Front and Center: Dr. Charulochana Subramony

Published on Monday, July 29, 2024

By: Rachel Vanderford, rvanderford@umc.edu

Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications

Each morning, Dr. Charulochana Subramony rises with a mission: to unravel the medical mysteries at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Her relentless passion for pathology even brought her back from retirement after 40 years of dedicated service to the Medical Center. 

For over four decades, Subramony has shared her passion for pathology with her many residents, medical and dental students. She has held appointments as the director of UMMC’s autopsy and liver pathology services and the pathology residency program, and she has authored around 65 peer-reviewed publications and case studies. For Subramony, every day at UMMC is another opportunity to learn something new.  

“Ever since I started residency, I have always been curious about tissues and diagnosis,” said Subramony. “I used to come in every morning as a resident to see what the diagnosis was for each case. And after 40 years, I still do that. I come in the morning and say to myself ‘What can I learn today and how can I provide a diagnosis that is perfect?’” 

A graduate of Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, Subramony moved to the U.S. to pursue a clinical and anatomical pathology residency at St. Alexis Hospital Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1979, she relocated to Jackson to continue her education at UMMC. By the following year, she was an instructor in the Department of Pathology, eventually becoming a full professor in 2006.  

After 40 years of service to UMMC, Subramony retired in 2020. However, she returned three years later to assist with conducting and teaching autopsies. Subramony said she was hired back to help with autopsy services but asked if she could also assist with GI and liver pathology. 

“It’s an extra job but not extra work to me,” she said. 

“[Subramony] is the type of person who gives 100% of herself in her work and it truly shows,” said Miranda Magee, morgue technician. “She’s a huge advocate for learning and teaching everything she knows about pathology. Since returning from retirement, she has continued to maintain good working relationships with our new pathologists and all the Mississippi county coroners.  

“Dr. Subramony is actually one of a kind,” she said. “I can’t stress enough how thorough she is within the work that she does for our department. She loves our autopsy service and being of service to the community by providing families with answers for their loved ones.” 

Subramony shared that her work at UMMC rarely feels like work. “I don’t consider it work but just something I love doing,” she said.  

When liver transplant services began at UMMC in 2013, Subramony saw another opportunity to expand her breadth of knowledge.  

“I told the department chair that I’ve always done liver biopsies, but I’ve never done transplant” she said. “I asked ‘Can you send me somewhere that I can learn?’ So, he sent me to New York City to the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital where I trained for a month with Dr. Jay Lefkowitch. And when I came back, I was named the chief liver pathologist for the transplant service.” 

Subramony delights in solving puzzles and, despite her exceptional skill, remains humble. 

“I once had a liver biopsy that I thought was very unusual,” Subramony said. “I had never seen anything like that before. I checked the books and came up with the diagnosis for the clinicians. And I told them ‘this is a rare case, and I want to send it out for testing’. It was reviewed by experts, and they agreed with my diagnosis. That was a fantastic moment for me because it was a very difficult case, and I was so proud that I solved it correctly.” 

Though her wealth of knowledge is an invaluable resource for the Medical Center, Subramony’s desire to continue learning is insatiable. During her time away from work, she has been known to attend medical conferences for fun.  

“My daughters live in New York City and I have some friends there at Cornell Medical College,” she said. “Sometimes when they have conferences there, I will just go and listen to see what they are doing just for my own interest. I’ve actually done that a few times over the years.” 

When she isn’t learning about medicine, she is honing her cooking skills. One of her favorite things to do when she visits New York these days is prepare home-cooked Southern meals for her family. Her coworkers at UMMC are often her taste-testers, giving her tips and swapping recipes.  

Subramony said her colleagues have been a vital resource for her throughout her career at UMMC, both in the kitchen and in the lab. The work of a pathologist can be emotionally taxing, as they play a crucial role in diagnosing diseases such as cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Working autopsies can be especially draining. 

“The saying ‘It takes a village’, it works like that. I feel like some of my colleagues in pathology that I have learned from through the years were put on this Earth just for me,” she said. “They’ve encouraged me and helped me in many ways.” 

Subramony said that she has had many valuable mentors and leaders throughout her time at UMMC, but she is especially proud to serve in an institution where the dean of the medical school is a woman.  

“There aren’t many places where that is the case,” she said. “I think it is one of the things that sets UMMC apart. I’m very proud to work here.” 

For Subramony’s career with the Medical Center, there seems to be no end in sight.  

“I will continue to do this as long as they will have me,” she said. “My mind is clear. I have a lot of energy. I get so bored on the weekends. I can’t spend my weeks that way.”