Biography

Dr. Hanson received a B.S. degree in Biology (2002). He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree (2007) from the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Personal Statement

My primary research interests are in gastrointestinal and liver pathology. To this end, I have collaborated with almost every facet of GI clinical care at UNM hospital. I have worked with GI oncologists, adult and pediatric surgeons, and the basic scientists whose primary focus is in the pathophysiology of neoplastic and inflammatory GI diseases. I have been a co-investigator on several grants and continue to publish my own studies in both manuscript form and as abstract/poster presentations at national meetings. UNM residents and medical students alike participate in my research which has helped them gain competitive fellowships and residency appointments. This engagement with a wide variety of learners (residents, medical students, fellows, etc. . .) has filled an important role in the Division of Surgical Pathology by getting UNM trainees experience in academic medicine early on in their careers."

Areas of Specialty

June - August 2001: Undergraduate Researcher in Molecular Genetics: McLaughlin Research Institute for the Biomedical Sciences, Great Falls, MT.
June 2002 - June 2003: Post Undergraduate Researcher in Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
July 2007 - June 2011: Pathology Residency (AP/CP), University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT.
July 2011 - July 2012: Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology Fellowship, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
August 2012 - 2018: Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
August 2012 - present: Staff Consultant with Privileges in Pathology, UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center, Rio Rancho, MN
2017 - 2019: Senior Director of Surgical Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
2018 - Present: Associate Professor of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
2019 - Present: Interim Division Chief of Anatomic Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM

Education

Medical School: University of Arizona, College of Medicine (2007)
Residency: The University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care (2011), Anatomical and Clinical Pathology Residency
Fellowship: Yale University (2012), Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pathology

Certifications

American Board of Pathology, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, June 2011.
Certification of Completion in Morphology Training for the SurePath Liquid-Based Pap test, 2012.

Achievements & Awards

•2020: University of New Mexico Department of Surgery 6th Annual Research Symposium; First Place Resident Research Award to Dr. Antoinette Esce for our abstract, “Predicting Nodal Metastases in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Using Artificial Intelligence.”
• 2020: American Gastroenterology Association Poster of Distinction awarded to our abstract accepted at Digestive Disease Week, “A Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network can Differentiate Between Helicobacter Gastritis and Autoimmune Gastritis with Results Comparable to Expert Pathologists.”
• 2014: University of New Mexico Department of Pathology Resident Teaching Award
• July 2011 - July 2012: Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology Fellowship, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
• 2010: $500 awarded for 5th Place Junior Member Abstract for “The Use of a Fat Dissolving Solution in Identifying Lymph Nodes in Colon Cancer Resections” at the meeting of the College of American Pathologists, 2010
• 2007: Graduated in the top third of the medical school class of the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Gender

Male

Languages

  • English

Courses Taught

•Curriculum Development, Educational Activities, and Educational Administrative Positions
•2020: COVID-19 Distance Learning Innovations
•Utilized PathPresenter.net in a flipped classroom format so UNM medical students could: 1) evaluate scanned pathology cases after pre-reading assignments, 2) make formal diagnoses, 3) discuss the clinical implications of their diagnoses
•Student diagnoses reviewed and discussed on Zoom during small group breakout sessions
•2018 - 2020: Contribute questions (by invitation) to the American Board of Pathology Continuing Certification Program (CertLink)
•2017 - Present: Surgical Pathology Fellowship Director, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
•Reorganized the UNM surgical pathology fellowship to incorporate the fellow into the routine UNMH pathology case load to ensure a yearlong interaction with UNMH surgical pathologists
•Added the option of graduated independent sign out responsibilities for exceptional fellows (Clinical Instructor role)
•Added optional first review of all consult cases and outside slide reviews for patients receiving treatment at UNMH
•Eliminated fellow grossing responsibilities which had previously made our fellowship uncompetitive
•Gave fellow his/her own sign-out bench, which is equal to a complete cross section of what all faculty sign-out on a daily basis. The fellow is paired with a faculty mentor who staffs this bench every day.
•2012 - Present: Faculty Director, University of New Mexico GI/Liver Pathology Elective
•Developed goals and objectives for resident education in GI and liver pathology for a subspecialty elective month, including development of comprehensive teaching slide sets with clinical case histories, a pre and post-test, and an end of rotation evaluation (improvements ongoing). This has been one of the most popular senior resident electives since inception.

Research and Scholarship

Invited Lectures
•2020, Basic Liver Histology for GI Clinical Fellows: An Interactive Slide Seminar Utilizing Pathpresenter.net. UNM Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
•2020, GI Pathology Safe Space Q/A Session for GI Clinical Fellows. UNM Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Research Presented at the UNM Department of Pathology Seminar Series
•2018, SATB2 versus CDX2: A Battle Royale for Diagnostic Supremacy in Mucinous Tumors. Presenter: Dr. Stefan Brettfeld (PGY3, Department of Pathology)
•2017, Acute Esophageal Necrosis (AEN): A Large Autopsy Study with Emphasis on Its Association with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Presenter: Dr. Emily Wolak (PGY2, Department of Pathology)

Scholarly Achievements
Scholarly Articles in Refereed Journals (*indicates trainee involved with article)
1. Abbas A, Khalid S, Boppana V, Hanson J, Lin H, McCarthy D. Giant Gastric Ulcers: An Unusual Culprit. Dig Dis Sci. October 2020;65(10):2811-2817.
2. *Redemann J, Schultz FA, Martinez C, *Harrell M, Clark DP, Martin DR, Hanson JA. Comparing Deep Learning and Immunohistochemistry in Determining Site of Origin for Well Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors (WDNETs). Journal of Pathology Informatics. October 2020;11:32 (eCollection).
3. Qeadan F, Bansal P, Hanson JA, Beswick EJ. The MK2 Pathway is Linked to G-CSF, Cytokine Production and Metastasis in Gastric Cancer: A Novel Itercorrelation Analysis Approach. J Transl Med. March 2020;18(1):137.
4. *Paleti S, Hanson JA, Rustagi T. Trachealization of Esophagus: Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. February 2020;S1542-3565(20):30195-6.