Volha Lenskaya, MD
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Division of Pathology-Lab Medicine Div
About Dr. Volha Lenskaya
I am an American Board of Anatomical and Clinical Pathology certified pathologist with sub-specialty training in Dermatopathology, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. I earned my MD degree from the State Belarusian Medical University in Minsk, Belarus, and completed my residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Following this, I pursued two fellowships in advanced Surgical Pathology and Dermatopathology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
My research is centered on the implementation of digital pathology and artificial intelligence in healthcare and education, as well as the investigation of genetic alterations in melanocytic and other cutaneous tumors. I have organized and participated in numerous national and international digital pathology courses and educational series. Additionally, I have contributed to the development of a simple and efficient dictionary- and rule-based natural language processing (NLP) algorithm, implemented in Python, for generating searchable information from diverse surgical pathology reports. My work also includes analyzing and comparing the performance of major digital imaging platforms in pathology, such as QuPath, HALO-AI, and VQ-VAE, particularly in assessing dual multiplex immunohistochemical staining in melanocytic lesions.
My long-term goals include further investigation into the genetic alterations and tumor microenvironment of melanocytic and other cutaneous tumors, as well as the continued integration of digital pathology and artificial intelligence tools into routine pathology practice within our department
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2007 | Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, BY, General Medicine, Doctor of Medicine |
Postgraduate Training
| 2024-null | Assistant Professor, Dermatopathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Caner Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2023-2024 | Postgraduate Fellow, Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2022-2023 | Postgraduate Fellow, Surgical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2018-2022 | Resident, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York |
| 2011-2011 | Gynecologic Oncology and Screening Fellowship, Minsk City Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Minsk |
| 2010-2010 | Gynecologic Pathology with Ultrasound & Colposcopy Fellowship Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis and Gonads Fellowship, Belarusian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Minsk |
| 2007-2008 | Resident, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2nd Central District Polyclinic, Minsk |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2024 | Medical Board of California |
| 2022 | The American Board of Pathology |
| 2021 | Texas Medical Board |
Experience & Service
Other Professional Positions
Medical Assistant and Ultrasound Technician, IMED Glenview, LLC, Glenview, Illinois, 2013 - 2018
Intramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member and Delegate from Department of Pathology, Hospital-Based Subcommittee, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2020 - 2022
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Ad hoc position, Social Media Subcommittee, American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP), 2020 - 2021
Delegate of the Program, House of Delegates, College of American Pathologists (CAP), 2020 - 2022
Volunteer member, Communication Committee, American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP), 2019 - 2020
Honors & Awards
| 2023 | Best Fellow Presentation, The American Society of Dermatopathology |
| 2023 | Best Lecture Teaching Award, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2023 | Clinical Education Resident/Fellow Excellence Award for Teaching, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2012 | Conscientious and Creative Attitude to Work, Medical Unit of the Minsk Automobile Plant, Minsk, Belarus |
| 2012 | Obstetrics and Gynecology, Belarusian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Minsk, Belarus |
| 2004 | Research Study of Intraductal Breast Carcinoma in Situ, Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus |
| 2004 | Research Study of Leukotrienes, Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus |
| Department of Pathology Research Grant for resident ($2000) for the research study Cervical Cancer Under the Age of 40: Clinicopathologic Characteristics and PDL-1/PD-1 Expression |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Regional Presentations
- 2023. Development of advanced deep learning algorithms for rapid and accurate assessment of multiplex immunohistochemical data (Ki67/MART1) in melanocytic Lesions. The comparison of three platforms: HALO-AI, QuPATH and VQ-VAE. Invited. 4th Annual Research Retreat in Oncological Data and Computational Sciences. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Development of algorithms incorporating advanced machine learning data and dual immunohistochemical staining for the rapid detection and accurate estimation of Ki67/MART1 and SOX10/PD-L1 values in melanocytic lesions. Invited. 3rd Annual Research Retreat in Oncological Data and Computational Sciences. Austin, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2025. NSD3::FGFR1 A Novel Gene Fusion First to be Described in Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Invited. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 61st Annual Meeting. Chicago, Illinois, US.
