Meet our IAC member Dr. Esther Diana Rossi, MD, PhD, MIAC

We are continuing our series of presenting IAC members to give you an idea of who we are at the IAC.

1. Today, we have the pleasure of presenting our member Dr. Esther Diana Rossi. May you introduce yourself, dear Diana?

I am an Associate Professor of Anatomic Pathology and Histology at the Catholic University “Agostino Gemelli” School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. I hold the title of full Professor of Pathology and head the Endocrine and Cytology Units. Furthermore, I am the President-Elect of the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology, Associate Editor for Cancer Cytopathology, Chief Editor for Europe-World Tumour Registry, and the co-chair of the EFCS Scientific Committee.

2. What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Kindness, determination, enthusiasm.

3. Can you reveal a bit about your career path?

Sure, of course, with joy. During my medical school, I was a student doing my internship in general surgery. But when I obtained my MD, I decided that before my residency in Surgery, I needed to attend the Pathology department for a while, in order to see if my choice of surgery was correct. Of course, surgery was not my passion, and in fact, pathology was my “Love at first sight”. After a few weeks, I decided to apply for my residency in Anatomic Pathology. My residency was followed by a PhD from the Catholic University in Rome, Italy. During my residency, I had an international observer in surgical pathology and cytopathology at the University of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University (both in Philadelphia), Gustave Roussy (Paris), and the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP). I have always had this gipsy way to know different realities and places.

4. When did you know that you wanted to become a cytopathologist and why?

Since I started my residency, my director, Prof Capelli, suggested me to follow Prof Fadda ‘s job, which dealt with endocrine pathology and cytopathology in my institution. I remember that when I sat at the microscope for the first time with him, thyroid cells were my first microscopic cells.  But, to be honest, I have to tell you a story, which looks like a sort of predestination. We have to go back to my first year of MD course, and when I delivered the exam of Human Histology during the first year. The exam included a practical part with a single slide and an oral exam. Well, during the practical part, my tissue, chosen by chance, was a section of thyroid tissue with lovely follicular cells. Unbeliavable eh. But I believe in destiny

Furthermore, the beginning of my career as a national and international speaker was by chance during the ECC 2011 in Istanbul.

5. What is most appealing to you in your profession?

Every single aspect of our daily joy is exciting and extremely important to me. I do love the possibility to look at cells and tissue and combine their evidence with the clinical features. To be useful and helpful for patients. I do love it. Furthermore, I do love the opportunity to use the cytological and histological evidence and observations as the trigger for research and for improving the management and treatment of so many diseases. In my case, endocrine and head and neck lesions.

6. What would you advise anyone considering cytopathology as a career?

I’m a very enthusiastic and active person. So, I would literally suggest jumping into” the world of cytology with all the possible energies and joy. Being active in the interaction with other cytopathologists all over the world, following the societies and entering the “circle of the cytology world”. This means to me sharing experiences, cases, projects, and ideas in order to be educational and teaching people what we have learnt from our mistakes, our daily practice, and our courage in some cases. But at the same time, I would suggest doing cytology and histology. Being out of the box of a single practice. Both sides might help us to be better cyto-histopathologists. It is so important and educational to have the possibility to verify your cytologic conclusions/diagnoses on histology. It is a significant way to improve your performance as a cytopathologist as well

7. Which books should anyone interested in cytopathology read?

There are so many, also because, apart from the all-comprehensive cytology textbooks, many organ-specific books have been published in recent decades. Each of them is important for the different fields of cytology. So, the more, the better. But also remember to follow the journals, read articles, and try to publish your own series. At the beginning, it might seem tough, but then it will be a joyful moment of sharing what you see at the microscopic with the reading audience

8. When and why have you joined the IAC?

I joined the IAC membership in 2012, during the ECC annual meeting in Cavtat. I joined it because I was fascinated by the amazing job that the society was doing in being inclusive and in promoting cytology in the international community. I have always loved the concept of inclusion, of making people feeling as in a family group. Of course, as it happens in a family, there are disagreements, and also discussions are not excluded, but always with the final purpose to be constructive for the common sense and community. And to be honest, some cytopathologists are also my best friends, always around, in good and bad events, even if kilometres separate us.

9. What is your role within the IAC?

I’m a member and the head of the IAC Webinars and E-Learning Committee. It is exciting to think about all the new webinars and cool projects that we are going to launch and to share with the IAC community. Stay tuned, amazing speakers are coming up soon.

Furthermore, in recent years, as a cytopathologist and endocrine pathologist, I joined several different societies. But regardless of the societies, my “primum movens” is always an incredible joy, enthusiasm and energy to do as much as possible to promote cytology, share ideas, research and knowledge. And to be inclusive, to make everyone aware of the role and additional value for the cytology community. I do not like small groups or limited groups; there is always the joy of adding a seat: on the table, on the projects, on the papers. Everywhere.

10. Can you give us an idea of your plans for the IAC?

So many ideas, so many sudden ideas, starting as a trigger, in any moment. To be honest, some of my ideas are also made up in the early morning when I do my makeup before leaving for work.

What I can say is that I’m enjoying my path and my run, looking at the beautiful landscape of human beings that I have around me.  Inspiration is always around us, with the joy of our walking through the cytology paths. All together.

Thank you for this interview. I really enjoyed it, and I’m also ready for many more, with more aspects of my life.

Diana