Massachusetts General Hospital | Cancer Center

Biography

Drucilla Jane Roberts

Associate Pathologist
Director of Obstetric and Perinatal Pathology
Massachusetts General Hospital

Associate Professor of Pathology
Harvard Medical School

Email: djroberts@partners.org

Dr. Roberts's area of expertise and interest is in perinatal pathology - surgical and autopsy pathology.  She has a special interest in understanding the biology and clinical significance of pathologic findings. In addition she is active in global health working in teaching and practice (anatomic pathology and laboratory services) in sub-Saharan Africa and has projects including placental malaria, stillbirths, and autopsy pathology in resource poor settings. She directed the first ever Harvard Medical School CME course in Sub-Saharan Africa titled "The contribution of anatomic pathology to the health of women and children" with faculty from the USA, South Africa, and Ethiopia in June of 2011.

Updated 12/30/2011

Research

As the Chief of Perinatal Pathology at the MGH, my clinical interests are focused on perinatal pathology and the biology of histopathologic findings. My interests are in understanding the influences of maternal and fetal pathology on the placenta. The goal is to be able to predict neonatal outcome from the pathology of the placenta. In addition, I have an interest in understanding stillbirth as we still do not understand the cause of death in up to 80% of third trimester stillbirths. Our service is active with approximately 4000 in house deliveries and approximately 300 consult cases per year. The services trains the pathology residents on the OB bench, attends a multidisciplinary Perinatal Conference weekly (with 4 presentations by pathology per year), NICU and PICU M&Ms monthly, genetics conference weekly, and pathology OUTS conference bimonthly. Other conferences we frequently are invited to attend and present include grand rounds for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Pediatric Surgery. We also help train and supervise the Scully Fellow annually.

Additionally I am interested in providing pathology services and education to the developing world, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Currently there are studies I am involved with looking at placental sequestration of malaria, effects of biomass on placental development (cooking fuels), alcohol exposure effects on the placenta, and causes of stillbirth. There are opportunities to participate in these studies by residents on elective.

Humanitarian efforts I am involved with include building, equipping, and sustaining a clinical laboratory with fine needle aspiration services in Adua, Ethiopia. I am also working towards providing surgical pathology CME courses in African countries and offering satellite availability for African pathologists to attend courses from our department in the United States.

PublicationsBibliography of Drucilla J. Roberts via PubMed