published.

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Doctoral Scientists
Dr. Lin picture

Colorado
Joined in 2011

Flow Cytometry
Immunopathology

Hong Lin, Ph.D.

Dr. Lin leads our flow cytometry technical operation as Director of Flow Cytometry. Dr. Lin was most recently Manager, Cell Marker Laboratory, Department of Clinical laboratories at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y.

Previously, Dr. Lin served as Laboratory Supervisor and Research Associate, Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics/Division of Hematology/Oncology of Weil Medical College of Cornell University, New York, N.Y. Before that, Dr. Lin was a research associate in Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Lin holds a B.S. degree from Agriculture College, and a Ph.D. from Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Lin received several awards and has published extensively. She is member of the American Association for Cancer Research and an active member of the American Association of Hematology.

Dr. Lin has extensive experience in flow cytometric immunophenotyping for leukocytes (lymphocyte subsets, helper/suppressor T cell quantitation, myelomocytic immunophenotyping) and neoplastic hematolymphoid cells (leukemia, lymphoma, T, B, non-lymphoid cells, and Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria), as well as flow cytometric intracellular cytokine assays, and DNA cell cycle analysis. She also has direct clinical trials experience, having conducted cellular immunological tests for clinical trial “A phase I/II study of Maitake MD-fraction in breast cancer patients”.

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Dr. Payne picture

Colorado
Joined in 2009

Molecular Pathology

Deborah "Debs" Payne, Ph.D.

Dr. Payne joined in 2009 to lead our molecular laboratory division and currently serves as Vice President of Molecular Services. She was most recently Director of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas where she was also Associate Professor of Pathology. She was also Director and a founding member of the Division of Molecular Diagnostics in the Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Payne received her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas; and performed part of her post-doctoral training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Payne is nationally recognized in molecular diagnostics, is an active speaker, well published and active member of numerous committees and industry organizations. She has held offices as the Chair of the Training and Education Committee for the Association of Molecular Pathology, as Chair of the Molecular Pathology division (2002-2003) for the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), as the Co-Chair for the NACB Laboratory Practice Guidelines Committee on Pharmacogenetics, as the only U.S. member is on the Committee for Molecular Diagnostics for the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry (IFCC), and as member of the Board of Directors for the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. Dr. Payne is also a member of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) committee on reference materials, an advisor for the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Board of Clinical Chemistry (ABCC). Dr. Payne also served as a voting member for the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dr. Payne has authored or co-authored several book chapters, and 55 manuscripts, and is on the editorial board for LabMedicine. She is certified as a clinical laboratory technologist in Molecular Biology MB(ASCP), holds a Diplomate in Laboratory Management DLM(ASCP). She is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (FACB), and is board-certified by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry in Molecular Diagnostics (DABCC) and by the American Board of Medical Microbiology (DABCC).

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West Palm Beach, Florida
Dr. Sara picture

Florida
Joined in 1991

Surgical Pathology
Cytopathology
Urologic Pathology
Hematopathology

Alan S. Sara, M.D.

Dr. Sara is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, as well as Cytopathology. Dr. Sara has special interests in urologic pathology and hematopathology.

Dr. Sara earned his M.D. degree in 1982 from Damascus University Faculty of Medicine, Damascus, Syria. After a year as a general practicioner at Tuscon General Hospital, Tuscon, Arizona, he completed a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals, Tampa, Florida.

Dr. Sara went on to complete a fellowship in Surgical Pathology, Cytology & FNA at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Following his fellowship, Dr. Sara served as Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.

Dr. Sara is member of several professional organizations, including College of American Pathologists (CAP) and American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP). Dr. Sara is currently a pathology staff member of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

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Dr.Zhang picture

Florida
Joined in 2000

Hematopathology
Surgical Pathology
Gastrointestinal Pathology

Tao Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Zhang is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology; as well as subspecialty board-certified in Hematology. Dr. Zhang also has special interest in gastrointestinal pathology.

Dr. Zhang earned an M.D. degree in 1985 from Zhejiang Medical University, Hangzhou, China. He then went on to complete a Ph.D. in peptide biochemistry from University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.

Dr. Zhang held several instructor positions at the Department of Surgery of the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. He then went on to complete a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital of the Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri. Following his residency, Dr. Zhang completed a fellowship in Hematopathology at Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dr. Zhang is member of the pathology medical staff at Good Samaritan Medical Center and St. Mary's Medical Center, West Palm Beach, Florida, where he is also member of the Institutional Review Board.

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