Lyska Emerson, MD, is a surgical pathologist for the University of Utah School of Medicine and Huntsman Cancer Institute. She is board certified in anatomic pathology by the American Board of Pathology. As an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine with an interest in gastrointestinal pathology, she participates in Huntsman Cancer Institute tumor boards for gastrointestinal and thoracic tumors. These multidisciplinary specialty conferences involve a team approach that includes surgeons, oncologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists in planning patient care.

In her role as a surgical pathologist, Emerson examines tissue specimens such as biopsies and resections to determine if a specimen is cancerous, what type of cancer is present, and how advanced it is. Other physicians such as surgeons and oncologists then use this information to determine treatment plans, assess the patient’s prognosis, and possibly determine the patient’s eligibility for clinical research trials.

Emerson received her baccalaureate degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas-Houston, and trained in combined anatomic and clinical pathology programs at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and the University of Texas-Houston. She completed a surgical pathology fellowship at the University of Utah School of Medicine.