Neuropathology Fellowship

About the program

A two-year fellowship in neuropathology (one position every other year) is offered by the Division of Neuropathology. Based in a 734-bed tertiary care university hospital, the program provides advanced training and responsibility in all areas of neuropathology including diagnostic surgical neuropathology, neuromuscular, ophthalmic, and autopsy pathology.

The laboratory examines approximately 900 neurosurgical specimens with 200 intraoperative consultations per year. The University of Iowa is a national referral center for neuromuscular disease providing an advanced educational experience with examination of approximately 300 muscle and 30 nerve biopsies per year. The University of Iowa has an NIH-funded Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center (MDSRC; https://medicine.uiowa.edu/mdsrc/ ) that studies a form of muscular dystrophy termed dystroglycanopathy.  Dr. Steven Moore is Co-Director of the MDSRC.

Approximately 250 autopsy brains are examined per year, including approximately 100 forensic cases. The neuropathology division participates in several active brain banking efforts, including the Iowa Neuropathology Resource Laboratory, which is staffed by a full-time PhD-trained research neuropathologist and for which Dr. Marco Hefti acts as medical director. Fellows will be involved in neurodegenerative disease workups for the brain bank as part of brain cutting and have the option of dedicated brain bank and/or research rotations, if desired.

In addition, the Division of Neuropathology provides outreach services through the University of Iowa Diagnostic Laboratory (https://medicine.uiowa.edu/uidl/faculty-services/neuropathology), through which a variety of neurosurgical, neuromuscular, and autopsy brain specimens are received. This provides an opportunity to interact with pathologists and clinicians at multiple outside institutions and community practices.

Fellows will participate in a variety of teaching and educational activities including a weekly neuro-oncology tumor board, quality assurance conferences, and a neuromuscular multidisciplinary conference. Fellows are expected to be involved with house staff didactics and provide a seminar for Pathology Grand rounds annually. Additionally, there are opportunities to be involved with medical student teaching. Opportunities for participation in both basic science and clinical/translational research are available and encouraged.

Accreditation

The Neuropathology fellowship is ACGME-accredited, program #3151830001.

Fellows Life

Rotations

All rotations are done at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. The first year of fellowship will predominantly be dedicated to the diagnostic neuropathology services, including neurosurgical pathology, autopsy pathology, and neuromuscular pathology (11 months) in addition to a rotation in Molecular Pathology (1 month). The second year of fellowship will include a rotation in ophthalmic pathology (1 month), as well as a junior attending rotation (1 month). The remaining rotations will be tailored to fit the fellow’s interests. Elective time can be utilized for research, as well as rotations in other sub-disciplines (e.g. molecular pathology, cytology), or on various neuropathology services.

Vacation

There are 15 working days of vacation per year and can be taken at any time.

Please note that any leave taken, whether vacation, meetings, exams, or job interviews, must be officially requested by submitting an electronic form in MedHub. Leave requests should include the following details: name of faculty or attending supervisor who has approved the leave; if applicable, name of other resident(s), fellow(s) and/or faculty you have arranged to cover in your absence. All leave requests are subject to approval by your Fellowship Director. Leave should be requested as far in advance as practical for you (especially leave requests that span more than 1-2 days). This requirement is for informational, coverage, legal and insurance purposes.

Elective

Education/Conferences

The fellows are required to attend and periodically staff the weekly neuro-oncology tumor board conference, as well as participate in the weekly neuropathology quality assurance conference and neuromuscular multidisciplinary conference.

Fellows will also present a seminar at Pathology Grand Rounds and didactic lectures to house staff on a variety of neuropathology related topics. They are encouraged to participate in the daily conference schedule as their clinical assignments permit, with some of these activities representing didactic type presentations given by faculty for house staff.

Time Conference
Tuesday 7:00 – 8:00 am Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board
Wednesday 9 am (optional) Iowa Neuroscience Institute Works in Progress
Thursday 7:30 – 8:30 am Neuropathology Quality Assurance Conference
Thursday 7:30 – 8:30 am, monthly Forensic Neuropathology Quality Assurance Conference
Thursday 1:30 pm Brain cutting
Friday 7:30 – 8:30 am Multidisciplinary Neuromuscular Conference
First Friday, Monthly Neuromuscular Journal Club
Quarterly State Medical Examiner Case Review Conference
Annual Wellstone Neuromuscular Conference

Research Opportunities

The opportunity to participate in research is provided within the structure of the program and is encouraged. In addition, the fellow may elect to spend any elective time pursuing research projects.

Frequently asked Questions

What Pathology fellowships are available at Iowa?

There are fellowships available in neuropathology, surgical pathology, cytopathology, hematopathology, microbiology, blood/bank transfusion medicine, and molecular pathology.

How is vacation time handled?

Fellows have 15 weekday vacation days a year. Professional leave for meetings is negotiated on an individual basis. Leave is granted for National Board exams and American Board of Pathology exams, but not for board preparation courses. For job interviews or board preparation courses, each house staff member will be allowed five working days of leave. Additional days, beyond those five, taken for job interviews or board preparation courses will count as vacation.

What about fringe benefits such as book/travel funds?

Each fellow is given $1500/year for books/journals, meetings or memberships. Travel to national conferences is paid for by the department for fellows presenting abstracts.

How to Apply

There are two program tracks available:

  • Neuropathology Fellowship
  • Combined Anatomic Pathology Residency and Neuropathology Fellowship

If you are interested in applying to the Neuropathology Fellowship Program, please send or email to Dr. Steven Moore a cover letter, CAP Standardized Pathology Fellowship Application, current curriculum vitae, personal statement, medical school Dean’s letter, three letters of recommendation that include one from the pathology residency director and two additional faculty, USMLE scores (steps 1, 2, and 3), copy of ECFMG certificate (applies to international medical graduates only), copy of Permanent Visa (if applicable), and copy of medical school diploma.

If you are interested in applying to the combined Anatomic Pathology Residency and Neuropathology Fellowship (AP/NP), please select the Anatomic Pathology / Clinical Pathology option in Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and indicate your interest in the combined AP/NP track.

Priority Deadline

Applications generally accepted up to 6 months prior to the start of the fellowship year or until positions are filled.

Eligibility for Fellowship

Applications will be accepted from residents who have had two to four years of straight anatomic pathology training and from residents who have three to four years of combined anatomic and clinical pathology training. Board eligible applicants are preferred.

Our People

Our people are the heart of our program. From the reception desk to the laboratory technicians, from the gross room to the molecular laboratory, from the blood bank to the FNA clinic, from the resident room to the faculty offices, you will find our people in our department interested and eager to help you become the best pathologist you can be.

At Iowa, you will be exposed to some of the best clinicians, teachers and clinicians in our profession. We provide high-powered opportunities for you to learn career-long lessons from these dedicated professionals while maintaining an open-door philosophy and collegial atmosphere.

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Current Fellows

Starting July 1, 2025

Jane Persons, MD, PhD
jane-persons@uiowa.edu

Medical School:
Residency: CP/AP, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics 
 

 

Past Fellows

First Fellow starting July 1, 2025.

Fellowship Leaders

Program Director

Steven Moore, PhD, MD
Professor of Pathology
Director of Neuropathology
Co-Director, Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center


Associate Program Director

Kathryn Eschbacher, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor Pathology


Fellowship Coordinator

Donna Palmer, BBA
donna-palmer@uiowa.edu


 

Department Chair and Faculty

Content coming soon.

Key Faculty

Marco Hefti, MD
Assistant Professor of Pathology


Osorio Lopes Abath Neto, PhD, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology