Vishwas Parekh, M.D.

626-256-4673
Vishwas Parekh
Pathologist
Clinical Expertise
Dermatopathology
Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology
Genitourinary Pathology
Other Languages Spoken
Gujarati
Hindi
Appointments
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Pathology
Medical Director, Immunohistochemistry Laboratory

I had always wanted to investigate the causation of diseases, and find cures.

Vishwas Parekh, M.D., is passionate about dermatopathology, especially when it comes to diagnosing and analyzing melanoma, cutaneous lymphoma and other skin cancers. “Cancer is not one disease,” he says. “Each one behaves differently, and the more we can learn about each cancer at the molecular level, the more effectively we can treat them”.

Educated in India, Dr. Parekh continued his training at several prestigious institutions in the United States, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania. He chose City of Hope for its “outstanding patient care and leading-edge biomedical research.”

Dr. Parekh has published and delivered scores of scholarly articles, though his preferred outlet for sharing information may well be social media. He is social media editor for the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and his Twitter feed – loaded with the likes of “Desmoplastic Melanoma: Clinically mimics scar. Clues—melanoma in situ, lymphoid aggregates. S100+MART1-” (pictures included!) draws thousands of followers.

Location
Education & Experience
Board Certifications

  • 2017, Dermatopathology

  • 2016, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology

Degrees

  • 1999, Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), B.J. Medical College, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India

  • 1996, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.), B.J. Medical College, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India

Fellowship

  • 2016-2017, Dermatopathology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Residency

  • 2012-2016, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Professional Experience

  • 2017-present, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Pathology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2007-2010, Research Associate-Assistant Professor (Faculty-track), Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

  • 2001-2006, Postdoctoral Research Associate, St. Jude children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

  • 1999-2000, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India

Awards & Memberships
Memberships

  • 2017-present, Member, Los Angeles Society of Pathologists (LASOP)

  • 2023, President, Los Angeles Society of Pathologists (LASOP)

  • 2017-2018, Committee Member, Peer review committee, American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP)

  • 2013-present, Member, American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP)

  • 2013-present, Member, International Society for Dermatopathology (ISDP)

  • 2013-present, Member, College of American Pathologist (CAP)

  • 2013-present, Member, United States and Canadian Academy of Pathologists (USCAP)

  • 2015-present, Member, American Medical Association (AMA)

