Samuel Pirruccello, M.D.
Phone: 402.559.7707
Email:
spirrucc@unmc.edu
Interests:
Flow Cytometry
Clinical Chemistry
Laboratory Information Systems
Outreach and Marketing
Research:
My basic research efforts are predominantly collaborative in nature and involve work on projects with
other investigators on campus where flow cytometry can be applied to a particular question. I have
also been involved with Dr. Steve Carson and Dr. Steve Tracy utilizing flow cytometry to address
several biologic questions related to CVBIII pathology and function of the CVBIII receptor. A current
study with the pulmonary group under Dr. Steve Rennard is evaluating changes in pulmonary macrophages
following intervention in smokers.
The flow cytometry lab is also involved with a number of clinical oncology trials here at UNMC.
This includes monitoring stem cell harvests for CD34+ cell content and immunologic recovery following
transplantation. The lab currently has a contract with a private clinical trials company, BioTransplant,
to provide flow cytometric analysis for trials aimed at FDA approval of new therapeutic modalities.
In addition to flow cytometry providing an avenue for basic and clinical research, it continues to be my
main area of clinical expertise. We are well established as the regional flow cytometry service and this
year will perform close to 1,000 analyses for leukemia/lymphoma and approximately 4,500 clinical flow
assays overall. Dr. Pat Aoun and I will be teaching a 1/2 day course at the upcoming ASCP meeting in San
Diego overviewing flow cytometric analysis in hematologic malignancy.
My main day to day focus continues to be in the direction and provision of clinical laboratory services.
In addition to responsibilities for the Rapid Response and Specialty Laboratories, direction of Regional
Pathology Services provides unique opportunities in outreach and marketing. The recent merger of the North
and South Tower outreach services was successfully completed this year. The combined Regional Pathology
Services is now able to provide a complete line of clinical and anatomic pathology services. In the coming
year we plan to develop and more aggressively market national programs aimed at the anatomic pathology
consult business.
I am currently directing the Laboratory Information Systems group which consists of five analysts. We
completed a rollout of the Sunquest LIS to Clarkson Hospital in October of 1999. We are in the process
of acquiring a new client/server based Anatomic Pathology system which will occur sometime in the third
quarter of this fiscal year. Most notably we are involved with the development of a web based laboratory
ordering system and data base for the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. This project is on the cutting
edge nationally and is getting considerable attention from the CDC because of our success in implementation.
In the coming year we will also pursue web based applications for test ordering and results retrieval to
serve the outreach operation.
Education and Training
B.A. (Honors) University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1978
M.D. (Honors) University of Nebraska Medical Center, 1982
Residency in Clinical Pathology, University of Minnesota, 1986
Fellowship in Immunopathology, University of Minnesota, 1987
Board Certified in Clinical Pathology, 1987
Clinical Service
Medical Director, Rapid Response and Specialty Laboratories
Medical Director, Regional Pathology Services
Medical Director, Laboratory Information Systems
