Lee, Anna Fong
PhD, MDCM
Academic Rank(s)
Clinical Associate Professor, UBC , Pediatric Pathologist, BC Children’s Hospital
Affiliation(s)
I am working in my dream job as a pediatric and perinatal pathologist, having wanted to do this sub-specialty since medical school. After graduating with a BSc in Microbiology and Immunology at UBC in 1999, I went on to obtain MDCM and PhD degrees at McGill University in 2007. I completed my residency in Anatomical Pathology (now known as Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology) at UBC in 2012. In 2012-2013, I did my fellowship training in pediatric and perinatal pathology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, USA), and came back to Vancouver to work as a pediatric and perinatal pathologist at Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia (BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals).
If you are curious about my journey to become a pediatric and perinatal pathologist, listen to this podcast where I was interviewed by Western University undergraduate students on how I chose pathology, and specifically pediatric and perinatal pathology:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1fB6FKdrAXgDxiWEFMEw7s
Outside of work I like to run long distances, hike, ski, go mushroom picking, and do birdwatching.
Academic Background
- 1999 – BSc (Microbiology and Immunology), University of British Columbia
- 2005 – PhD (Neurological Sciences), McGill University (supported by CIHR MD/PhD Studentship)
- 2007 – MDCM, McGill University
- 2012 – Completed residency in Anatomical Pathology, UBC
- 2012 – Diploma, American Board of Pathology
- 2013 – Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- 2013 – Completed fellowship in Pediatric and Perinatal Pathology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania)
- 2013 – Diploma, Pediatric and Perinatal Pathology
Awards and Recognition
Publications
Research Interest
I am an investigator at the BC Children’s Research Institute. My main academic interest is in perinatal (fetal and placental) pathology. Currently I am working with investigators in Victoria (Dr. Martina Mudri and Dr. Martin Prusinkiewicz) to look at molecular mechanisms involved in the development of lung hypoplasia in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
My secondary interest is in endometriosis. I am a co-investigator on projects led by Dr. Michael Anglesio (Assistant Professor, UBC Obstetrics and Gynecology) and Dr. Paul Yong (Associate Professor, UBC Obstetrics and Gynecology) looking at molecular alterations and clinicopathologic correlations in endometriosis.
I am also a pathology reviewer for the Personalized Oncogenomics (POG) Project at BC Cancer and PROFYLE (PRecision Oncology For Young peopLE).
From time to time, I work with UBC FLEX students and pathology residents on immunohistochemistry-based pathology projects (I am not doing wet lab projects). UBC medical students and UBC DMP residents can check the UBC FLEX Database or the UBC DMP Resident Research Database respectively for any active projects I may have listed.
Teaching Interest
I have been teaching medical students, residents, and other learners since I was a Pathology resident. I have daily interactions with learners signing out pathology cases in my office. I am also involved in Pathology small group teaching in the UBC medical school. From 2013-2016, I was a lecturer in the UBC BMLSc undergraduate program, creating unique content for PATH 304. From 2013-2022, I was a lecturer for the graduate course PATH 501, creating unique content for four modules. I give teaching sessions yearly at the UBC DMP Academic Half Day.
I am proud to be the program director of the Pediatric and Perinatal Pathology Area of Focused Competence Fellowship program, which was formally accredited by the Royal College in June 2023. We welcome applicants worldwide who have completed a residency in Anatomical Pathology (or equivalent specialty) and are eligible for educational medical licensure in BC. Information on the program and how to apply can be found at this link: https://pathology.ubc.ca/pathology-residents/