Communication Committee 2025–2028

Aims of the Committee

Provide ideas and input on projects related to the website and social media.

Responsibilities

• Work with the central office in overseeing and managing social channels to further the academy’s mission
• Explore opportunities to enhance and improve IAC website and other social media platforms
• Develop and implement new and innovative communication strategies
• Assist the academy with social media outreach
• Build and maintain cordial relationship with like-minded social media influencers
• Coordinate and assist the Education and Scientific Program committee, Webinar and e-learning committee and the Foundation committee.

Dr. Christina Zioga, MD, MIAC (Greece)

Christina Zioga is a medical doctor currently working as a consultant Cytopathologist at the “G. Papanikolaou” General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece. She is fascinated by new developments in Science Communication, is a certified lifeguard and a passionate first-aid instructor. It was those first-aid training sessions that led to the conception of the idea of the Diagnostic Medicine ABCDE algorithm. (Link to video on YouTube) Her extensive experience working as a Pathology Laboratory Technician (summa cum laude) led her to choose a Cytopathology residency after the completion of her studies in Medicine. She has also acquired a Master of Science Degree in Medical Informatics. She received a travel award from the Digital Pathology Association (2018) and she has also appeared in consecutive Power Lists of “The Pathologist? journal (2019-2022). Her goals include strengthening Cytopathology as a leader in contemporary medicine.

Dr. Jamal Musayev, MD, MIAC (Azerbaijan)

Dr. Jamal Musayev currently serves as the Director of the Baku Pathology Center. He is also actively involved in academic and clinical practice at the Karabakh University Clinic. He is the founding president of the Society of Pathology and Cytopathology, operating under the Azerbaijan Society of Clinical Laboratory Specialists. At the international level, he contributes as a member of the Social Media Committee of the journal Cytopathology. His professional interests within cytopathology include fine-needle aspiration and interventional cytology.

Dr. Mark Chien-Chin Chen, MD, FIAC (Taiwan)

Dr. Mark Chien-Chin Chen is currently a surgical pathologist/cytopathologist at Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chiayi Christian Hospital and serves as the President of the Taiwan Society of Clinical Cytology. He is on the editorial boards of most cytology journals, including Cancer Cytopathology, Diagnostic Cytopathology, and Cytopathology, with more than 130 primary peer reviews. In cytology, he aims to improve clinical routine application and promote international collaborative works. 

Dr. Nathalie Rodrigues (Junior Member) (USA)

Dr. Nathalie Rodrigues Simoes is a Cytopathology Fellow at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School. She recently completed her Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in June 2025, where she served as a College of American Pathologists (CAP) delegate, participated in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) subcommittee, and was an active member of the Associate Resident Council.
Originally from Venezuela and of Portuguese descent, Dr. Rodrigues Simoes brings an international and multicultural perspective to her work in pathology. She earned her medical degree in Venezuela and later moved to the United States to pursue further medical training, research, and residency.
Dr. Rodrigues Simoes has presented research at major national meetings, including the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) and the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC), where she was recognized for her academic contributions. She has co-authored multiple abstracts and educational posters in cytopathology, and her work has been featured in peer-reviewed platforms. She was selected to serve on the Communications Committee of the International Academy of Cytology (IAC), where she contributes to global outreach and educational initiatives.
Her areas of interest include thyroid and pancreatic cytopathology, quality improvement in diagnostic accuracy, and cytopathology education. Deeply committed to mentorship and medical education, Dr. Rodrigues Simoes is passionate about supporting the next generation of pathologists and advancing the field through service, scholarship, and collaboration

Dr. Tanya Labiano, MD, MIAC (Spain)

Dr. Tania Labiano is subspecialized pathologist in Cytopathology, Breast and Pulmonary Surgical Pathology at University Hospital of Navarra, Spain since 2012. She completed her Master’s Degree in Research in Health Sciences from Public University of Navarra in 2018. Secretary of Spanish Society of Cytopathology (2021-2023).USCAP Ambassador 2020-2023. She collaborates with the medical students of the University of Navarra as Associate Clinical Professor. In addition, she is an active member of Spanish Society and regional vocal.
Her major interests include molecular cytopathology in lung cancer, professional use of social media in pathology and digital cytopathology.

Dr. Sara Monaco, MD, MIAC (U.S.A.)

Dr. Sara E. Monaco completed her training, including cytopathology fellowship, at the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), where she stayed for over 12 years as a faculty
member. In 2020, Dr. Monaco became the System Director of Cytopathology at Geisinger
Medical Center, where she is also Professor of Pathology at Geisinger Commonwealth School of
Medicine, Program Director of the Cytopathology Fellowship, and Section Head for GYN-
Cervical Surgical Pathology. Dr. Monaco has been involved with numerous pathology societies
and presented several educational courses at national and international meetings, including the
ASC, ECC, IAC, ASCP, and USCAP. She is currently on the ASC Executive Board and serves as the
ASC Vice President/President Elect.

Communications Officer: Carmen Hillebrand, MA (Germany)

Carmen Hillebrand has been the IAC’s Communication Manager (ext.) for two years. Building on the communication strategy she has developed for the IAC, she is responsible for the IAC’s content and community management on social media, with accounts on X, LinkedIn, Bluesky and a WhatsApp news channel.  

Carmen is a freelance social media consultant and university lecturer. She specializes in strategic development of social media for companies and personal brands for CEOs and crisis communication. She has 25 years of experience in communications (coming from a solid PR background), including 19 years in social media. 

dr. Syed Z. Ali, MD, FRCPath, FIAC (USA)

Prof. Ali serves as Professor of Pathology and Radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as well as the Director of the Division of Cytopathology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He received his Pathology residency training at North Shore University Hospital/Cornell University in New York with fellowships in Oncologic Surgical Pathology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Cytopathology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Known globally as an innovative educator, Prof. Ali has well over 375 invited lectures, keynote speeches and visiting professorships all over the world. In collaboration with international societies and universities, he directs or co-directs several annual major cytopathology tutorials.

Prof. Ali has published extensively with over 335 peer-reviewed articles in major scientific journals, over 35 books, book chapters and electronic media. Known for his expertise in “Thyroid” and “Pancreatic” cytopathology, his monograph on “The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology” (now in its 3rd edition) has been translated in 8 languages and is extensively used in medical practice all over the world. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology (JASC) and a past-President of the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC). Presently, he serves as the President of the International Academy of Cytology (IAC) and Chair of the International Board of Cytopathology of the IAC. He is a fellow of both the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) and the IAC. He is recipient of the ASC’s “Warren R. Lang Award” in 1996, “President’s Award” in 2012, “Excellence in Education Award” in 2015, the IAC’s “Maurice Goldblatt Award” in 2019, Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology’s “LC Tao Educator of the Year Award” in 2022 and the ASC’s “Papanicolaou Award” in 2023.

Massimo Bongiovanni, MD, FIAC (Switzerland)

Dr. Bongiovanni is head of Cytopathology at SYNLAB Pathology in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is member of the Pathology Expert Group, at SYNLAB International, Member (MIAC) and then Fellow (FIAC) of the International Academy of Cytology since 2016. He is the author of more than 200 scientific articles and 15 book chapters. He was Vice President of the Swiss Cytology Society (2015-2021) and a member of the Endocrine Tumor Group of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). He is associate editor of the journal Acta Cytologica and participates in the editorial board of the journal Diagnostic Cytopathology. He is currently co-chair of the scientific committee of the European Federation of Cytology Societies (EFCS).