- 2023. Identification of a Novel Gene Fusion, RARA::NPEPPS, in Primary Cutaneous Adnexal Carcinoma. Invited. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 60th Annual Meeting. Chicago, Illinois, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Ibrahim, E, Dai, J, Lenskaya, V, Torres Cabala, CA, Cho, WC. Subcutaneous Panniculitis-Like T-Cell Lymphoma With Increased gd T Cells. American Journal of Dermatopathology 47(8):634-637, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40532089.
- Do, J, Wang, Y, Aung, PP, Nagarajan, P, Ning, J, Curry, JL, Ivan, D, Lenskaya, V, Torres Cabala, CA, Prieto, V, Cho, WC. INSM1. Human Pathology 160, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40505699.
- Lenskaya, V, Yang, RK, Aung, PP, Prieto, V, Nagarajan, P, Cho, WC. NSD3::FGFR1: A Novel Gene Fusion First to Be Described in Merkel Cell Carcinoma. American Journal of Dermatopathology 47(5):400-403, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40036479.
- Lenskaya V, Yang RK, Cho WC. Primary cutaneous apocrine carcinoma with RARA::NPEPPS fusion. J Cutan Pathol 51(6):419-423, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38468567.
- Lenskaya V, O'Connor M, Moll EH, Desman G. Relapsing Helicobacter cinaedi Cellulitis without Bacteremia in a Patient with X-linked Agammaglobulinemia after 1 Year of Antibiotic Prophylaxis. Skinmed 20(6):457-459, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36537682.
- Lam H, Nguyen F, Wang X, Stock A, Lenskaya V, Kooshesh M, Li P, Qazi M, Wang S, Dehghan M, Qian X, Si Q, Polydorides AD. An Accessible, Efficient, and Accurate Natural Language Processing Method for Extracting Diagnostic Data from Pathology Reports. J Pathol Inform 13:100154, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36605108.
- Lenskaya V, de Moll E, Hussein S, Phelps R. Subtlety of Granulomatous Mycosis Fungoides: A Retrospective Case Series Study and Proposal of Helpful Multimodal Diagnostic Approach With Literature Review. Am J Dermatopathol 44(8):559-567, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35476045.
- Gaisa M, Sigel K, Deshmukh A, Lenskaya V, Chan C, Silvera R, Winters J, Liu Y. Comparing Anal Cancer Screening Algorithms Using Cytology and HPV DNA Testing in Three High-risk Populations. J Infect Dis 224(5):881-888, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33388757.
- Lenskaya V, DeChavez V, Stanger R, Caplivski D. Primary Cutaneous Nocardiosis Caused by Nocardia nova with Possible Apremilast Contribution. IDCases 24, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33850720.
- Nguyen F, van den Akker T, Lally K, Lam H, Lenskaya V, Liu S, Bouvier N, Aberg J, Rodriguez D, Krammer F, Strauss D, Shaz B, Rudon L, Galdon P, Jhanf J, Arinsburg S, Baine I. Transfusion Reactions Associated with COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Therapy for SARS-CoV-2. Transfusion 61(1):78-93, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33125158.
- Lenskaya V, Panji P, De Moll E, Kaci C, Phelps R. Oral Lymphangiectasia and Gastrointestinal Crohn Disease. J Cutan Pathol 47(11):1080-1084, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32761835.
- Liu Y, Prasad-Hayes M, Ganz EM, Poggio JL, Lenskaya V, Malcolm T, Deshmukh A, Zheng W, Sigel K, Gaisa MM. HIV-positive women with anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions: a study of 153 cases with long-term anogenital surveillance. Mod Pathol 33(8):1589-1594, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32152521.
- Photiou L, Lin MJ, Dubin D, Lenskaya V, Khorasani H. Review of Non-Invasive Vulvovaginal Rejuvenation. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 34(4):716-726, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31714632.
- Lenskaya V, Alexeeva A, Guseva A. Intraductal Breast Carcinoma in Situ. Actual Problems of Modern Medicine 4, 2004. e-Pub 2004.
- Lenskaya V. Leukotrienes. Actual Problems of Modern Medicine, 2003. e-Pub 2003.
