Maria Gonzalez, M.D. - Faculty Profile

Biography

Dr. Maria F. Gonzalez is originally from Cali, Colombia. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Universidad Libre in Cali, Colombia, where she graduated with top academic honors. Following medical school, she completed a transitional medicine internship at Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia.

After relocating to the United States, Dr. Gonzalez started her Pathology residency training at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, and continued her residency training at Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine. She subsequently completed a fellowship in Surgical Pathology at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, and a fellowship in Cytopathology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Dr. Gonzalez has held multiple academic appointments at major academic medical centers, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Temple University Hospital and Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She has served in numerous leadership roles, including Director of Head and Neck Pathology, Associate Program Director at The University of Illinois at Chicago, Program Director of Pathology Residency Training at The Temple University Hospital, Interim Director of Cytology Services, and Lead Pathologist for Gastrointestinal and Head and Neck Pathology.

She is nationally recognized for her contributions to cytopathology education and residency training and has served in leadership roles within the American Society of Cytology, including Chair of the Residents’ Examination Subcommittee and member of the Product Innovations Committee.

Dr. Gonzalez is currently an Associate Professor of Pathology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where she serves as the Director of the Cytology Laboratory at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Her clinical and academic interests include cytopathology, gastrointestinal pathology, head and neck pathology, medical education, and translational research.

Education

Medical School: Universidad Libre de Cali (1997)
Residency: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (2011)
Residency: Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University (2013)
Fellowship: Hartford Hospital/Surgical Pathology (2014)
Fellowship: University of Pennsylvania/ Cytopathology (2015)

Research Interest

My research interest includes Cytology, Head and Neck Pathology, Gastrointestinal Pathology, and Thoracic Pathology.

Publications

Featured Publications

Well-Differentiated Adenocarcinoma With Papillary Architecture, Focal Residual Cilia, Apical Snouts, and CHEK2 and p53 Mutations.: Gonzalez MF, Cytopathology 2025 Sep 36 5 505-511
Myoepithelial-Rich Pleomorphic Adenoma With Novel PLAG1 Inversion on Chromosome 8, and LRP1B, PBRM1 and TCF3 Mutations.: Gonzalez MF, Pei J, Rong Y, Seth A, Cytopathology 2025 Mar 36 2 180-186
Primary pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma metastatic to the pleura and mediastinal lymph node with a prominent rhabdoid cytomorphology showing CAMTA1::WWTR1 fusion and novel PRDM1 and TNFRSF14 mutations.: Gonzalez MF, Seth A, Cytopathology 2024 Sep 35 5 654-657
Incidental granular cell tumor at the ileocecal junction mimicking a lymph node metastasis in a patient with history of neuroendocrine tumor of the right colon.: Alagar JN, Gonzalez MF, Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2024 17 12 487-491
Hyalinising clear cell carcinoma with a novel fusion gene: Insights into the diagnosis.: Gonzalez MF, Akhtar I, Cytopathology 2023 Nov 34 6 611-616
Cytomorphological features of extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva in a patient with diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix status post-chemoradiation, and high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia: The importance of basic principles.: Gonzalez MF, Duhoki DM, Cytopathology 2022 May 33 3 384-388
Analysis of the risk of malignancy associated with the basaloid and oncocytic subtypes of the salivary gland neoplasm of unknown malignant potential (SUMP) category in the Milan system.: Manucha V, Gonzalez MF, Akhtar I, Cancer Cytopathol 2021 Aug 129 8 603-611
Solitary fibrous tumour of the submandibular gland: Novel insights from clinical practice on a close mimicker of pleomorphic adenoma and a diagnostic challenge for the cytopathologist.: Gonzalez MF, Husain BH, Cytopathology 2021 Mar 32 2 261-265
Impact of the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytology on risk assessment when used in routine practice in a real-time setting.: Manucha V, Gonzalez MF, Akhtar I, J Am Soc Cytopathol 2021 10 2 208-215
Thyroid hemangioma and concurrent papillary thyroid Carcinoma.: Robert T. Cristel, Lander McGinn, Surina Kumar, Saman Karimi, Maria F. Gonzalez, Uzma Syed, Ari B. Rubenfeld. Otolaryngology Case Reports 2021 21 100371

Honors & Awards

The Best Teacher of the Quarter.
Award granted for her excellence in teaching, and her outstanding RISE Review lectures. Temple University. Philadelphia, PA. (2023-2023)
Special Recognition for Changes Done for the Residency Program, Mentoring, and Teaching.
The University of Illinois at Chicago. (2021-2022)
The Best Teacher of the Year
University of Illinois at Chicago. (2019-2020)
Outstanding Performance on the Cytopathology Service
Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine- Department of Pathology- Residency Program. (2012-2013)
The Best Teacher of the Year
Colegio Odontologico Colombiano (2004-2005)
The Best Teacher of the Year
Colegio Odontologico Colombiano. Cali, Colombia. (2003-2004)
Highest rankings in Medical school and intership
Universidad Libre, Cali, Colombia. (1991-1997)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
American Society of Cytology (ASC)
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
Gastrointestinal Society of Pathology (GIPS)
North American Society of Head and Neck Pathology (NASHNP)
Texas Society of Pathology (TSP)
United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP)