Nirag Jhala, MD, Appointed Director of Anatomic Pathology and Director of Cytopathology at Temple University Hospital

Nirag C. Jhala, MD, has been appointed Director of Anatomic Pathology & Director of Cytopathology at Temple University Hospital, and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine, effective February 9, 2015. Prior to joining Temple, Dr. Jhala was Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

"I am very excited to be joining Temple University School of Medicine and Temple University Hospital," said Dr. Jhala. "Temple provides a unique opportunity to work with a world-class team of dedicated colleagues who work together toward a common goal of providing the best care for the patients we serve."

Dr. Jhala specializes in surgical pathology, including tumor and non-tumor pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary pathology and pancreatic pathology.  Furthermore, his niche areas extend to non-gynecologic cytopathology, which includes interpreting samples from endoscopic and endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates utilized for pancreatic cytology and lung cancer diagnosis.  These small tissue samples provide a powerful opportunity to perform molecular studies to personalize therapy.  Dr. Jhala's translational research interests include understanding the underlying molecular changes associated with the development of colon cancer, esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer. He has authored landmark papers focused on endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates for pancreatic cancers. He also co-authored research which provided criteria for late liver allograft dysfunction.

"Dr. Jhala is an outstanding diagnostic surgical pathologist and cytopathologist who is internationally-known for his expertise in ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration techniques of the hepatobiliary and gastronintestinal tracts," says Yuri Persidsky, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine. "He will add vital experience and expertise to the outstanding gastroenterology and hepatology services already available at Temple, and we are pleased to welcome him."

Board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology, as well as cytopathology, Dr. Jhala earned his medical degree from Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India. He also completed a pathology residency and thesis work at the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. Dr. Jhala went on to complete a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the Allegheny University of the Health Sciences in Philadelphia, and a fellowship in nephropathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC. He then completed a cytopathology fellowship at the Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, and a fellowship in gastrointestinal tract pathology at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

An NIH-funded researcher, Dr. Jhala has more than 120 peer-reviewed publications to his name. He is an award-winning educator and is frequently invited to lecture and present at international and national conferences and meetings. Dr. Jhala is a member of an NIH Study Section Grant Review Panel, and holds editorial positions for several journals, including the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Journal of Cytology, the Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He is a fellow of the College of American Pathologists, a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, and a member of several professional and scientific societies, including the International Academy of Cytology, the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Cytology.