Review Articles
- Lenskaya V, Moran CA. Pleural Mesothelioma: Current Practice and Approach. Adv Anat Pathol 30(4):243-252, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36689647.
Other Articles
- Ibrahim E, Dai J, Lenskaya V, Torres-Cabala CA, Cho WC Subcutaneous Panniculitis-Like T-cell Lymphoma with Increased γδ T-cells: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall.
- Lenskaya V, Yang RK, Aung PP, Nagarajan P, Prieto VG, Cho W NSD3::FGFR1: A Novel Gene Fusion First to be Described in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.
Abstracts
- Ibrahim E, Dai J, Lenskaya V, Torres-Cabala CA, Cho WC. Subcutaneous Panniculitis-Like T-cell Lymphoma with Increased Gamma-Delta T-cells: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 61st Annual Meeting.
- Khazaeli M, Irfan A, Milton DR, Nagarajan P, Lenskaya V, Cho WC, Torres-Cabala CA, Curry JL, Prieto VG, Yang RK, Aung PP. PP. PD-L1 (CD274) gene alteration in melanoma: relationship to immunotherapy, disease progression and tumor mutation burden. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 114th Annual Meeting.
- Do J, Wang Y, Aung PP, Nagarajan P, Ning J, Curry JL, Ivan D, Lenskaya V, Torres-Cabala CA, Prieto VG, Cho WC. INSM1: A Highly Sensitive Marker for Primary and Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Superior to SOX11, Pancytokeratin, and CK20. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 114th Annual Meeting.
- Gill P, Wurster ST, Jiang X, Ning J, Aung PP, Lenskaya V, Cho WC, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Prieto VG, Kontoyiannis DP, Nagarajan P. Histopathologic Determinants of Outcome in Cutaneous Invasive Fungal Infections: Retrospective Analysis in a Tertiary Cancer Center. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 114th Annual Meeting.
- Ibrahim E, Yang RK, Nagarajan P, Sweeney KL, Chen H, Roy-Chowdhuri S, Lenskaya V, Aung PP, Curry JL, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA, Cho WC. Clinicopathologic and Molecular Characterization of BRAF-Fused Melanomas: A Retrospective Analysis of 9 Cases with 8 Novel Fusions Detected by Next-Generation Sequencing. Poster accepted and will be presented at United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 114th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Gaisa M, Sigel K, Prasad Hayes M, Liu Y. Women with Anal Cancer Precursors: Clinicopathological Characteristics and Concomitant Genital Tract Neoplasia. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 108th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Phelps R, Westra W. Salivary Duct Carcinoma of the Parotid Masquerading as Primary Cutaneous Neoplasm: A Unique Case. College of American Pathologists (CAP) Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, DeChavez V, Stanger R, Caplivski D, Desman G. Atypical Primary Cutaneous Nocardia Nova After Taking Apremilast and Trip to Aruba. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 56th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Talbott W, Kalir T, Zakashansky K, Desman G. Double Recurrent Primary Vaginal Melanoma with Pagetoid Intraepithelial Spreading – a Unique Case Report. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 56th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Mahmood D, Goldberg M, Singh R. Endocrine Mucin-Producing Sweat Gland Carcinoma of the Cheek – Case Report with Atypical Tumor Location. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 56th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Gaisa M, Sigel K, Prasad Hayes M, Liu Y. Women with Anal Cancer Precursors: Clinicopathological Characteristics and Concomitant Genital Tract Neoplasia. International Anal Neoplasia Society Meeting.
- Lam H, Lenskaya V, Wong J, Liu Y. Cervical Cancer Under the Age of 40: Clinicopathologic Characteristics and PDL-1/PD-1 Expression. American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology 2020 Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, De Moll E, Bhatt S, Hussein S, Phelps R. The Subtlety of Granulomatous Mycosis Fungoides: a Retrospective Case-Series Study and Proposal of Novel Multimodal Diagnostic Approach for Clinicians and Dermatopathologists. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 109th Annual Meeting.
