Humayun Islam, M.D., Ph.D., Appointed Chair to Lead Newly Combined Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Departments
He joined NYMC in 2002 and currently holds a faculty appointment in the School of Medicine (SOM) as clinical professor of pathology and clinical associate professor of medicine.
Humayun Islam, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed chair of the newly combined Departments of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology at New York Medical College (NYMC).Dr. Islam has served as interim chair of the Department of Pathology since 2019. Dr. Islam is also a member of the faculty of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences (GSBMS). He serves as vice director of pathology, chief of anatomic pathology, director of hematopathology and director of the pathology residency program at Westchester Medical Center (WMC), one of NYMC’s major clinical affiliated sites.
“The integration of the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology will provide new opportunities to leverage the combined educational, clinical and research expertise in these outstanding departments. We fully expect that having closer interactions of clinicians with basic science investigators will lead to major advances in clinical translational studies for our faculty and learners,” says Jerry L. Nadler, M.D., SOM dean and professor of medicine and pharmacology. “We are also conducting a national search to recruit a vice chair of research as another benefit for the combined department. The COVID19 pandemic has made it clearer than ever that having basic science expertise to tackle important clinical problems rapidly can be lifesaving. I am very eager to work with Dr. Islam as chair of this newly integrated department.”
“Dr. Islam will catalyze interdisciplinary team science approach spanning basic, translational and clinical projects in the integrated department; I am thrilled to continue to work with him in this new role,” added Marina K. Holz, Ph.D., GSBMS dean.
“I am extremely excited, and look forward to working together with outstanding faculty and staff in these newly merged departments as well as with the larger community of NYMC,” Dr. Islam said of the opportunity. “I strongly believe this integration will create a new horizon of opportunity and collaboration and continue to advance the academic and scholarly missions of NYMC.”
Over his more than 15 years with NYMC, Dr. Islam has been an active member of the College community, serving as a member of the NYMC Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects Oncology Panel, a member of the Graduate Medical Education executive committee, as well as an advisor, educator and mentor to students, residents and fellows.
He is a recognized leader in his field both nationally and internationally. Dr. Islam is currently serving a second term as chair of the New York State House of Delegation of the American College of Pathologists and recently became the President of the New York State Society of Pathologists. He is a strong advocate of global health initiatives; regularly volunteers in telepathology consultations and conducts in-person workshops overseas. Dr. Islam is the author of several peer-reviewed articles representing the collaborative work of the Department of Pathology, together with several other departments at NYMC and WMC. He has been named as a Top Pathologist by the New York Top Doctor Patient Review.
Dr. Islam received his medical degree at Dhaka Medical College in Bangladesh and his Ph.D. from Hokkaido University School of Medicine in Japan. He completed his residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology in NYMC's Department of Pathology at WMC, where he served as chief resident and fellowship training in hematopathology at New York University Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Islam is triple board-certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology and Hematology.
Drs. Islam, Nadler and Holz, extend their thanks to Raj Tiwari, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and associate professor of otolaryngology, for his 24 years of service to NYMC and his two years as interim chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Dr. Tiwari continues to be recognized as a valued member of the NYMC community for his mentoring and teaching excellence and on January 21 was awarded the Dean’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring.