The UAB Department of Pathology is excited to announce the addition of John Choi, M.D., Ph.D., as professor, Division of Laboratory Medicine, led by interim director Marisa Marques, M.D. Choi comes to UAB from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Pathology Department in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was an associate member and director, Hematopathology, Hematology, Immunopathology and Special Hematopathology.

Dr. Choi completed his residency in Anatomic Pathology and a fellowship in hematopathology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Upon completion, he joined the Department of Pathology at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania as a hematopathologist.  After three years, he was recruited and moved 100 yards to establish a pediatric hematopathology program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. After 10 years and successfully building a highly regarded pediatric hematopathology service, Dr. Choi was recruited and moved to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where he maintained a top pediatric hematopathology service and established clinical flow-based minimal residual disease (MRD) assays for national acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) protocols.  After 9 years, he was recruited to UAB.

Dr. Choi has published over 100 peer reviewed articles and 12 book chapters with two main research focuses. One is clinically based and applies new approaches to diagnose difficult pathologic entities.  The other is more bench science based and focuses on increasing our understanding of the transcription factor TCF3 and its relationship to normal and leukemic B cell development. He has two patents and has been involved in several clinical trials on oncology related drug research throughout his career. His teaching and lecturing resume is extensive.