Publications
  • Amini A, Freeman M, Melstrom L, Margolin KA, Parekh V, Abdulla FR, Modi B. Pathologic complete response with radiation and vismodegib in a patient with advanced basal cell carcinoma: A case report. Mol Clin Oncol. 2021 Mar;14(3):46.
  • Zheng Q, Capell B, Parekh V, O'Day C, Attillasoy C, Bashir H, Yeh C, Shim EH, Prouty S, Dentchev T, Lee V, Wushanely, L, Kweon Y, Suzuki-Horiuchi Y, Pear W, Grice E, Seykora J. “Whole exome and transcriptome analysis of UV-exposed epidermis and carcinoma in situ reveals early drivers of carcinogenesis” J Invest Dermatol. 2021
    Feb;141(2):295-307.e13.
  • DeAndrade JP, Wong P, O’Leary MP, Parekh V, Amini A, Schoelhammer HF, Margolin K, Afkhami M, Melstrom M. Multidisciplinary care of melanoma of unknown primary: Experience in the era of molecular profiling.  Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Dec;27(13):5240-5247.
  • Jothishankar B, Espinosa ML, Zain J, Parekh V, Di Raimondo C, Abdulla F. Complete response to romidepsin as monotherapy in treatment-resistant subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma. JAAD Case Rep. 2020 Oct 7;6(12):1245-1247.
  • Di Raimondo C, Parekh V, Song JY, Rosen ST, Querfeld C, Zain J, Martinez XU, Abdulla FR. Primary Cutaneous CD30+ Lymphoproliferative Disorders: a Comprehensive Review. Curr Hematol Malig Rep. 2020 Aug;15(4):333-342.
  • Jothishankar B, Di Raimondo C, Mueller L, Zain J, Parekh V, Abdulla F. "Primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma treated with doxycycline in a pediatric patient." Pediatr Dermatol. 2020 Jul;37(4):759-761
  • Virgen CA, Nguyen TA, Di Raimondo C, Amini A, Margolin KA, Parekh V, Abdulla FR, Modi B. "Bullous pemphigoid associated with cemiplimab therapy in a patient with locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma." JAAD Case Rep. 2020 Feb 19;6(3):195-197
  • Parekh V, Sobanko J, Miller CJ, Karakousis G, Xu W, Letrero R, Elenitsas R, Xu X, Elder DE, Amaravadi R, Schuchter LM, Nathanson KL, Wilson MA, Chu EY. NRAS Q61R and BRAF G466A mutations in atypical melanocytic lesions newly arising in advanced melanoma patients treated with vemurafenib. J Cutan Pathol. 2019 Mar;46(3):190-194.
  • Shelar S, Shim E-H, Brinkley G, Kundu A, Carobbio F, Parekh V, .. Sudarshan S.  "Biochemical and Epigenetic Insights into L-2-Hydroxyglutarate, a Potential Therapeutic Target in Renal Cancer" Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Aug 14.
  • Cogen AL, Parekh V, Gangadhar T, Lipoff JB. “Lichen planopilaris associated with pembrolizumab in a patient with metastatic melanoma.” JAAD Case Rep. 2018 Jan 16;4(2):132-134.
  • Parekh V, Miller CJ, Elenitsas R, Chu EY. "Cutaneous Metastases of Melanoma Mimicking Interstitial Granulomatous Processes."  Am J Dermatopathol. 2017 Sep 11. PMID: 28937441.
  • Parekh V, Seykora JT. “Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.” Clin Lab Med. 2017 Sep;37(3):503-525.
  • Parekh V, Gangadhar T, Kreider KL, Elenitsas R, Chu EY. "Complete Response of Advanced Melanoma Treated With Talimogene Laherparepvec and Subsequent Sweet's-Like Infiltrate." JAMA Dermatol. 2017 Jul 1;153(7):719-721.
  • Parekh V, Winokur T, Cerfolio JR, Stevens T. “Posterior Mediastinal Adenomatoid Tumor-A Case Report and Review of the Literature.” Case Rep Pathol. 2016;2016:6898526.
  • Parekh V, Shen D. “Invasive renal angiomyolipoma with cytologic atypia: a diagnostic conundrum.” Int J Surg Pathol. 2017 Apr;25(2):177-180.
  • Parekh V, Stevens T. “Mammary analog secretory carcinoma.” Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2016 Sep;140(9):997-1001.
  • Fening K, Parekh V, Mckay K. “CD123 immunohistochemistry for plasmacytoid dendritic cells is useful in the diagnosis of scarring alopecia.” J Cutan Pathol. 2016 Aug;43(8):643-8.
  • Ping Z, Xia Y, Shen T, Parekh V, Siegal GP, Eltoum IE, He J, Chen D, Deng M, Xi R, Shen D. "A microscopic landscape of the invasive breast cancer genome." Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 10;6:27545.
  • Parekh V, Peker D. "Clinicopathologic and Cytogenetic Characterization of Therapy-related Acute T Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adult Population." Leuk Lymphoma. 2016;57(6):1460-2.
  • Parekh V, Knapp FC, Hughey LC, Elmets CA, McKay K. “CD4/CD8 double positive primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with co- expression of T-cell receptors αβ and γδ." Am J Dermatopathol. 2016 Jan;38(1):66-72.
