Nikolina Dioufa, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory MedicinePerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Contact InformationHospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
6 Founders Pavilion
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 215-662-3746
Email: nikolina.dioufa@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Specialty Division
Anatomic Pathology
Clinical Expertise
Anatomic Pathology, Head and Neck Pathology, Endocrine Pathology, Cytopathology
Education
MD University of Athens, School of Health Sciences, 2007
MSc University of Athens, School of Health Sciences, 2010
PhD University of Athens, School of Health Sciences, 2014
Specialty Certification
Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology (AP/CP), 2021
Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology (AP/CP) - Cytopathology, 2022
Postgraduate Training
Research Fellow, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 2011-12
Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 2012-15
Post-doctoral Research Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, 2016-17
Resident, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Temple University Hospital, 2017-21
Chief Resident, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Temple University Hospital, 2019
Fellow, Cytopathology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2021-22
Fellow, Surgical Pathology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2022-23
Chief Fellow, Surgical Pathology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2022-23
Awards and Honors
Scholarship - Award “Antonios Papadakis” University of Athens, Greece, 2005 & 2006
“Empirikeion” Foundation Fellowship Award (PhD), University of Athens, Greece, 2012
Society for Pediatric Pathology-Young investigator Award Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 2014
NIH T32 Training Grant on Skin Biology and Cancer Post-doctoral Research Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, 2016
Travel Award and Finalist in the Best Lab Practice Poster Award Competition, American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2018
Award for Scholarly Activity, Residency Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Temple University Hospital, 2018
Horatio T. Enterline Surgical Pathology Award for Excellence in Service and Teaching, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2023
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Penn Chapter, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 2023
Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award (quarterly), Temple University Hospital, 2024
Memberships and Professional Organizations
American Society of Investigative Pathology (ASIP), 2014 - present
College of American Pathologists (CAP), 2017 - present
American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), 2017 - present
United States and Canada Academy of Pathology (USCAP), 2021 - Present
American Society of Cytopathology (ASC), 2021 - present
Pennsylvania Association of Pathologists, 2024 - present
North American Society of Head and Neck Pathology (NASHNP), 2026 - Present
Web Links
Selected Publications
Keratoameloblastoma: Unusual Keratinization in Ameloblastoma – A Case Report and Review of Literature.
Madabhushi S, Nadella S, Lankalis J, Alawi F, and Dioufa N, Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 142(3): 457-465, 2026, PMID:42120267
The Great Imitators: Fungal and Fungal-Like Pneumonias with Pathological Correlation.
Shukla Y., Kandula V., Khawaja G., Kumaran M., Dioufa N., Donuru A., Roentgen Ray Review Categorical Course Highlight - Invited article 2(4): , 2026
Encapsulated neoplasms of the thyroid gland
Dioufa N. and Baloch ZW., Virchows Arch. 488(1): 95-111, 2026, PMID:41413696
Secondary Basaloid Tumors in Salivary Gland Cytology: A Three-Case Series Reviewing Diagnostic Pitfalls
Al-Quraishi L, Li X and Dioufa N., American Society of Cytopathology, ASC 74th Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, Washington, 2026
Volumetric Analysis of Peritoneal and Pleural Fluid Cytology Across TIS Diagnostic Categories with Systematic Literature Review.
Adamson A, Dioufa N and Baloch Z., American Society of Cytopathology, ASC 74th Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, Washington, 2026
Clinicopathologic Spectrum of Low‑Grade Oncocytic Lesions in the Sinonasal Tract
Dioufa N and, Baloch Z., Clinical Pathology and the Canadian Association of Pathologists, ASCP/CAP-ACP 2026 Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 2026
Succinate Dehydrogenase Subunit B (SDHB) Immunohistochemistry in Head and Neck Paragangliomas (HNPGLs)
Graboyes AZ., Dioufa N , and Baloch Z., Clinical Pathology and the Canadian Association of Pathologists, ASCP/CAP-ACP 2026 Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 2026
A Recurrent Middle Ear Neuroendocrine Tumor Mimicking a Paraganglioma: A Case Highlighting Diagnostic Challenges.
Graboyes AZ, Hwa TP, and Dioufa N., Pennsylvania Association of Pathologists (PAP) Annual Meeting, Harrisburg PA., 2026
Incidence of Thyroid Cancer In Those with Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective Study.
Graboyes A, Cohen D, Dioufa N, Rassekh C, Huan Y, American Head and Neck Society (AHNS), Boston, MA, 2026
SNEC and SNUC survival can be predicted by nasal tuft cell markers
Dioufa N, Bruneto R. V, Douglas J. E, Adappa N. D, Palmer J. N, Cohen N. A, and Kohanski M. A, American Rhinologic Society (ARS), Phoenix AZ, 2026
