I am a board-certified pediatric pathologist. Since completing my fellowship in 2004, I have been practicing as a perinatal pathologist. I chose this field because I am fascinated with fetal and placental development. The success of any pregnancy depends on a well-functioning placenta. Some say they are pregnancy diaries. So, you might think that by examining your placenta, I am reading the diary of your pregnancy. It has clues about maternal health, the intrauterine environment, the tug-of-war between the maternal and paternal genes, etc. My role in your healthcare is to find out the underlying cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes and provide guidance for treatment and risk assessment for recurrence in subsequent pregnancies.

After 17 years of academic medicine, during which I directed a Pediatric Pathology Fellowship Program and was involved with NIH-funded research projects, I decided to change the direction of my career. Mainly COVID pandemic changed my perspective in life. I joined Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland in 2021. Driving from East Coast to West was the perfect adventure to start the new chapter in our lives.

Fusun Gundogan , MD