Dr. Bridge received her B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1984. She trained in Anatomic Pathology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. As a pathology resident, she independently developed a cytogenetic laboratory to evaluate lymphomas and, subsequently, bone and soft tissue neoplasms. Her efforts did not pass unnoticed, as she was awarded in her senior year, a grant from the Orthopaedic Research Education Foundation to study a wide range of benign and malignant bone and soft tissue neoplasms. The final six months of residency were spent as a Special Fellow in Clinical Cytogenetics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Recognizing the importance of molecular biology in contemporary medical research, she electively pursued additional training as a molecular biology fellow at the Southwest Biomedical Research Institute in Scottsdale under the supervision of Dr. Avery A. Sandberg. This training was undertaken while she simultaneously directed a research laboratory in Kansas and retained her first academic position as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Pathology and Oncology.

In 1991, she was recruited to the University of Nebraska Medical Center as an Associate Professor of Pathology, Pediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery. In 1999, she was promoted to the rank of full Professor in all three departments.

Dr. Bridge has delineated the precise cytogenetic alterations (including the exact chromosomal bands or subbands involved) for more than 30 distinct bone/soft tissue entities. This information has served as a basis for her molecular studies, and those of others, in identifying the genes altered and the clinical phenotypes stemming from these genetic alterations. A significant outgrowth of these studies has been the demonstration of specific and recurrent chromosome changes in benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors which has added a new dimension to the formulation of a diagnosis. Chromosomal translocations and/or associated gene fusions such as t(X;18)/SYT-SSX in orofacial and pulmonary synovial sarcoma, t(12;22) in clear cell sarcoma, der(17)t(X;17)/ASPL-TFE3 in alveolar soft part sarcoma, t(1;3) in epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, t(2;17)/CLTC-ALK or t(2;2)/RanBP2-ALK in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, and t(13;21) in mesenchymal chondrosarcoma represent several tumor-specific anomalies identified by Dr. Bridge and colleagues.

Dr. Bridge’s cytogenetic investigations have also been instrumental in uncovering the relationship between a genetic aberration that occurs sporadically and that which is inherited. For example, the identification of recurrent 5q21-22 and 8q24.1 chromosomal loss in sporadic desmoid tumors and osteochondromas, respectively, and the loci of the putative tumor suppressor genes, familial adenomatosis polyposis (FAP) and hereditary multiple exostoses (EXT1), confirmed the previously hypothesized pathogenetic relationship between those lesions arising sporadically and those of a hereditary nature and provided support for the theory that these genes were, in fact, tumor suppressor genes. Moreover, her original cytogenetic descriptions of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, parosteal osteosarcoma, and, most recently, pleomorphic hyalinizing angiectatic tumor, all revealing the presence of ring chromosomes and low level genomic amplification as their defining genetic features, have provided evidence for a shared mechanism of oncogenesis amongst mesenchymal neoplasms of low malignant potential.

Dr. Bridge has published the most detailed cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic findings of osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas. Unlike karyotypic descriptions of Ewing’s sarcoma and several other sarcomas which feature a single characteristic chromosomal rearrangement, osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas are characterized by recurrent, diverse, complex chromosomal imbalances, the patterns of which can only be recognized by study of large numbers of these neoplasms.

Dr. Bridge has contributed significantly to the development and advancement of new molecular cytogenetic (fluorescence in-situ hybridization) tests for the routine assessment of cancer patients in pathology laboratories worldwide. Clinical studies which involve cutting edge DNA probe technology are most challenging in terms of receiving FDA acceptance. Dr. Bridge served in the development and as key investigator for two studies which resulted in approval for two novel gene-based tests: 1) breast cancer prognosis (Oncor’s INFORM, HER-2/neu), and 2) bladder cancer recurrence (Vysis’ UroVysion). Both approvals were the first of their kind. Most recently, Dr. Bridge’s laboratory was selected as one of three worldwide to participate in clinical studies for a novel automated scanning/scoring microscope system that may revolutionize fluorescence in situ hybridization in the clinical setting.

The cytogenetic, molecular cytogenetic and molecular diagnostic laboratories developed by Dr. Bridge at the University of Nebraska Medical Center are recognized reference laboratories for numerous medical centers across the continent as well as from laboratories beyond North America. In recognition of the quality of her laboratory, rhabdomyosarcoma specimens from the former Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group were sent to Nebraska for the last three years. Recently, her laboratory was selected as the sole Cytogenetic Reference Laboratory for all soft tissue sarcomas for the national Children’s Oncology Group.

Dr. Bridge has demonstrated an impressive and continuous measure of extramural research funding, carried a full clinical load on the diagnostic cytopathology, clinical cytogenetic and molecular genetic services, and mentored graduate, medical and resident students for three separate departments. Dr. Bridge’s scientific contributions to the orthopaedic community were recognized by her reception of the Kappa Delta Investigator Award in 1999 from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, an honor rarely awarded to non-Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Bridge serves on the Editorial Board of Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics and the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics and has published over 130 peer-reviewed papers and 20 book chapters including several chapters for the recently published WHO Classification of Tumours: Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of Soft Tissue and Bone. In 1994, she co-authored the first comprehensive text on the Cytogenetics of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors with Avery Sandberg; the second edition is “in preparation”. Currently, she is co-authoring the 4th series of the AFIP Fascicle on Tumors of Bone with Drs. K.K. Unni, C.Y. Inwards, L-G Kindblom, and L.E. Wold. Her section on genetics represents the first inclusion of this topic in this fascicle.