  • Parekh V, Guerrero CE, Knapp CF, Elmets CA, Mckay K. “A histologic snapshot of hypothetical multistep progression from nevus sebaceus to invasive syringocystadenocarcinoma papilliferum.” Am J Dermatopathol. 2016 Jan;38(1):56-62.
  • Parekh V, Peker D. “EBV-related primary splenic lymphocyte-depleted classical Hodgkin lymphoma.” J Clin Pathol. 2015 Nov;68(11):947-50.
  • Parekh V, Kabigting FD, Junkins-Hopkins JM. “Hyperkeratotic Variant of Porokeratosis in a Patient with Hepatitis C Virus Infection and a Concomitant Immunosuppressed State." Dermatol Online J. 2015 Nov 18;21(11).
  • Matnani R, Parekh V, Borate U, Brazelton J, Reddy V, Peker D. "Therapy-related B-lymphoblastic leukemia associated with Philadelphia chromosome and MLL rearrangement: Single institution experience and the review of the literature." Pathol Int. 2015 Oct;65(10):536-40.
  • Parekh V, Peker D. “Malignant transformation in Von-Meyenburg complexes: histologic and immunohistochemical clues with illustrative cases.” Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 2015 Oct;23(9):607-14.
  • Peker D, Parekh V, Paluri R, Deal T, Borate U, Di Stasi A, Harada S, Arroyo EA, Reddy V. “Clinicopathological and molecular features of myeloid sarcoma as initial presentation of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms: a single institution experience.” Int J Hematol. 2014 Nov;100(5):457-63.
  • Shim EH, Livi CB, Rakheja D, Tan J, Benson D, Parekh V, Kho EY, Ghosh AP, Kirkman R, Velu S, Dutta S, Chenna B, Rea SL, Mishur RJ, Li Q, Johnson-Pais TL, Guo L, Bae S, Wei S, Block K, Sudarshan S. “L-2-Hydroxyglutarate: an epigenetic modifier and putative oncometabolite in renal cancer.” Cancer Discov. 2014 Nov;4(11):1290-8.
  • Yang X, Vasudevan P, Parekh V, Penev A, Cunningham JM. "Bridging cancer biology with the clinic: relative expression of a GRHL2-mediated gene-set pair predicts breast cancer metastasis." PLoS One. 2013 Feb; 8(2):e56195.
  • Sundaresan NR, Vasudevan P, Zhong L, Kim G, Samant S, Parekh V, Pillai VB, Ravindra PV, Gupta M, Jeevanandam V, Cunningham JM, Deng CX, Lombard DB, Mostoslavsky R, Gupta MP. "The sirtuin SIRT6 blocks IGF-Akt signaling and development of cardiac hypertrophy by targeting c-Jun." Nature Medicine. 2012 Nov;18(11):1643-50.
  • Sundaresan NR, Pillai VB, Wolfgeher D, Samant S, Vasudevan P, Parekh V, Raghuraman H, Cunningham JM, Gupta M, Gupta MP. "SIRT1 regulates Akt and PDK1 membrane localization and activation during cell growth linked with tumorigenesis and cardiac hypertrophy." Science Signaling 2011 July19;182 (4) p. ra46.
  • Boglev Y, Wilanowski T, Caddy J, Parekh V, Auden A, Darido C, Hislop NR, Cangkrama M, Ting SB, Jane SM. “The unique and cooperative roles of the Grainy head-like transcription factors in epidermal development reflect unexpected target gene specificity.” Developmental Biology 2011 Jan 15;349(2):512-22.
  • Parekh V, Rifat Y, Wilanowski T, Hislop NR, Auden A, Ting SB, Cunningham JM, Jane SM. “Regional neural tube closure defined by the Grainy head-like transcription factors." Developmental Biology 2010 Sep 15;345(2):237-45.
  • Caddy J, Wilanowski T, Darido C, Dworkin S, Ting SB, Zhao Q, Rank G, Auden A, Srivastava S, Papenfuss TA, Murdoch JN, Humbert PO, Parekh V, Boulos N, Weber T, Zuo J, Cunningham JM, Jane SM. “Epidermal wound repair is regulated by the planar cell polarity signaling pathway.” Developmental Cell 2010 Jul 20;19(1):138-47.
  • Srikantan S, Parekh V, De PK. “cDNA cloning and regulation of two sex-hormone-repressed hamster tear lipocalins having homology with odorant/pheromone-binding proteins.” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 2005 Jul 10;1729(3):154-65.
  • Shim E-H, Parekh V. “Making sure corrections don’t vanish online.” Nature 2005 Mar 3; 434(7029):18
  • Parekh V, McEwen A, Barbour A, Takahashi Y, Jane S, Cunningham J. “ Defective extraembryonic angiogenesis in mice lacking LBP-1a, a member of the grainyhead family of transcription factors.”   Molecular and Cellular Biology 2004 Aug; 24(16):7113-29.
  • Ting SB, Wilanowski T, Auden A, Hall M, Voss AK, Thomas T, Parekh V, Cunningham JM, Jane SM. “Inositol- and folate-resistant neural tube defects in mice lacking the epithelial-specific factor Grhl-3.”  Nature Medicine 2003 Dec; 9(12):1513-9.
  • Parekh V. “Smart crows win out.” Science 2003 Jan 3; 299(5603):45.
  • Wilanowski T, Tuckfield A, Cerruti L. O’Connell S, Saint R, Parekh V, Tao J, Cunningham J, Jane S. “A highly conserved novel family of mammalian developmental transcription factors related to Drosophila Grainyhead.” Mechanisms of Development 2002 Jun; 114(1-2):37.