Alton Brad Farris, MD

Renal Pathology

Assistant Professor
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Pathology Division(s):
Anatomic Pathology

Email Address:
abfarri@emory.edu

Education:

B.S.   Millsaps College, Major: Chemistry (American Chemical Society), Minor: Computer Science (Honors, Summa Cum Laude), 1996 - 2000

M.D.   University of Mississippi Medical Center (Magna Cum Laude, Dean's Award, Alpha Omega Alpha), 2000 - 2004

Resident   Massachusetts General Hospital, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, 2004 - 2008

Fellow   Massachusetts General Hospital, Renal and Surgical (Gastrointestinal) Pathology, 2008 - 2009

Research Interests:

- Renal allograft pathology
I am interested in the diverse spectrum seen in renal allograft pathology and how the changes interpreted by pathologists can impact renal allograft recipients. Recently my efforts in this regard have been the study of the chronic changes in renal allografts, particularly chronic antibody mediated (humoral) rejection.

- Pathology Informatics
I am interested in applying new technology in anatomic pathology. In particular, I have applied whole slide imaging to the analysis of renal biopsies to measure parameters such as fibrosis. I have also been involved in several studies in the surgical pathology subspecialties of gastrointestinal and pulmonary pathology where I have applied similar techniques. I hope that performing quantitative analysis on pathology specimens will eventually yield new insights, facilitate accurate diagnoses, and ultimately lead to optimal patient care.

- Surgical Pathology
I have been involved in investigating various topics in surgical pathology, particularly in gastrointestinal and pulmonary pathology. One focus of my research has been the study of incipient neoplasia and the application of immunohistochemistry and informatics methods to help understand various disorders in surgical pathology. I enjoy collaborating with suspecialists in these areas and helping them apply new methods to eventually discover novel insights.

Clinical Focus:

My primary clinical focus is renal allograft pathology and the diagnosis of medical renal disease. I am also interested in the practice of surgical pathology, particularly gastrointestinal pathology. In the area of gastrointestinal pathology, I have become increasingly interested in the area of hepatic pathology and hepatic transplantation pathology.

Honors / Awards:

Chief Resident, Anatomic Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2008

Specialty Boards:

2008  Anatomic and Clinical Pathology

Selected Publications:

Published and Accepted Research Articles -

Neilson EG, Farris AB. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 21-2009. A 61-year-old woman with abdominal pain, weight loss, and renal failure. N Engl J Med. 2009 Jul 9;361(2):179-87. PubMed PMID: 19587344.

AB. Farris, RP Hasserjian, LR Zukerberg, PC Amrein, RE Greene, EJ Mark, RL Kradin. Diffuse Cellular and Fibrosing Interstitial Pneumonitis with Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonitis-Like Features Associated with Myeloid Neoplasia. American Journal of Surgical Pathology. [Article accepted for publication].

Wang WL, Farris AB, Lauwers GY, Deshpande V. Autoimmune pancreatitis-related cholecystitis: a morphologically and immunologically distinctive form of lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing cholecystitis. Histopathology. 2009 Jun;54(7):829-36.

IJpelaar DH, Farris AB, Goemaere N, Amann K, Goldschmeding R, Nguyen TQ, Farkash E, van den Heuvel MC, de Heer E, Bruijn JA, Colvin RB, Bajema IM. Fidelity and evolution of recurrent FSGS in renal allografts. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Nov;19(11):2219-24. Epub 2008 Jun 25. PubMed PMID: 18579640; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2573002.

Farris AB, Lauwers GY, Ferry JA, Zukerberg LR. The rectal tonsil: a reactive lymphoid proliferation that may mimic lymphoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 2008 Jul;32(7):1075-9. PubMed PMID: 18520440.

Lewandrowski K, Flood J, Finn C, Tannous B, Farris AB, Benzer TI, Lee-Lewandrowski E. Implementation of point-of-care rapid urine testing for drugs of abuse in the emergency department of an academic medical center: impact on test utilization and ED length of stay. Am J Clin Pathol. 2008 May;129(5):796-801. PubMed PMID: 18426741.

