The
LABORATORY REPORT
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Drs. Mary Schwartz and Philip Cagle Named Texas Super Doctors
D
rs. Mary Schwartz and Philip Cagle were both selected as Super Doctors for the Texas list published in the December 2011 issue of Texas Monthly Magazine. The Super Doctors list identifies top doctors as selected by their peers and the independent research of Key Professional Media, Inc.
Mary R. Schwartz, M.D.
“It is an honor to be on the list with my good friend and long-time colleague, Phil Cagle,” said Dr. Schwartz, medical director of anatomic pathology for the Department and the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient of the College of American Pathologists. “I am proud to be on the list with Mary and so many others from Methodist,” said Dr. Cagle, medical director of pulmonary pathology for the Department and editor-in-chief of Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. “I hope to see more of our pathologists on the list in 2012.” Key Professional Media employs a rigorous multi-step process designed to identify physicians, usually in consumer-
oriented medical specialties, who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. For more information on Dr. Mary Schwartz, visit methodisthealth.com/ Schwartz. For more information on Dr. Philip Cagle, visit methodisthealth.com/ Cagle.
Philip T. Cagle, M.D.
Methodist Pathology Leads Medicine with New Gene Sequencing Instrumentation
T
he Molecular DiagThe MassARRAY Ananostics Laboratory lyzer uses mass spectromeof The Methodist try for genetic analysis. It Hospital System has acis capable of highquired three new nextthroughput genotyping of generation sequencing inpatient samples and will struments: the Ion Torrent be used to develop a comPersonal Genome Machine prehensive tumor muta(PGM) from Life Technolotion panel. gies, the MiSeq Personal For more information on Sequencer from Illumina, genetic testing at Methodand the MassARRAY ist, please contact Analyzer 4 from Sequenom. Dr. Randall Olsen at Dr. Olsen (far right) trains residents, fellows, and technologists on the new Sequenom. “These are game-changing rjolsen@tmhs.org. diagnostic instruments,” said Dr. Randall Olsen, medical director of the underwent intensive training for these Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory. “This instruments. technology enables us to rapidly generate The Ion Torrent PGM brings semiconaccurate diagnoses and provide crucial ductor technology to DNA sequencing. It prognostic and therapeutic information. is the fastest benchtop sequencer availThese instruments will significantly imable and ideally suited for rapid, wholepact patient care in The Methodist Hospigenome sequencing of individual strains tal System and other institutions served of bacteria. In comparison, the MiSeq by our reference laboratory.” instrument uses sequencing by synthesis The molecular diagnostics team, includtechnology and is capable of sequencing The Ion Torrent PGM. ing our molecular genetic pathology felthe genomes of multiple strains of bactelow Dr. Amanda Peterson and clinical ria in a single run. Both can be used for chemistry fellow Dr. Irene Shu, highly multiplexed amplicon sequencing.