Emily Ballard, M.D., Ph.D.

What this award means: It’s a great honor to receive the Stembridge Award, and I am grateful for all the mentorship and professional development opportunities I have received through the Department of Pathology. This award further affirms my dedication to pathology as a specialty and a calling.

Mentor comment: Emily has exhibited exemplary academic performance. She is currently an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at UT Southwestern in genetics and molecular biology. Her Ph.D. thesis aimed to characterize and overcome the cell-cell adhesion incompatibility between pluripotent stem cells from evolutionarily distant species. – James D. Burner, M.D., Professor of Pathology and Director of the Pathology Residency Program

Background and family: My family is originally from Moldova, and my parents and grandparents all immigrated to the U.S. in 1991. I was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, which is located near Kansas City. I have two younger brothers: One is in college, and the other is about to start high school this year.

College: I graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and a minor in psychology. In 2017, I joined UT Southwestern’s Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and completed my Ph.D. in 2024.

What led to your career path: Pathology has been on my radar for a while because my mom is a hematology lab tech who often works with pathologists. I’ve always liked figuring out the “why” behind disease – what’s going on at the cellular level. Pathology gives me that mix of reasoning, discovery, and impact that really fits with the way I think.

UTSW activities: I’ve volunteered at free clinics including the Monday Clinic and Agape, helped organize MSTP Works in Progress seminars and the annual Genetics, Development and Disease (GD&D) Graduate Program retreat, served as a middle school science fair judge, and mentored high school students through the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program. In addition, I have served on several committees for the MSTP and GD&D program.

What words describe your UTSW experience: Exciting, educational, and collaborative.

One tip for medical school success: It’s important to be efficient in studying, but also to know when to step back and take a break.

Favorite way to relieve stress: I love to sit down with a good book, usually science fiction or fantasy. I also enjoy cooking and baking, taking my corgi to the park, and playing video games with my husband.

Surprising fact: In 2019, I was bitten by a stray cat on South Campus and got a series of rabies shots just to be safe. The cat disappeared for a month, but I later trapped her to get her spayed and released. She turned out to be surprisingly friendly and is now my pet.

Future plans: First up is starting my residency after graduation at UTSW. I’m interested in academic pathology, particularly in heme path (hematopathology) or transfusion medicine. I enjoy the idea of being consulted by clinicians, helping guide transfusion decisions, or interpreting bone marrow findings that change management. Long term, I’d like to stay involved in teaching and research – perhaps focusing on diagnostic stewardship or optimizing blood product utilization.

About the award: The award was established by friends and colleagues of Dr. Stembridge, a former Chair of Pathology, who died in 2000. It includes a $1,500 award and honors fourth-year medical students entering the field of pathology who have exhibited exemplary academic performance.