Although most of my energy is devoted to my lab's research [hypertext link to Research page], I also serve as Director of Ophthalmic Pathology within the Neuropathology Division. Eye pathology is a busy service—20 to 30 cases a week, which I have covered 40 weeks per year—and an unusually diverse one, demanding knowledge not only of the eye but of skin, head and neck, cytology, soft tissue, and retina/CNS, requiring frequent collaboration with ophthalmology, dermatology, and oncology.
In 2025 I became the neuropathologist for the Target ALS Foundation’s multicenter postmortem tissue cores. Led at UC San Diego by John Ravits, ours is one of just six sites worldwide. I perform the microscopic evaluation and scoring of donated central nervous system tissue, rendering the neuropathological diagnosis and documenting the distribution and severity of pathology so that each case can be linked to its de-identified clinical and genetic data. This supports the foundation’s mission of supplying researchers worldwide with high-quality postmortem tissue at minimal cost and without intellectual-property restrictions.
Neuropathology is a two-year subspecialty fellowship covering surgical neuropathology (e.g., brain tumors), autopsy neuropathology, muscle disease, eye pathology. Much of the teaching happens at daily microscopy sessions where we work through active cases together. I also teach anatomic pathology residents on their neuropathology rotations, which I especially enjoy because the breadth of eye pathology means each resident takes away something useful whatever specialty they choose.
I oversee two medical-student experiences in ophthalmic pathology. Typically enrollees are interested in careers in Ophthalmology, but some are also pursuing Pathology or other medical specialties. I am preceptor for the third-year selective PATH412, a three-week rotation; last year all three enrolled students praised it warmly, noting that it gave them lasting insight into microscopic diagnosis. I also direct the four-week fourth-year elective PATH427; last year’s three students were all headed for Ophthalmology and made remarkable progress in understanding the diseases they will encounter. I devote substantial time to these curricula, including curating collections of hundreds of teaching slides, developing lectures, and assembling self-study materials. Examples of student feedback are included below.
PATH 412: "Incredibly kind and patient teacher. Always willing to teach even if busy. Down to earth and humble despite having a vast knowledge of pathology."
PATH 427: "Dr. Ferguson went above and beyond in ensuring a comprehensive and engaging learning experience. He took the time to review all incoming cases as well as a collection of both common and rare cases he had gathered over the years. His dedication to teaching was evident in the way he patiently explained fundamental pathology concepts and actively included me in case discussions. By the end of the course, I felt much more confident in identifying common ophthalmic pathology cases."
I also give lectures and microscopy sessions for Ophthalmology residents on board-relevant topics, which they have consistently valued, and in 2022 I received a teaching award from the Department of Ophthalmology for excellence in resident education.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.