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Ken H Young

Professor of Pathology
Pathology
1-919-668-7568, 40 Medicine Circle, Durham, NC 27710
40 Duke Medicine Circle, Box #3712 DUHS, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


I am a clinically-oriented diagnostic physician with clinical expertise in the diagnosis of hematologic cancers including tumors of the bone marrow, lymphoid tissue, spleen and pre-malignant hematologic conditions. Another area of interest is blood cancer classification with molecular and genetic profiling. In the pathology translational program, we focus on molecular mechanisms of tumor progression, cell-of-origin, biomarkers, and novel therapeutic strategies in lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia. In addition to patient care and translational research, medical education and communication are also part of focus. I provide persistent support for the physician-scientist program and Blood Cancer Pathology program in the department and cancer center. Many residents, fellows, graduates and postdocs have worked and been trained in our program. We perform comprehensive clinical and research functions that include bone marrow, lymphoma pathology, clinical flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular diagnostics and outside services.

I am currently the director of hematopathology division and Vice Chair of Research in the Department that provides diagnostic services and relevant specialized testing for patients with various types of acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma and benign hematologic disorders. I am specialized in the diagnosis of hematological disorders, including acute and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms, B and T-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma, cutaneous and orbital lymphomas and benign bone marrow and lymph node disorders. 

Our clinical and research collaborative groups have been supported by various funding resources since 2006 and have presented original peer-reviewed articles and review articles, some of which are in high-impact journals (Nature Clin Onc Rev, JCO, JAMA, Lancet, Blood, JHO, Leukemia and Clinical Cancer Research). The contributions to the hematology field include the development of novel diagnostic algorithms, molecular and genetic biomarkers for classification of blood cancer, lymphoid neoplasms and lymphoid diseases.

Office Hours


Division of Hematopathology and Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, 40 Duke Medicine Circle, Room 265M, Box 3712, Duke South, Green Zone, Durham, NC 27710. Office Phone: 1-919-668-7568

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Pathology · 2019 - Present Pathology, Clinical Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2019 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

Recent Publications


Proinflammatory GSDMD activation in live macrophages and DLBCL cells marks cognate interactions and better prognosis.

Journal Article Blood Adv · December 4, 2025 Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death characterized by the cleavage of gasdermin (GSDM) family proteins that form pores in the plasma membrane, cell rupture, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we performed immunohistochem ... Full text Link to item Cite

Distinct B/myeloid and T-lymphoblast populations at separate anatomic sites in mixed-phenotype acute leukemia with BCR::ABL1 fusion.

Journal Article J Hematop · September 22, 2025 The pluripotency of malignant blasts in acute leukemias is a growing area of scientific and clinical interest. Mixed-phenotype acute leukemias (MPALs) are defined by the presence of blasts showing evidence of differentiation along at least two lineages. Cu ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Concurrent or subsequent lymphomatous effusion in large B-cell lymphoma portends a dismal prognosis: A multi-institutional study.

Journal Article Am J Clin Pathol · September 9, 2025 OBJECTIVE: Rare large B-cell lymphomas (LBCLs) present with concurrent or subsequent lymphomatous effusion (solid-effusion LBCL, SE-LBCL), which may have an inferior prognosis compared with their noneffusion counterpart. In addition, the relationship betwe ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


PD-L1 Modifications in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Baylor College of Medicine · 2025 - 2030

Cancer Prevention-Interception against MGUS Progression (Admin Core)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Baylor College of Medicine · 2023 - 2027

Spatially resolved, single cell biomarkers of B cell lymphoma

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Cedars Sinai Medical Center · 2022 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Lund University (Sweden) · 1995 Ph.D.
Zhejiang University (China) · 1984 M.D.