- Lam H, Wang X, Lenskaya V, Chakraborty B, Lu D, Szporn A, Zakowski M, Si Q. Long Term Follow Up of Patients with Negative Initial Anal Cytology with HPV Co-Testing. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 110th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Avlur R, Alvarez FR, Dominick A, Rothrock A, Pilla P, Bajaj C, Prieto VG, Aung PP. Development of algorithms incorporating advanced machine learning data and dual immunohistochemical staining for the rapid detection and accurate estimation of Ki67/MART1 and SOX10/PD-L1 values in melanocytic lesions. 3rd Annual Research Retreat in Oncological Data and Computational Sciences.
- Lenskaya V, Jiang X, Foo WC, Abraham SC, Taggart MW, Walsh GL, Swisher S, Ning J, Aung PP, Curry JL, Cho WC, Torres-Cabala CA, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Amaria RN, Tawbi HA, Nagarajan P. Primary Mucosal Melanoma of the Esophagus: Clinicopathologic and Molecular Analysis. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 112th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Prieto VG, Curry JL, Ivan D, Ross MI, Tawbi HA, Aung PA, Torres-Cabala CA, Cho WC, Nagarajan P. Multiple synchronous primary subungual melanomas. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 60th Annual Meeting.
- Alkamachi B, Gill P, Solis Soto L, Lenskaya V, Lu W, Khan K, Tarrand JJ, Aung PP, Torres-Cabal CA, Cho WC, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Nagarajan P. Optimizing Immunohistochemical Detection for Histologic Diagnosis of Fusariosis. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 113th Annual Meeting.
- Rojas Alvarez FR, Lenskaya V, Avlur R, Pilla P, Milton DR, Toyama Rothrock A, Bajaj C, Wistuba II, Prieto VG, Aung PP. Development, Assessment and Performance of Advanced Deep Learning Algorithms Using HALO-AI Digital Analysis Platform in Melanocytic Lesions with Clinicopathological Correlation. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 113th Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Wang Y, Malpica A, Pettaway CA, Ning J, Curry JL, Torres-Cabal CA, Aung PP, Cho WC, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Gershenwald JE, Davies MA, Futreal A, McQuade J, Nagarajan P. Primary Female Urethral Mucosal Melanoma: Retrospective Analysis of Clinicopathological and Molecular Features. United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 113th Annual Meeting.
- Salah H, Prieto VG, Cho WC, Torres-Cabala CA, Lenskaya V. The Misleading Syphilis: Two Cases Masquerading As Lymphomas. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 61st Annual Meeting.
- Lenskaya V, Abdelhammed M, Hernandez S, Solis Soto LM, Diwan AH, Nagarajan P. Characterization of Anorectal Melanocytes in Health and Disease. American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) 61st Annual Meeting.
Book Chapters
- Lenskaya V, Aung PP. Melanocytic Lesions Associated with Germ-Line Mutations: Familial melanoma, BAP1-deficient lesions. In: Precision Medicine Melanocytic Lesions. Springer Nature, 2025.
- Lenskaya V, Emanuel P, Sandoval E. Cysts. In: Dermatopathology for Residents. PathPresenter, 2019.
- Lenskaya V, Desman G, Barnhill R. Viral Infections. In: Dermatopathology for Residents. PathPresenter, 2019.
- Lenskaya V, Gardner J. Miscellaneous Soft Tissue Tumors. In: Dermatopathology for Residents. PathPresenter, 2019.
Letters to the Editor
- Cho, WC, Yang, RK, Lenskaya, V, Prieto, V. SBF1::BRAF-Fused Melanoma With Prominent Rhabdoid Morphology and Reed–Sternberg-Like Cells: Potential Morphologic Clues to BRAF-Fused Melanomas of Non-Spitz Lineage?. American Journal of Dermatopathology 47: 733-735, 2025.
Web Publications
- Lenskaya V, Aung PP. CAP D-PATH-B: Digital slide Program in Dermatopathology for College of American Pathologists. Fixed Drug Reaction, 2022.
- Lenskaya V, Aung PP. CAP D-PATH-A: Digital slide Program in Dermatopathology for College of American Pathologists. Lupus Panniculitis, 2022.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026