Neuropathology Fellowship
This two-year ACGME-accredited neuropathology fellowship program provides comprehensive training in diagnostic neuropathology and is centered at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The program has an established tradition of excellence in clinical service, teaching and scholarly activity. The fellows are actively involved and responsible for diagnostic workup of the diverse, neurosurgical, neurodegenerative, neuromuscular, autopsy, forensic and extramural consult cases reviewed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Our training program is centered around contemporary approaches to diagnostic neuropathology, including rotations at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Northwestern’s Diagnostic Molecular Biology laboratory and integration of advanced molecular diagnostic techniques. The training program provides broad fund of knowledge in neuroanatomy, gross and microscopic diagnosis and ancillary molecular techniques including DNA methylation profiling. Our faculty includes nationally and internationally recognized experts, particularly in the fields of brain tumor biology, neurodegenerative diseases, neuromuscular pathology, and forensic neuropathology.
The neuropathology fellows supervise the pathology, neurology and neurosurgery residents rotating on the neuropathology service, present during multidisciplinary neuro-oncology tumor board and neuromuscular consensus conference, lead didactic conferences and brain cutting sessions for residents and medical students. Research and scholarly activities are individually tailored to each fellow to best serve their career goals.
Fellowship Recruitment
One new fellow is accepted into the program every year, and the program requires a two-year commitment. The fellowship program has concluded interviews for the 2026-28 academic years.
Fellowship Program Alumni
2022-2024: Nicolas Kostelecky, MD (Forensic Pathology Fellow, Western Michigan University)
2021-2023: Pouya Jamshidi, MD (Assistant Professor of Pathology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital)
2020-2022: Matthew McCord, MD (Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Virginia)
2019-2021: Alex Feldman, MD (Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Alabama)
2018-2020: Kwok Ling Kam, MD (Molecular and Neuropathologist, Tempus Labs)
2016-2018: Missia Kohler-Skinner, MD (Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Utah)
2012-2014: Esther Bit-Ivan, DO (Southeastern Pathology Associates/Baptist MD Anderson)
2010-2012: Kyung-Hwa Lee, MD (Neuropathologist in Korea)
2008-2010: Steve Dubner, MD (Great Lake Pathologists, WI)
Program Faculty
Education and Research
Medical students, pathology, neurology and neurosurgery residents rotate on the neuropathology service. The neuropathology fellow supervises the rotating residents and functions as an educator to the trainees and medical students. The fellows are also first-call and serve as consultant to residents and staff on the autopsy service, cytopathology and other sections of clinical/anatomic pathology.
In general, fellows concentrate on clinical service (in particular in-house and consult neurosurgical and autopsy services) during their first year and neurodegenerative, neuromuscular, ophthalmic pathology, education and scholarly activities during their second year of trainee.
Research and scholarly activities are individually tailored to each fellow to best serve their career goals. Fellows are strongly encouraged to identify areas of academic interest and mentor(s), present their research and scholarly activities in national and international conferences, and publish at least one manuscript based on a project accomplished during the fellowship.
The fellow candidate with the strongest academic background and productivity may be integrated into the Physician-Scientist Training Program, where this infrastructure, mentoring and grant application guidance is already integrated into the program.
For further information on research opportunities for trainees, please visit the Starzl Academy.
Clinical Experience
The clinical neuropathology is primarily a “fellow-run” service, which provides the trainees the exposure to common and rare neuropathologic entities. Over approximately 3000 intraoperative consultation, neurosurgical, neurodegenerative, neuromuscular, autopsy, forensic and extramural consult cases reviewed each year. Through this exposure, the fellows will develop fund of knowledge in neuroanatomy, gross and microscopic diagnosis, ancillary histochemical/immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and advanced molecular diagnostic techniques.
The fellow presents during weekly neuro-oncology tumor board, neuromuscular consensus conference, and the monthly Northwestern Alzheimer’s Disease Center clinicopathologic correlation conference.
Eligibility and Requirements
The candidate must be Board eligible or certified in either Anatomic Pathology or Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, or in some other medical specialty such as Neurology and have had one-year Anatomic Pathology training. Candidates for combined training in Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology will be considered. The candidate must have passed USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3.
Stipend
The stipend is determined by previous pathology training and experience. Find stipend information via the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University site.
Application Process
Please send your application package with the following components to neuropathfellowship@northwestern.edu.
- Current CV
- Cover letter including career goals
- At least two letters of recommendation
- USMLE Step Scores 1, 2 and 3
Why Northwestern?
Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago. Learn more on the McGaw website.
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