Diana Lin, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pathology’s Division of Anatomic Pathology, has been awarded the junior faculty 2023 Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching.
Lin earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta before completing her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a fellowship in cytopathology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She joined the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Pathology as a faculty member in 2018 and holds various roles in the education of graduate and medical students, as well as residents and fellows.
As a course developer, Lin updated a first-year medical school course to include interactive and clinically focused case discussions with whole-slide imaging. She designed a second medical course for students interested in surgery to have hands-on experience in pathology, including grossing, sign-out, and frozen sections. She redesigned the graduate course “Pathobiology of Cancer” to allow students to learn from clinical faculty instructors and develop translational research projects.
As Medical Director of the Frozen Section at UAB Hospital and Medical Director of Anatomic Pathology at Highlands Hospital, Lin works to address significant gaps in trainee education. She modified the existing telepathology system to allow fellows and faculty pathologists to show difficult cases for second opinions. In her role, 25 to 50 percent of her time is in clinical service with residents and fellows. Lin assisted in developing the Professional Laboratory Management curriculum and teaches two courses for the annual incoming resident orientation. She developed a teaching set for frozen section education and assisted in writing a comprehensive grossing manual.
In 2022, Lin was approved as Alabama State Commissioner and Division Commissioner for the Florida Panhandle for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Accreditation Program. She serves as a member of the CAP Practice Management Committee, where she assists with clinical practice standards, guidelines, and developing the Online Laboratory Management course. She has authored two book chapters and critiques for the CAP Performance Improvement Program (PIP) and Dermatopathology Digital Slide Program (D-Path). These critiques assist pathologists in thoracic, soft tissue, and dermatopathology and are used for continuing medical education nationwide.
“Diana’s commitment to teaching is exemplary for a junior faculty,” says George Netto, M.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair of Pathology. “I believe she is truly deserving of this honor and thank the Dean’s Office for selecting her for this recognition.”