Gloria Hopkins Sura, M.D.
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Division of Pathology-Lab Medicine Div
About Dr. Gloria Hopkins Sura
Dr. Sura is board-certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Cytopathology, and Molecular Genetic Pathology. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she is involved in the Sections of Cytopathology and the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory within the Department of Anatomic Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Sura completed her residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, followed by fellowship training in Cytopathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. She is also a fellow of the College of American Pathologists.
As an active clinical pathologist, Dr. Sura is dedicated to advancing clinical and translational research. Her primary focus is optimizing diagnostic techniques and molecular biomarker testing, particularly in samples obtained from minimally invasive procedures. She has significant experience in molecular pathology research, with a particular emphasis on how pre-analytical variables in oncologic cytology samples impact downstream RNA sequencing outcomes. Dr. Sura is also committed to enhancing cytopathology laboratory workflows, including the validation of non-traditional specimen types for molecular testing and the development of rapid testing methodologies.
In addition, Dr. Sura is an engaged member of the Translational Research Program within the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. She is passionate about advancing personalized medicine and is currently focused on improving access to these innovations in underserved regions, with a particular focus on addressing healthcare challenges in Ukraine. By combining her clinical expertise and research experience, Dr. Sura aims to improve patient care and contribute to global healthcare initiatives.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Section of Cytopathology, Department of Anatomic Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Assistant Professor, Department of Section of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Anatomic Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2017 | Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, PL, MD |
| 2013 | University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, US, Biology, BA (Summa Cum Laude) |
Postgraduate Training
| 2022-2023 | Clinical Fellowship, Chief Fellow, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Houston Methodist, Houston, Texas |
| 2021-2022 | Clinical Fellowship, Cytopathology, Houston Methodist, Houston, Texas |
| 2017-2021 | Clinical Residency, Chief Resident, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana |
Board Certifications
| 2023 | Molecular Genetic Pathology |
| 2022 | Cytopathology |
| 2021 | Anatomic and Clinical Pathology |
Experience & Service
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Member of the Translational Research Program, The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Chicago, IL, 2023 - Present
Member of PREDICT A032102 Molecular Tumor Board, The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Chicago, IL, 2023 - Present
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Future Pathology Champions, 2025 - Present
Pathology Champion, Toppan MD Anderson Alliance, 2024 - Present
Member, Genomic Testing Priority - Organization and Infrastructure Growth, 2024 - Present
Member, Clinical Genomics and Biomarker Council, 2024 - Present
Member, Solid Tumor Molecular Testing Patient Safety Initiatives, 2024 - Present
Member, Clinical Competency Committee-Cytopathology Fellowship, 2023 - Present
Member, Translational Research Program, 2023 - Present
Member, Biospecimen Science Steering Committee, 2023 - Present
Lead, Best Practices for RNA Sequencing from Small Biopsy Specimens Steering Committee, 2023 - Present
Texas Delegate, House of Delegates, 2023 - Present
Member, Educational Committee of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship, 2023 - Present
Member, Program Evaluation Committee- Cytopathology Fellowship Program, 2023 - Present
Junior Member, Council on Accreditation, 2019 - 2021
Honors & Awards
| 2023 | Microscopic Photograph Award, Houston Methodist Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine |
| 2023 | Research Award, Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology |
| 2019 | Best Microscopic Photo Award - Annual Photo Contest, Graduate Research in Pathology Education (GRIPE) |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Iorgulescu JB, Yang RK, Chowdhuri SR, Sura GH. Same-day molecular testing for targetable mutations in solid tumor cytopathology-The next frontier of the rapid on-site evaluation. Cancer Cytopathol 133(1):e22930, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39746874.
- Sura GH, Tran K, Trevarton AJ, Marczyk M, Fu C, Du L, Qu J, Lau R, Tasto A, Gould RE, Tinnirello A, Sinn BV, Pusztai L, Hatzis C, Symmans WF. Comparative analysis of Ficoll-Hypaque and CytoLyt techniques for blood removal in breast cancer malignant effusions: effects on RNA quality and sequencing outcomes. J Am Soc Cytopathol, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39668068.
