Lester Freedman, MD
Acting Chairman, Department of Pathology & Laboratories

Dr. Lester Freedman was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Hofstra University in 1977. His medical training took place at the CETEC University in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Winthrop University Hospital (formerly Nassau Hospital. While still a fellow in surgical pathology at Nassau University Medical Center, Dr. Freedman established the Molecular Pathology Division in the Department of Pathology. In 1991, he was appointed to the staff of the Department of Pathology at NUMC in 1991, and is currently the Acting Chairman of Pathology, Coordinator of Anatomic Pathology, and Director of Molecular Pathology. During his affiliation with NUMC and SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine, Dr. Freedman has instructed and mentored innumerable students and residents. Dr Freedman also chairs Pathology Quality Assurance Committee at NUMC. He has particular expertise in performing and interpreting fine needle aspirations and is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology.

Dr. Freedman’s research interests are in the field of molecular immunology. He was a research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley and at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr Freedman is currently vice president and board member of the Directors of the Nassau County Society of Pathologists. He is also a team leader inspector for the College of American Pathologists.

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Jen Lin, MD
Program Director, Pathology Residency Program
Coordinator, Clinical Pathology

Dr. Jen Lin, a graduate of Kaohsiung Medical College in Taiwan, completed the Pathology Residency at Nassau University Medical Center(NUMC), has been an attending pathologist at NUMC for many years.

Currently Dr. Lin is the Director of Pathology Residency Program; Director of Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine; Coordinator of Clinical Pathology involved in Laboratory Medicine Function and Activity in Hematology, Coagulation and Hemostasis, Urinalysis, Clinical Microscopy and Clinical Chemistry.

Dr. Lin is certified by American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology with Added Cytopathology Certificate, in Hematopathology and in Blood Banking; and holds academic ranks of Professor of Clinical Pathology at the School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pathology at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine at Old Westbury; and Student Clerkship Director of Pathology, American University of Caribbean.

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Gary P. Leonardi, Ph.D.
Director of Virology and Molecular Pathology

Dr. Leonardi was awarded a doctoral degree with distinction from New York University in 1988, concentrating on the pathogenesis of virally induced leukemia in erythropoietically competent and suppressed BALB/c mice.

Since 1989, Dr. Leonardi has held appointments as a research scientist, chief of service and laboratory director for Virology. The additional appointment as director of molecular pathology was made in 2008. During his 20-year tenure at NUMC, the virology laboratory has collaborated with many hospitals, private laboratories, and long-term care facilities, providing them with an important reference center for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Under his guidance, the laboratory has evaluated and implemented state of the art molecular diagnostic methods. These include nucleic acid amplification methods for the simultaneous detection of Chlamydia sp. and Neisseria sp., quantitative (viral load) assays for HIV and HCV, and a qualitative assay for HPV agents.

Dr. Leonardi has been appointed to various committees at NUMC, including those for institutional animal care and use (IACUC), and diversity affairs. He has also served on the NUMC anti-discrimination task force as well as the bio-terrorism preparedness / smallpox task force.

Over thirty scientific abstracts, book chapters and peer-review journal articles have been published during Dr Leonardi’s professional career. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Vector Young Investigator Award, presented at the national meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in 1990. His current research interests include the evaluation of molecular testing methods for the diagnosis of infectious diseases, medical epidemiology, and emerging infectious diseases.

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Adele M. Wilson, Ph.D.
Anatomic Pathology Administrative Manager

Dr. Wilson received her B.S. in Biology (1982), M.S. in Biological Sciences (1985) and Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology (1999) from St. John's University. Her area of research investigated the protective effects of zinc on diethyldithiocarbamate cytotoxicity on rat astrocytes in vitro.

On staff of NUMC since 1986, she is currently the Anatomic Pathology Administrative Manager overseeing the operations of all anatomic pathology laboratories, processing over 20,000 diagnostic specimens per year. Dr. Wilson is the systems manager responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Pathology Laboratory Information System, which she successfully implemented in 2005.

During her tenure at NUMC, Dr. Wilson has progressed from managing an Electron Microscopy Laboratory, performing manual Immunohistochemistry staining, and introducing Human papillomavirus (HPV) in situ testing in 1992.

Dr. Wilson has optimized laboratory services by implementing an automated Immunohistochemistry instrument in 1998, significantly improving stain quality and reducing turnaround time. Today, this laboratory offers over 75 antibodies, and is instrumental in the diagnosis of many Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology specimens.

Responsible for coordinating staff development and a commitment to standards of laboratory excellence, Dr. Wilson participates in proficiency examinations and monitors quality assurance and ongoing quality improvement in accordance with institutional standards and regulatory agencies.