About the Peace Program

During the pandemic, our in-person educational offerings were moved to the virtual platform. This virtual shift allowed us to expand our reach by engaging a broader international audience. As a result, we had the opportunity to connect with excellent pathologists from across the world. These interactions provided the seed to set up PEACE (Partnership of Emory, Yale, and Africa for Cancer and Education) in collaboration with our pathology community contacts in various African institutions.   

Our team consists of five dedicated individuals: Four pathologists and one communications specialist.

LARA HARIK, MD, FCAP
Co-Director and founder of PEACE
Associate Professor of Pathology
Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. Lara R. Harik is a senior Genitourinary pathologist, who also serves as Medical Director for the Clinical Pathology Hospital Service Line at Emory University Hospital. Dr. Harik is heavily involved in national and regional medical associations. She has received numerous teaching and educator awards. She is passionate about global health and education. Dr. Harik leads translational research projects on tumors of the prostate and urinary tract.  While not at work, Dr. Harik enjoys spending time with her husband, two boys, and the family dog. They love to travel, sample various world cuisines and play soccer. 

UMA KRISHNAMURTI, MD
Co-Director and founder of PEACE
Professor of Pathology
Yale University

Dr. Krishnamurti is a pathologist with expertise in breast pathology, cytopathology, and gynecologic pathology. She completed her residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the University of Minnesota and the University of Pittsburgh followed by a Fellowship in Cytopathology at the University of Pittsburgh. She joined the faculty at Yale in 2021, where she is currently Professor of Pathology and Director of Breast Pathology. She has been the primary author of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) gynecologic cancer reporting synoptic templates. She served as Principal Investigator and Director of the Breast Satellite Tissue Bank of Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, from 2015 to 2021. Her main areas of academic interest include diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive markers of triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer.

Dr. Krishnamurti has been a course faculty at the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and College of American Pathologists (CAP) annual meetings. She has Chaired the Research and Current Concepts Committee of the ASC and served as a member of the American Joint Commission on Cancer Expert Panel on Protocol for Cancer Staging of the Vulva. Currently, Dr. Krishnamurti serves on the Breast section of the Cancer Committee of the CAP, and on the ASC Bulletin and Cytopath Podcast Committee.

VAIDEHI AVADHANI, MD
Consultant Pathologist

Dr. Avadhani is  a board certified anatomic pathologist with subspecialization in Cytopathology and Gastrointestinal pathology. She has been involved in clinical practice and education with a focus on resident and fellow education. She has previously served as faculty at Emory University school of medicine, Atlanta and is currently a consultant pathologist at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. She has contributed to publications in peer-reviewed journals including Modern Pathology and Archives of pathology and laboratory medicine. She has also co-authored a chapter in WHO Reporting system for Pancreatobiliary cytopathology, Ist edition. 

RITU GUPTA, MD
Assistant Professor of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. Ritu Gupta is a surgical pathologist specializing in Medical Renal and Genitourinary pathology. She is passionate about education, being involved in resident, fellow, and medical student teaching, and is a member of the Anatomic Pathology Residency Education committee at Emory. She also has a strong interest in quality and process improvement in the laboratory.

Dr. Gupta is involved in institutional as well as regional and national general and subspecialty pathology organizations, including collaborating on educational content for PathPresenter.net. She collaborates with colleagues in clinical research endeavors and is currently developing her own translational research projects.

GEETHA JAGANNATHAN, MBBS
Assistant Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. Jagannathan is a general surgical pathologist with subspeciality training and expertise in medical renal pathology. She divides her practice between Emory University Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital. Her academic interests are in medical diseases of the kidney, with particular emphasis on glomerulonephritis and kidney transplant pathology, as well as breast pathology. She is committed and passionate about medical education and resident training and is an active member of local and national pathology committees. Outside of pathology, Dr. Jagannathan enjoys going on hikes, gardening, and solving jigsaw puzzles.

GULISA TURASHVILI, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology
Harvard Medical School 

QUN WANG, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Rotation Director of the Breast Pathology
Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at Emory University School of Medicine, specializing in Breast Pathology and Cytopathology. She is dedicated to patient care, medical education, and clinical research and was honored with the 2024 Departmental Outstanding Service Award for her contributions. Dr. Wang has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and case studies and has presented at numerous national and international conferences.  

Passionate about medical education, Dr. Wang actively serves on multiple institutional, regional, national, and international committees. She is a member of the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC) Case Study and Membership Committees, the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology (PSC) Research Committee, the Georgia Association of Pathology (GAP) Education Committee, and the Emory Pathology AP Education Committee. Additionally, she holds leadership roles as a GAP Board of Directors member, Chair of the GAP Membership Committee, and Chair of the Chinese American Pathologists Association (CAPA) Cytopathology Subcommittee. 

Beyond her academic and clinical roles, Dr. Wang contributes to global cancer education as a lecturer and moderator through the Partnership of Emory, Yale, and Africa for Cancer and Education (PEACE), where she also serves on the PEACE Annual Symposium Planning Committee. Her commitment to medical education has been recognized by Emory School of Medicine’s Educator Appreciation Day in both 2023 and 2024. 

