Rhonda K. Yantiss is a surgical pathologist best known for her work in gastrointestinal pathology. She has an extensive record of publications, presentations, and accomplishments both in the US and internationally.
Yantiss served on the Education Committee of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) for 12 years – including four years as Chair. During her leadership, she promoted greater geographic and institutional diversity, helping create more equitable opportunities for USCAP members to engage in education and research.
Yantiss is currently a surgical pathologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she also serves as Vice Chair of Faculty Development and Mentorship in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. She has also recently taken an additional role as Editor-in-Chief of Modern Pathology, becoming the first woman to take the position.
Ivan Damjanov sat down with Yantiss to discuss her academically focused career and the mentorship that led her there.
Where did your interest in pathology blossom and who were the mentors that inspired you?
I became interested in pathology during my second year at Harvard Medical School, thanks to several inspiring mentors. Tucker Carlson was my small group tutor, Carolyn Compton gave lectures on GI pathology, and Robert Colvin was my pathology mentor. I was also fortunate to learn from Ramzi Cotran and Stanley Robbins, who were still teaching at the medical school and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Harvey Goldman was my lab instructor for GI pathology.
There were so many great teachers at Massachusetts General Hospital that it’s hard to name them all – Nancy Harris, Ben Pilch, Robin Young, Robert Scully, Eugene Mark, and Andrew Rosenberg all brought their own strengths and teaching styles. They truly cared about helping residents become better doctors. I still believe Andrew Rosenberg is one of the best surgical pathologists I’ve ever known – his attention to detail is unmatched.
At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, my mentors were Harvey Goldman and Donald Antonioli. Both were excellent pathologists and very kind to me. Donald was a generous, witty, and thoughtful teacher – a true gentleman scholar. Harvey was a sharp thinker who loved teaching, even to those of us who weren’t big Red Sox fans.
What were some of your early career highlights?
My first faculty position was at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. It was a great place to start, with interesting cases and a supportive group of colleagues. In 2005, I moved to New York City to join Weill Cornell Medical College, where I stayed until fall 2022. I took the job to focus on GI pathology and stayed because of the strong leadership of Daniel Knowles, who helped me build a top-tier GI pathology service from the ground up.
You’ve published over 150 original articles over the years – why do you think these publications were so well accepted?
I like to write about solving clinical problems. For example: which features can help us identify cancer in a small, distorted biopsy? How can I distinguish artifactual distortion from invasive adenocarcinoma in a polyp? I believe these questions are just as interesting to readers as they are to me.
What have been some of your favorite publications since becoming Editor-in-Chief of Modern Pathology?
The paper on biopsy findings in idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins has been useful to others, and the work on post-inflammatory mucosal hyperplasia versus appendiceal mucinous neoplasia has also been well received. My favorite project is the fascicle on non-neoplastic diseases of the intestine – I think we did a great job illustrating the conditions, and working with Laura Lamps and Nicole Panarelli as co-editors was a real highlight.
What are your goals during your tenure at this well established pathology journal?
My first goals for the journal are to make the review process faster and smoother for both authors and reviewers. I also want to bring more early-career academic pathologists onto the Editorial Board and create mentorship opportunities with our senior members. I plan to phase out the Long Course supplement and instead use that issue to celebrate leaders in our field and the USCAP. Starting in 2026, the first of these special issues will honor the work of Virginia LiVolsi.
You’ve received multiple teaching awards for medical student and resident teaching. Was this a hidden talent or did you practice to perfection?
Teaching never came naturally to me. I remember giving a lecture on von Hippel-Lindau disease at Massachusetts General Hospital and being so nervous that Tessa Hedley-White told me it was a great talk – but she thought I might pass out from hyperventilating. Since then, I’ve started taking propranolol before presentations and openly share what I do to manage anxiety. I think fear of public speaking holds back many junior faculty, so any support or strategy can make a difference.
Despite your fears, you’ve gone on to give 117 regional and national presentations, and 115 international presentations! Are you able to enjoy travelling or does your hectic schedule make it a chore?
I love to travel and have done quite a bit for speaking engagements, but these days I travel less because my kids need me at home – and I also live in a beautiful, peaceful place. Perhaps I’ll start up again in the next few years.
How do you maintain a work-life balance?
Balancing the clinic, teaching, research, and family time is very difficult. I can’t say I manage this very well; it’s hard to juggle everything. I’ve learned to accept that I can’t do everything perfectly all the time – and I’ve had to make peace with that.
That being said, both of my kids had passports before they were two months old, and I took my son to Doha, Qatar when he was just six weeks old. They’ve been to several conferences and USCAP annual meetings, and are well known by the USCAP support team and my colleagues at both Cornell and the University of Miami.
What are the most pressing issues facing the pathology profession, in your opinion?
Compensation is a major issue. Academic institutions have traditionally offered lower salaries, expecting faculty to handle cases while also teaching and doing research. In the past, pathologists often worked long hours, including weekends, without much work-life balance. But today, clinical demands have increased, while pay hasn’t kept up with workloads or the cost of living. There’s also less protected time for non-clinical work.
Younger faculty are more outspoken about their needs and are less willing to spend weekends catching up on cases, writing papers, or doing extra projects. As a result, fewer are choosing to pursue academic careers with the same intensity.
Digital pathology brings helpful flexibility, especially for those needing more adaptable schedules. But it can also make departments feel less connected when work becomes more remote or decentralized.
Any upcoming projects or initiatives that have caught your eye?
Modern Pathology is starting an Editor’s Academy made up of senior academic pathologists. The goal is to train younger faculty on how to review manuscripts thoughtfully and write constructive critiques, helping build the next generation of reviewers.
Any advice for medical students and individuals considering a career in pathology?
Pathology is still the best field in academic medicine. It offers more control over your schedule and flexibility in how you provide clinical care. It’s also a great field for doing meaningful research that can lead to future projects.
We have many opportunities to speak at conferences both in the US and internationally, and we play an important role in educating medical students. When it comes to clinical care, pathology is one of the most efficient specialties. A surgical pathologist can impact the treatment of dozens of patients each day – without the administrative burden found in many other medical fields.
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