Member Spotlight: Rena R. Xian

1. What is your name/professional title (and any degree(s)/trainings you did to achieve your position)?

   Rena R. Xian, MD, MS
   Associate Professor of Pathology and Oncology
   Director, Division of Molecular Pathology
   Director, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory
   Program Director, Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship

    

2. How would you describe your role in your current profession and what led you to this field?
   How does your work help patients?

   I am constantly learning in my current role and that’s the reason it is my dream job. I am able to help patients from my clinical work and from my research. This job is not something I envisaged I would be doing when I was in school and training, but it is everything I could have wanted.

    

3. Who or what inspires you?

   The patients I encounter and the people I work with inspire me.

    

4. What is the best part of your work? What are the greatest challenges you face in your work?

   Being able to discover new knowledge and pass that on to the next generation of pathologists is the best part of my job. There are challenges in all aspects of my work, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

    

5. How long have you been an AMP member and why did you join?

   I have been an AMP member since 2012. I joined as a trainee member because I looked up to the Molecular Pathologists who led AMP and I wanted to learn more about their work and the subspecialty.

    

6. In your opinion, what are the most valuable aspects of AMP membership? What AMP resources/courses have helped you advance your career?

   The most valuable aspect of AMP is the opportunity to serve the Molecular Pathology community at large. The annual meeting and the educational webinars bring major discoveries and practice updates to the forefront. The networking opportunities I have gained through AMP have enriched my professional development with new friends and colleagues.

    

7. In what ways have you previously been involved with AMP? If you currently volunteer with AMP, what committee, working group, etc. are you on and what do you enjoy most about being a part of it?

   I have been very fortunate to have been an AMP volunteer ever since 2019 serving in both elected and appointed positions. I am the current chair of the Hematopathology subdivision. I enjoy meeting and working with others with shared goals. We all learn from one another to help patients and to advance the field.

    

8. What’s your advice to early career/trainee/new AMP members?

   Molecular Pathology is an amazing field that is always evolving. It may feel like a daunting subspecialty to enter but it is so rewarding if you persist and work hard. Stay focused and stay involved. Volunteer for AMP!