Farris AB, Misdraji J, Srivastava A, Muzikansky A, Deshpande V, Lauwers GY, Mino-Kenudson M. Sessile serrated adenoma: challenging discrimination from other serrated colonic polyps. Am J Surg Pathol. 2008 Jan;32(1):30-5. PubMed PMID:18162767.

Farris AB, Mark EJ, Kradin RL. Pulmonary "inflammatory myofibroblastic" tumors: a critical examination of the diagnostic category based on quantitative immunohistochemical analysis. Virchows Arch. 2007 May;450(5):585-90. Epub 2007 Mar 20. PubMed PMID: 17372757.

Farris AB, Kradin RL. Follicular localization of dendritic cells in a xanthomatous inflammatory tumor of lung associated with human herpes virus-8 infection. Virchows Arch. 2006 Dec;449(6):726-9. Epub 2006 Nov 8. PubMed PMID: 17106709.

Hughson M, Farris AB 3rd, Douglas-Denton R, Hoy WE, Bertram JF. Glomerular number and size in autopsy kidneys: the relationship to birth weight. Kidney Int. 2003 Jun;63(6):2113-22. PubMed PMID: 12753298.

Ward TJ, Farris AB, Woodling K. Synergistic chiral separations using the glycopeptides ristocetin A and vancomycin. J Biochem Biophys Methods. 2001 Apr 24;48(2):163-74. PubMed PMID: 11356486.

Ward TJ, Farris AB. Chiral separations using the macrocyclic antibiotics: a review. J Chromatogr A. 2001 Jan 12;906(1-2):73-89. Review. PubMed PMID: 11215904.

Book Chapters -

Farris AB and Nielsen GP. Genitourinary Infectious Disease Pathology. In: RL Kradin. Surgical Pathology of Infectious Disease. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. [Chapter in press]

Farris AB, Selig M, and Nielsen GP. Electron Microscopy of Infectious Disease. In: RL Kradin. Surgical Pathology of Infectious Disease. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. [Chapter in press]

Kradin RL and Farris AB. Case 4: Mixed fungal infection in an immunocompromised patient. in: A. Zembowicz. Critical Diagnoses in Dermatopathology. Queensland, Australia.: Knowledge Books and Software. 2007.

Books Edited and Written -

Colvin RB, Cornell L, Vasilyev A, Farris AB, Meehan S, Chang A, Smith RN. Diagnostic Pathology: Renal Disease. Salt Lake City, UT: AMIRSYS. [Book in preparation]

Other Publications -

AB Farris, CD Adams, N Brousaides, PA Della Pelle, AB Collins, E Moradi, P Grimm, RB Colvin. Novel Subtraction Morphometry Technique for Assessing Fibrosis in Renal Biopsies. Laboratory Investigation. 89:1s (January 2009). 302A:1368. Boston, MA: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, March 4, 2009.

AB Farris, J Gaut, W Wong, P Della Pelle, N Brousaides, AB Collins, S Saidman, EE Schneeberger, RN Smith, RB Colvin. Pathology, Serology and Clinical Characteristics of 68 Patients with Chronic Humoral Renal Allograft Rejection (CHR). Laboratory Investigation. 89:1s (January 2009). 302A:1369. Boston, MA: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, March 4, 2009

AB Collins, AB Farris, W Wong, S Saidman, N Tolkoff-Rubin, NB Goes, DS Ko, AB Cosimi, RB Colvin. De Novo Membranous Glomerulonephritis Is Associated with C4d Depostion in Peritubular Capillaries and Basement Membrane Multilamination: Putative Variant of Chronic Humoral Rejection. Laboratory Investigation. 89:1s (January 2009). 302A:1363. Boston, MA: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, March 4, 2009.

