The Department of Pathology is thrilled to welcome two new faculty members, effective August 3. Awab Abdalhai, M.B.B.S., is joining the Division of Anatomic Pathology as an assistant professor, and Tina I. Bui‑Bullock, Ph.D., is joining the Division of Laboratory Medicine as an assistant professor.
Awab Abdalhai, M.B.B.S.Awab Abdalhai, M.B.B.S., joins us from Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, where he served as a cytopathology fellow since 2025. Abdalhai earned his medical degree from the University of Khartoum in Sudan, in 2016. He completed his anatomic and clinical pathology residency at Emory in 2025.
As a trainee, Abdalhai served as an instructor for basic pathology and cellular response for medical students at Emory. He has given four oral and poster presentations at national meetings and has a published reference page on Pathology Outlines covering Q fever. Abdalhai is affiliated with several professional societies, such as American Society of Cytopathology, United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, American Society for Clinical Pathology, and Sudanese American Physician Association.
Tina I. Bui‑Bullock, Ph.D., joins us from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where she recently completed an ASM CPEP fellowship in Medical and Public Health Microbiology. Bui‑Bullock earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology in 2023 from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. She served as a postdoctoral research associate in laboratory medicine at Washington University from 2023–2024. Prior to this, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas at Austin. 
Tina I. Bui‑Bullock, Ph.D.
At Washington University School of Medicine, her research centered on advancing clinical microbiology through evaluation of emerging diagnostic tools for mycobacteriology and virology. Her work included investigating a decontamination‑free isolation method for nontuberculous mycobacteria and evaluating a next‑generation HCV antibody and antigen assay, with implications that may help inform future public health guidance. Her research interests center on establishing the clinical utility of diagnostic testing for diagnostic stewardship and implementing novel technologies to improve patient care and workflow in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Bui‑Bullock has authored more than 10 peer‑reviewed publications and delivered 17 platform and poster presentations and taught multiple clinical microbiology seminars for trainees. She also serves on ASM’s Clinical Microbiology Mentoring Subcomittee, where she is committed to mentoring and supporting the professional development of trainees.