Coming from a family of doctors, Mahpareh Mostoufizadeh decided to follow in their footsteps at the young age of 17. She had always had a good sense of leadership and the ability to remain focused on goals, so the field seemed a natural fit. Dr. Mostoufizadeh cares deeply for her patients and students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and at the Jefferson Hospital of the Allegheny Health Network. She has served the former as a clinical assistant professor of pathology since 1989 and the latter as the director of laboratories since 1987. She has also been the chairperson of the Blood Utilization and Transfusion Committee and a member of the Medical Executive Committee at the Jefferson Hospital for many years.
Prior to her current endeavors, Dr. Mostoufizadeh garnered experience as an instructor in pathology at Harvard Medical School and as a fellow in pathology at Harvard Medical School. This was preceded by a residency in clinical pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital through the Veterans Administration and the Boston Healthcare System on the West Roxbury Campus, a fellowship in perinatal and obstetrics pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a fellowship in gynecologic pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital through the General Hospital Corporation, a senior residency in hematopathology, surgical pathology and cytopathology at St. Vincent Hospital at the University of Massachusetts, a residency in atomic pathology at St. Vincent Hospital at the University of Massachusetts, and a rotating internship in major medicine at MacNeal Hospital in Illinois. Her professional designations include an MD from the Tehran University School of Medicine and licensure in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as certification in both clinical pathology and anatomic pathology from the American Board of Pathology.
When Dr. Mostoufizadeh isn’t working, she enjoys being active in her community. She is the vice president of the Women Medical Network, an inspector of the College of American Pathologists, and a member of the American Association of Clinical Pathology, the Pittsburgh Pathology Society, the Allegheny County Medical Society, the College of American Pathologists, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the Pennsylvania Pathology Society (now the Pennsylvania Association of Pathologists). Previously, Dr. Mostoufizadeh held roles like treasurer of the Physician-Hospital Organization through Jefferson Hospital and instructor of courses at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also organized weekly gynecologic pathology conferences for attendings and residents and monthly perinatal autopsy seminars at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Moustoufizadeh shared her experiences through a variety of publications over the years. Most recently, she authored “Application of Immunohistochemical Stains for Distinguishing Primary and Metastatic Carcinoma of Lung” for Jefferson Regional Medical Matters and co-authored “Altered Follicular Immunoarchitecture in FL, NLPHD and Other B-Cell Lymphomas” for Modern Pathology. Other notable articles include “A Quick Reference Guide, Guidelines and Policies for Utilization of Laboratory Tests” for the South Hills Health System, “Bringing Order to Test Orders: One Lab’s Story” for CAP TODAY, “Hamazaki-Wesenberg (H-W) Bodies: Mimickers of Fungal Yeasts” for Environmental Pathology Quarterly, “Mucinous Cystadenoma of Bartholin’s Gland: A Case Report” for the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, and “Persistence of Partial Mole” for the American Journal of Clinical Pathology and the Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey. She also contributed to the following presentations and publications: “Altered Follicular Immunoarchitecture in FL, NLPHD and Other B-Cell Lymphomas” at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology Annual Meeting in 2002, “Hydrop Fetalis in Gaucher’s Disease” at the Teratology Society Meetings in 1984, “Pseudocarcinomatous Lesions of Fallopian Tubes” at the U.S. and Canadian Division of the International Academy of Pathology in 1983, and “Partial Trisomy” at the Teratology Society Meetings in 1982.
In recognition of her success, Dr. Mostoufizadeh was nominated for Woman of the Year from 2003 to 2006, and was named among the Top Female Students for the Final High School Exam in Tehran, Iran, and to the list of Famous Persian Women in the Scientists and Engineers Category in the Encyclopedia. Her advice to the younger generations would be to have a good sense of judgment, to be balanced, and to take criticism well. Looking to the future, she hopes to continue contributing to society via consulting, speaking engagements, and charity work.