Hande Piristine, M.D., Ph.D.

What this award means: It’s wonderful to have my interest in pathology acknowledged and encouraged.

Mentor comment: Hande has exhibited exemplary academic performance. Her Ph.D. thesis studied how impaired metabolic flexibility in cardiomyocytes contributes to heart failure in response to hemodynamic stress. – James D. Burner, M.D., Professor of Pathology and Director of the Pathology Residency Program

Background and family: I’m an international student from Turkey who moved to the United States for better educational opportunities after high school. My parents and younger sister still live in my home country.

College: I earned a Bachelor of Arts in neuroscience from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from UT Southwestern as part of my training in the Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program.

What led to your career path: After exploring careers in both clinical medicine and scientific research in college, I found that their intersection was the right place for me. Through my thesis work on cardiac metabolic flexibility, I came to appreciate pathology’s focus on disease mechanisms and its role in linking molecular findings to diagnosis.

What words describe your UTSW experience: Collaborative, interdisciplinary, demanding, and transformative.

One tip for medical school success: Be consistent in your efforts. Steady daily progress in both studying and clinical work is more effective than bursts of overproductivity.

Favorite way to relieve stress: Playing video games.

Surprising fact: I like working on cars. The biggest job I’ve done so far is replacing a power steering system and timing belt.

Future plans: Short term, I plan to travel to Turkey to see my family and celebrate my sister’s high school graduation along with my own graduation. Then I will begin my residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, which is affiliated with Washington University. Long term, I plan to pursue fellowship training, possibly in transfusion medicine, and then practice at an academic medical center where I can collaborate with a research group.

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.