- Sura, GH, Hsu, J, Mody, DR, Thomas, JS. Precision medicine for patients with salivary gland neoplasms. CytoJournal 21(1), 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Sura GH, Hsu J, Mody DR, Thomas JS. Precision medicine for patients with salivary gland neoplasms: Determining the feasibility of implementing a next-generation sequencing-based RNA assay in a hospital laboratory. Cytojournal 21:48, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39737124.
- Sura GH, Thrall MJ, Rogers J, Hodjat P, Christensen P, Cubb T, Khadra HS, Khadra HS, Thomas JS, Jacobi EM. A retrospective analysis of molecular testing in cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with histologic correlation: Experience at a heterogenous multihospital system. Diagn Cytopathol 52(2):82-92, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37950548.
- Sura GH, Tran K, Fu C, Du L, Marczyk M, Gould RE, Chen E, Tasto AM, Tinnirello AA, Symmans WF. Pre-analytical effects on whole transcriptome and targeted RNA sequencing analysis in cytology: The effects of prolonged time in storage of effusion specimens prior to preservation. Cytopathology 34(6):551-561, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37712171.
- Sura GH, Tran K, Fu C, Du L, Marczyk M, Martinez Y, Tinnirello AA, Gould RE, Lau R, Symmans WF. Molecular testing opportunities on cytology effusion specimens: the pre-analytic effects of various body fluid cytology preparation methods on RNA extraction quality and targeted sequencing. J Am Soc Cytopathol 12(1):10-19, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36270909.
- Sura GH, Khazai L. Gastric glomus tumor on fine needle aspiration. Diagn Cytopathol 50(12):581-582, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36101971.
- Sura GH, Doan JV, Thrall MJ. Assessing the quality of cytopathology whole slide imaging for education from archived cases. J Am Soc Cytopathol 11(5):313-319, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35780060.
- Yousefi E, Sura GH, Somma J. The gray zone of thyroid nodules: Using a nomogram to provide malignancy risk assessment and guide patient management. Cancer Med 10(8):2723-2731, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33763983.
- Ibrahim, M, Sweeney, P, Alapati, T, Hajja, Y, Sura, GH, Subbiah, S. High CD4 count and bone marrow infiltration in untreated hiv-associated Kaposi sarcoma. Current Problems in Cancer: Case Reports 3, 2021. e-Pub 2021.
- Sura, GH, LeRoy, M. Schistosomiasis associated with secondary amyloidosis. Human Pathology: Case Reports 20, 2020. e-Pub 2020.
Invited Articles
- Sura GH. Incorporation of DNA methylation profiling into the cytopathology laboratory. Cancer Cytopathol 132(9):543-546, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38488294.
Other Articles
- Herman, M, Schukow, CP, Tatarian, A, El-Zaatari, ZM, Sura, GH, Bui, MM #PathArt: from glass slide to canvas; with a mission of enlightening the burdens of life. Academic Pathology 12(1), 2025.
- Sura, GH, Jackson, NR, Yodzis, S, Fox, SE Heterotopic Ossification of the Mesentery. AJSP: Reviews and Reports 26(4):E1-E5, 2021.
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2024. Tips for Faculty Interviews: Expert Panel Q&A Session. Panelist. Houston, TX, US.
- 2024. Ultra-Rapid Molecular Testing of Cytology Fine Needle Aspiration Specimens. Invited. Neurointerventional Radiology Ultrasound (NIRUS) Emphasis. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Ultra-Rapid, Cost-Effective Targeted Cytomolecular Diagnostics. Poster. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Annual Research Day 2024. Houston, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2025. From Discard to Discovery: Rapid KRAS and EGFR Mutation Detection in Lung Cancer Using Cytology Supernatants. Poster. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology’s 114th Annual Meeting 2025. Boston, MA, US.
- 2025. Unraveling the Nexus: Tumor Mutational Burden, PD-L1 Expression and Oncogene Specific Alterations in Cytology Specimens of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Poster. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology’s 114th Annual Meeting 2025. Boston, MA, US.
- 2024. Integrating Biospecimen Science into the Development Of RNA-Based Clinical Assays for Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Invited. 2024 Annual Steering Committee Meeting for PAR 16-166/18-947/22-049 Integrating Biospecimen Science Approaches into Clinical Assay Development. Shady Grove, MD, US.
- 2024. RAF Family Fusions in Thyroid Carcinomas: Clinicopathological Analysis of 16 Patients. Poster. American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting 2024. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2024. Pathology for the Clinical Research Professional: Reading a Molecular Report & Pathologic versus Clinical Staging. Invited. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Spring 2024 Group Meeting. Chicago, Illinois, US.