WEI ZHENG, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. Zheng is a GI and liver pathologist with expertise in histopathologic diagnostics and pathology research. His academic interests primarily focus on the application of histogenomics and AI in gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pancreatobiliary diseases. In addition to his research and clinical practice, Dr. Zheng is deeply committed to medical education and mentorship, developing educational materials to support continuing education in pathology. He also serves on multiple national and international educational committees, as well as the editorial boards of several scientific and pathology journals, contributing to the advancement of the broader pathology community.

PATRICE WILLIAMS, MHA
Communications Manager
Emory University Department of Pathology

Patrice Williams is a Communications Professional with 10+ years’ experience developing professional, polished communication materials and strategy. Possessing a keen attention to detail and a passion for all-things communications-related, Patrice is an effective communicator with skill in forging solid working relationships with professionals at all levels. Born and raised in rural Mississippi, Patrice grew up in an environment where “everybody knows everybody” and where hospitality reigns supreme. As a result, Patrice takes pride in not just being a good, effective communicator, but also in spreading warmth and Southern hospitality in all work environments and beyond.

FATIMAH ABDULKAREEM, MBBCh, MD, FMCPath, FNAMed
Consultant Gastrointestinal/Liver Pathologist
Dept of Anatomic & Molecular Pathology
College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Fatimah is a professor of anatomic pathology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and Consultant pathology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, with over 25years experience in medical education, mentoring and cancer research with interest in GIT and liver pathology. She was a fellow of ISN, UICC ICRETT, ACLI and benefited from an NIH Summit on human genetics and genomics in 2018. As a member of AORTIC, leader in pathology and the current president of the West African Division of International Academy of Pathology (WADIAP), she has facilitated and contributed to policy formulation to improve pathology practice in West Africa. She is a co-investigator on several international, multicenter cancer research grants, has mentored >50 trainees and co-authored over 150 publications in peer re-reviewed journals. She serves as reviewer for several international academic journals and the current editor in chief of the Nigerian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

ADETOLA OLUBUNMI DARAMOLA, MD, FMCPATH(NIG)
Consultant Anatomic Pathologist
Anatomic and Molecular Pathology Department
Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
College of Medicine, University of Lagos

Dr. Adetola Daramola is a Consultant Anatomic Pathologist  at the Lagos University Teaching  Hospital and a Professor of Anatomic Pathology at the College of Medicine University of Lagos.  Her research interest is in diseases that affect women, experimental pathology and genetics. In the past 10 years her research focus has been on breast cancer because of its aggressiveness in women of African ancestry. She is also the Deputy Director of the Medical Education Unit at the College  of Medicine University of Lagos.

YAWALE ILIYASU, MD
Professor of Anatomic Pathology
College of Medicine, Kaduna State University, Nigeria
Chief Consultant, Anatomic Pathology, Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital

Dr. Yawale Iliyasu has been a qualified Surgical Pathologist since 1994. He is a Professor of Anatomic Pathology at the College of Medicine, Kaduna State University, Nigeria and Chief Consultant Anatomic Pathologist at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital also in Kaduna.

Dr. Iliyasu is the Vice President of the International Academy of Pathology and immediate Past President of the West African Division of the IAP and the International College of Surgeons, Nigerian Section. He is the Principal Investigator (West Africa) of the Sub-Saharan Africa Lymphoma Consortium established by the NCI USA in 2010. He is also a Founding Father & Foundation Fellow of the College of Pathologists of East, Central & Southern Africa (COPECSA).

Dr. Iliyasu is also a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army where he served for 25 years as the Chief Consultant Anatomic Pathologist to the Nigerian Army. He has received many local and international awards and his main area of interest is lymphomas.

Dr. Iliyasu is married and blessed with four children and loves reading, traveling and spending quality time with his family.

FRED MAATE, MBCHB, MMED PATHOLOGY
Lecturer of Pathology
University of Zambia School of Medicine

Dr. Maate is a surgical pathologist trained at the University of Zambia with over two years of post-qualification experience. He teaches pathology to undergraduate medical students, students of the Master of Medicine in Pathology (Clinical Pathology), and students of the Master of Medicine in Anatomical Pathology at the University of Zambia School of Medicine. While he is currently a general surgical pathologist, he has a special interest in gynecologic pathology. His research collaborations are in ocular surface neoplasms and gynecologic malignancies.

Dr. Maate is the treasurer of the Pathologists Association of Zambia and he is a member of the Zambia Medical Association.

Dr. Maate enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons and daughter. While not at work or home, Dr. Maate is an athlete who spends time doing solo and group runs including participating in marathons. He also spends time singing in a men's group Breath of Truth.

J. OLUFEMI OGUNBIYI, MBBS
Professor, Department of Pathology,
Director, Ibadan Cancer Registry,
College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

• Dr. Ogunbiyi's clinical focus is in both Autopsy an Surgical Pathology with major emphasis on Lung, Liver and Prostate Pathology, which he signs out at the University College Hospital. These, apart from Gastrointestinal Pathology cases, General Surgical Pathology cases, and both gynecological and non-gynecologic cytology.
• Research Interests: Lung, Liver/Gastrointestinal, and Prostate Pathology
• Selected Awards/Honours:
  • International Fellow, College of American Pathologists
  • Fellow, College of Pathologists of East, Central and South Africa
  • Foundation Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Medicine (2020)
  • Foundation Fellow, Academy of Medicine Specialties, Nigeria (2021)
  • Selected National/International Service:
  • Foundation President, West African Division of the International Academy of Pathology (AWADIAP)