Description
HLA Director-in-Training (Clinical Instructor)
The Department of Pathology at UPMC is seeking a doctoral-level fellow for an HLA Laboratory Director-in-Training (DIT) position. The Director-in-Training will also be appointed as a clinical instructor in the Department of Pathology. This role is designed to prepare the selected candidate for independent practice as an HLA laboratory director and clinical consultant through progressive, supervised training in histocompatibility and immunogenetics. The position supports a high-complexity laboratory providing time-sensitive testing and consultation for solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Primary Responsibilities
Participate in clinical consultation and transplant communication workflows under HLA lab directors.
Assist with oversight of high-complexity histocompatibility testing, including HLA typing, antibody analysis, crossmatching, and virtual crossmatch interpretation.
Contribute to quality management activities, including quality control, proficiency testing, validation, document control, and inspection readiness.
Develop competency in regulatory and accreditation requirements relevant to HLA laboratory operations.
Support laboratory informatics workflows and data interpretation processes.
Participate in teaching activities involving residents, fellows, laboratory staff, and other learners.
Engage in scholarly activity, quality improvement, and/or translational research relevant to transplantation immunology.
Assume progressively greater responsibility as competency is demonstrated and documented.
Qualifications
M.D., D.O., Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant biomedical, clinical, or laboratory science field.
Background in immunology, histocompatibility, transplantation, molecular diagnostics, or a related discipline.
Eligibility to train toward HLA laboratory director qualifications under ASHI/CLIA accreditation and credentialing requirements.
Strong communication, problem-solving, organizational, and documentation skills.
Ability to work collaboratively in a high-complexity clinical laboratory environment that supports time-sensitive transplant decision-making.
Preferred experience includes HLA antibody testing, flow cytometry crossmatch, molecular typing, next-generation sequencing, and clinical laboratory quality systems.
Training Structure
This is a structured training position with an anticipated duration of 2 to 4 years, depending on the Director-in-Training fellow’s background and credentialing pathway. The Director-in-Training will work under the mentorship of the HLA laboratory directors with progressive entrustment based on documented competency. Semiannual evaluation, portfolio development, and milestone-based advancement are expected components of the training experience.
Academic and Service Expectations
The Director-in-Training will contribute to clinical service with clearly defined supervision and compliance parameters. Responsibilities may include draft interpretations, participation in consultative workflows, preliminary virtual crossmatch assessment, attendance at clinical and laboratory management meetings, and involvement in on-call workflows as appropriate to level of training and documented competency. The role also includes teaching and scholarly development to support the academic mission of the Department of Pathology.
Application Information
Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a statement of interest, and references to Dr Qingyong Xu (xuq5@upmc.edu), Director of the HLA lab.
Requirements
Qualifications
M.D., D.O., Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant biomedical, clinical, or laboratory science field.
Background in immunology, histocompatibility, transplantation, molecular diagnostics, or a related discipline.
Eligibility to train toward HLA laboratory director qualifications under ASHI/CLIA accreditation and credentialing requirements.
Strong communication, problem-solving, organizational, and documentation skills.
Ability to work collaboratively in a high-complexity clinical laboratory environment that supports time-sensitive transplant decision-making.
Preferred experience includes HLA antibody testing, flow cytometry crossmatch, molecular typing, next-generation sequencing, and clinical laboratory quality systems.