AB Collins, AB Farris, RN Smith, CD Adams, PA Della Pelle, S Saidman, W Wong, RB Colvin. Challenges in the Diagnosis of Chronic Antibody Mediated Rejection Due to Loss of Peritubular Capillaries and Low Extent and Transient Nature of C4d Deposition. Laboratory Investigation. 89:1s (January 2009). 302A:1364. Boston, MA: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, March 4, 2009.

RV Mandal, K Notohara, V Deshpande, AB Farris, M Lisovsky, TC Smyrk, GY Lauwers, M Mino-Kenudson. Foxp3 and IgG4 Expression in Subtypes of Autoimmune Pancreatitis. Laboratory Investigation. 89:1s (January 2009). 302A:1429. Boston, MA: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, March 4, 2009.

G Soucy, JF Schmidt, JA Greenberg, S Cerda, K Dendrinos, F Farraye, AB Farris, GY Lauwers, HH Wang, RD Odze. Colonic Crohn's Disease: A Clinical/Pathologic and Outcome Study of 120 Patients. Laboratory Investigation. 89:1s (January 2009). 302A:669. Boston, MA: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, March 4, 2009

Farris AB, Turbiner J, Wu S, Nichols J, Wu C. Variability in the Gleason grading of poorly formed glands and the prediction of PSA failure from prostatic adenocarcinoma. Athens, Greece: International Congress of the International Academy of Pathology. October 15, 2008. Histopathology. 53 (Suppl. 1), 272-3.

Farris AB, Deshpande V, Ganguly A, Lauwers G. Autoimmune pancreatitis-related diabetes: qualitative analysis of endocrine and islet inflammatory cells. Athens, Greece: International Congress of the International Academy of Pathology. October 15, 2008. Histopathology. 53 (Suppl. 1), 134.

Farris AB, Wang W-L, Ganguly A, Lauwers GY, Deshpande V. Gallbladder Involvement in AIP Is a Primary Manifestation of the Disease. Denver, Colorado: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. March 5, 2008. Modern Pathology. 21:1(s):118A

Farris AB and Branda JA. QuantiFERON-TB Gold Assay for Tuberculosis Infection. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter. 29:17, September 1, 2007.

Hull MJ, Farris AB, Murphy EE, Laposata M, Flood J. Toxicology Interpretative Laboratory Service: A Pilot Program. MGH Clinical Research Day 2007. May 17, 2007.

Farris AB, Lauwers GY, and Zukerberg LR. The Rectal Tonsil: Analysis of Salient Histologic Features to Recognize this Important Entity. San Diego, California: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. March 27, 2007. Laboratory Investigation, 87:1(s):114A:508.

Saenz AJ, Lawlor M, Farris AB, Ko V. The Anatomy of a Trainee-driven Digital Atlas of Pathology. Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Winter Meeting, January 5th 2007, University College London, 2007.

Farris AB, Srivastava A, Misdraji J, Lauwers GY, Mino-Kenudson M. Sessile Serrated Polyp/Adenoma: Challenging Discrimination from Other Colonic Polyps. Atlanta, Georgia: United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. February 15, 2006. Laboratory Investigation, 86:1(s):107A-108A:487.

Farris A, Hughson MD, Bertram JF, Douglas-Denton R., & Hoy WE. Birth Weight is a Powerful Determinant of Total Nephron Number. 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, October, 2002. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 13F-P0212, 2002.

Farris A, Hughson MD, Young RJ, Bertram JF, & Hoy WE. Glomerular Number and Size in Autopsy Kidneys: Relationship to Birth Weight (Preliminary Findings). 2002 Annual Meeting of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. Laboratory Investigation, 82:1148A, 2002.

Farris AB, Woodling K, & Ward TJ. Synergistic Effects Using the Macrocyclic Antibiotics Vancomycin and Ristocetin A in Capillary Electrophoresis. American Chemical Society Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, undergraduate division, March 26-30, 2000.