A conversation with Dr. Sanjay Patel, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine
Sanjay Patel, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Q: How did you develop an interest in pathology? Did you always know this is what you wanted to do?
A: Not at all. In medical school, I explored nearly every specialty through required and elective rotations—radiology, anesthesiology, oncology. My mom is a pathologist, but pathology wasn't encouraged or visible in medical school. Medicine is often presented as patient-facing work, and pathology is perceived as happening "in the basement."
A cousin who's a dermatologist suggested I try pathology. I arranged a rotation at Memorial Sloan Kettering—fantastic place but not set up for medical students. It's geared toward Fellows who have already completed pathology residency. I spent four weeks thinking, "I have no idea what I'm doing or whether I'm any good at this." When faculty realized I was a medical student, not a Resident, they said, "Don't worry — you're just starting out - it takes many years to feel confident."
What ultimately drew me in was the intellectual process: figuring things out, making the diagnosis. Once the diagnosis was established, the treatment side was less exciting to me. So, somewhat blindly, I pursued pathology — and I loved it. Hematopathology combined my interest in hematology/oncology with diagnostics, so it was a natural fit.
My mom is very proud, although surprised. My dad, a neurologist, may still secretly wish I'd followed in his footsteps — but he's proud, too.
Q: Your clinical work focuses on leukemia, lymphoma, and other hematologic diseases. What do you like most about that practice?
A: Hematopathology remains closely connected to clinical medicine. In many solid tumors, pathology provides a diagnosis and then may be less involved as treatment continues. But for many blood cancers — acute leukemias in particular — pathology is needed at multiple points: rapid initial diagnosis, early treatment response assessment, and ongoing disease monitoring. We're in constant communication with hematology and oncology colleagues, often over months or years for the same patient. That proximity to patient care is incredibly meaningful.
Q: How has diagnostic accuracy evolved since you began your training?
A: Historically, hematopathology relied almost entirely on microscopy: evaluating cells on slides and interpreting morphology. We still do that — it's foundational — but the field has been at the leading edge of incorporating new technologies.
Because blood and bone marrow are composed of single cells rather than complex tissue structures, our field adopted immunophenotyping earlier than many others — first with immunohistochemistry and then flow cytometry. Now, molecular diagnostics has advanced exponentially. We routinely evaluate mutations across panels of genes to classify and stratify disease. Modern diagnostic criteria for many hematologic malignancies now require molecular characterization.
Twenty or thirty years ago, the potential for molecular testing to impact patient care was just starting to become apparent. Today, it's indispensable.
Q: Where do you see the next major advances in disease biology and therapy coming from?
A: I'm particularly excited about spatial biology — understanding how cells are organized within their native microenvironment. When we look through a microscope, we interpret what we can see with our own eyes. But computational and data-driven technologies allow us to phenotypically characterize individual cells in context and quantify cellular organization or disorganization that might drive disease.
Spatial proteomics was recently recognized as a "Nature Method of the Year." It's rapidly expanding our understanding of tissue architecture, in health and disease, and may also reveal new therapeutic targets.
Q: Who do you collaborate with on computational research?
A: I've worked with bioinformatics partners in industry and with data science laboratories at Weill Cornell, including the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine and groups led by people like Christopher Mason and Shahin Rafii. There's a tremendous increase in data-science expertise embedded directly in pathology labs now, which has transformed what we can accomplish.
Q: What role does artificial intelligence play in your work?
A: AI is integral — I'm really excited about the area of Computer Vision, and particularly about how we might use it to enhance hematopathology diagnosis. When we stain bone marrow biopsies with panels of antibodies, we generate vast, complex images. A single biopsy can contain 20,000–50,000 cells. Humans can't manually evaluate every cell in every case, let alone across dozens of cases. But we can train algorithms to identify cell types and patterns that are recognizable to us — just at far greater scale and consistency.
I'm not a data scientist, but I've learned enough to communicate effectively with collaborators who build these computational tools. AI helps us convert images into meaningful biological and clinical insights.
Q: How do you balance clinical work and research?
A: Like most academic pathologists, my primary responsibility is patient care. But clinical questions spark research ideas, and those projects become evenings and weekends — the things that keep me up at night, in a good way. Some studies are short-term; others take years to mature. It's incredibly rewarding when a long-running project reaches the finish line and contributes something new.
Q: You're also passionate about education. Why is teaching important to you?
A: Watching trainees grow — sometimes very quickly — is energizing. I use a Socratic style because it encourages active thinking. Being asked tough questions was how I learned best; those moments stick. Helping Residents and Fellows achieve something they didn't think they could — whether solving a difficult case or earning a competitive position — is extremely fulfilling.
Mentorship is bidirectional. When a mentor and mentee both grow, that's when the magic happens. I've been fortunate to have outstanding mentors here, including Dr. Giorgio Inghirami, with whom I connected immediately — unexpectedly — when I joined the faculty.
Q: As Director of the Hematopathology Fellowship Program, what experience do you want new Fellows to have?
A: Our program is busy — like other major academic programs — but I want Fellows not only to master core diagnostic skills, but also to think critically and to get outside their comfort zones. We try to emphasize primary literature, molecular hematopathology, and presenting at our new Molecular Hematopathology Conference. Even if they don't pursue basic science, exposure to mechanistic thinking enhances their future as clinical diagnosticians.
We're also aware that many Fellows relocate to New York. Historically, applicants intentionally sought out the city. Now that hematopathology uses a Match, some may end up here unexpectedly — so we're planning more structure to help them adjust and build community early.
Q: You've received major recognition, including the David Mason Award and the Ben Castleman Award. What did those mean to you?
A: They were both completely unexpected and deeply humbling. More than anything, they reinforced my passion for research — and that I should keep pushing.
Q: You currently serve as President of the New York Pathological Society. Why is this work meaningful to you?
A: I joined to engage with the local pathology community and quickly became involved in programming—inviting speakers, organizing events, and launching a well-received fall symposium. The Society has a long, distinguished history, and after the disruptions associated with COVID-19, there's been an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate participation and connection among colleagues.
Q: You trained in Boston but chose to move to New York. Why?
A: After growing up in Connecticut, early clinical training in Brooklyn followed by residency in Madison, Wisconsin and time in Boston, I wanted to return to settle back down in the Northeast — closer to family — and I love the energy of New York. Every other city feels a little sleepy by comparison. Weill Cornell Medicine is truly a flagship institution here, so it was an easy decision.
Q: You recently married our colleague Dr. Erika Hissong — congratulations! What's it like working in the same department?
A: Thank you! Honestly — it's wonderful. We never expected to meet someone in the same field, let alone the same specialty. We work on different floors and in different subspecialties, so we can share experiences without overlapping too closely. It's the best of both worlds.