- 2024. Comparison of Ficoll-Hypaque Enrichment versus the CytoLyt Method for Clearing Blood from Malignant Effusions: Effects on RNA Quality, Sequencing, and Analysis. Poster. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology's 113th Annual Meeting 2024. Baltimore, Maryland, US.
- 2024. Molecular testing opportunities on cytology effusion specimens: the pre-analytic effects of various body fluid cytology preparation methods on RNA extraction quality and targeted sequencing. Invited. Cyto Ejournal, US.
- 2023. Integrating Biospecimen Science into the Development of RNA-Based Clinical Assays for Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Invited. Annual Steering Committee Meeting for PAR 16-166/18-947/22-049 Integrating Biospecimen Science Approaches into Clinical Assay Development. Shady Grove, Maryland, US.
- 2023. Biomarker Testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Conference. Cytology Conference. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Precision Medicine for Salivary Gland Tumor Patients: Experience Using a Large Next-Generation Sequencing-Based RNA Assay to Detect Cancer Associated Gene Alterations at a Multi-Hospital Institution. Poster. Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP) Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT, US.
- 2023. Molecular Testing Opportunities on Cytology Effusion Specimens. Invited. American Society of Cytopathology eJournal. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Utility of Whole Slide Imaging for Evaluation of Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration: A Multi-Reader Prospective Study. Poster. College of American Pathologists (CAP) Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA, US.
- 2023. Pre-Analytical Effects on Targeted and Whole Transcriptome RNA Sequencing Analysis in Cytology: The Effects of Prolonged Time in Storage of Effusion Specimens Prior to Preservation. Poster. n. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA, US.
- 2022. Outcomes of Molecular Testing on Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology with Histologic Correlation: A Multicenter Retrospective Study on the Management of Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules. Poster. Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP) Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ, US.
- 2022. Assessing the Quality of Cytopathology Whole Slide Imaging for Education from Archived Slides. Poster. College of American Pathologists (CAP) Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA, US.
- 2019. Heterotopic Ossification of the Mesentery: Pathologic Findings from Autopsy. Poster. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) Annual Meeting. National Harbo, MD, US.
- 2019. Schistosomiasis Associated with Secondary Amyloidosis. Poster. College of American Pathologists (CAP) Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL, US.
- 2019. Optimizing Cytology Cell Block Preparations to Advance Diagnosistic Patient Care. Poster. Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Forum. New Orleans, LA, US.
- 2019. Concordance Analysis Between Prostate Imaging: Reporting and Data System (PI-RADSv2) and Prostatic Histologic Findings. Poster. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) Annual Meeting. National Harbor, MD, US.
- 2018. Hyphae in Invasive Coccidioides. Poster. College of American Pathologists (CAP) Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL, US.
International Presentations
- 2024. Assessment of BRAF Fusions in 177,227 Thyroid Nodules by Exome-Enriched RNA-Seq Testing. Poster. Association of Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting 2024. Vancouver, CA.
- 2024. Same-Day Molecular Testing for Targetable Mutations in Solid Tumor Cytopathology - The Next Frontier of the Rapid On-Site Evaluation. Poster. Association of Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting 2024. Vancouver, CA.
- 2024. Same-Day Molecular Testing for Targetable Mutations in Solid Tumor Cytopathology - The Next Frontier of the Rapid On-Site Evaluation and Optimizing Small Biopsy Workflow with Biocartis Idylla. Invited. Association of Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting 2024. Vancouver, CA.
- 2024. Molecular Session: Lymph Node. Invited. 45th European Congress of Cytology 2024. Leipzig, DE.
- 2024. Joint session by the Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology (JASC) and the Cytopathology: Highlighted Molecular Cytopathology Papers from 2023. Invited. 45th European Congress of Cytology 2024. Leipzig, DE.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2023 - Present |
| Title: | Ultra-Rapid, Cost-Effective Targeted Cytomolecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer Patient |
| Funding Source: | Department of Pathology, Departmental Mentorship Committee |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2022 - 2023 |
| Title: | Analysis of cancer-associated gene rearrangements in solid organ tumors |
| Funding Source: | Houston Methodist Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine |
| Role: | PI |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified March 19, 2025