2022 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award

Established in 2006, the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and honors members of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) who have made a broad and positive impact on the pathology profession through contributions to one or more areas of the organization over an extended period.

The College of American Pathologists presents Edward R. Ashwood, MD, FCAP, with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions and service to the CAP Laboratory Improvement Programs.

Dr. Ashwood has been a member of the CAP since 1985. Early in his career, he was involved with informatics and gave over 25 presentations at CAP national meetings. Clinical chemistry, board certification, and laboratory directorships are now his main professional activities. He has authored 11 peer-reviewed publications based on his CAP committee work; the most recent was published in July 2021.

He has served on the Informatics Committee, Chemistry Resource Committee (chair and advisor), Instrumentation Resource Committee, Graduate Medical Education Committee, and has twice been appointed to the Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Committee. He has participated in 22 CAP inspections and acted as team leader on 11.

Dr. Ashwood has a long history of teaching and has received numerous awards recognizing his skills as a clinical educator. He is a nationally and internationally recognized leader and educator in the fields of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.

Dr. Ashwood is a professor and vice chair of clinical pathology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado.

The College of American Pathologists presents Wayne Lee Garrett, DO, FCAP, with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many years of service in pathology and to the CAP.

Dr. Garrett is an advocate for pathologists and their patients, an active member of the CAP, and an incredible asset to the field of pathology. He currently sits on the CAP Foundation Board of Directors and serves as the chair of the Foundation Development Committee, where he played a crucial role in the Empowering Our Future fundraising campaign. He has more than two decades of experience as a laboratory accreditation inspection team leader. He promotes the advantages of CAP accreditation while working as a locum tenens pathologist throughout the country and advocates for CAP membership whenever he encounters non-member pathologists.

A strong advocate for pathologists and their patients, Dr. Garrett served on the Federal and State Affairs Committee and the Political Action Committee (PathPAC), which he also chaired. Throughout his career, he has participated in numerous Capitol Hill and district home office visits. He continues to mentor pathologists through his involvement in the House of Delegates and his active participation in numerous annual and policy meetings. Currently, he also lends his experience to the Member Engagement Committee.

Dr. Garrett is the president of Wayne Garrett Pathology Associates in San Francisco.

The College of American Pathologists presents Amira F. Gohara, MD, FCAP, with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award for her tremendous contributions to elevate the image, dignity, and popularity of the pathology department and pathologists among students and faculty.

Currently, Dr. Gohara is the chair of the pathology department and residency program director at the University of Toledo College of Medicine, where her abilities and communication skills have been instrumental to her service as the executive vice president/provost dean and vice president of academic affairs. Recently, she was also appointed as acting president of the Ohio Medical College and has received many regional and national honors and awards in teaching and medical quality leadership, as well as business and physician executive leadership.

Dr. Gohara specializes in renal diseases, histocompatibility, and autopsy services. She has dedicated her entire career to her profession, its image, quality, patient and community service, and teaching. Dr. Gohara is loved by students, residents, faculty, and administration alike. She is a pathologist deeply involved in teaching and patient care.

Dr. Gohara is a professor of pathology, chairman of the pathology department, and dean emerita at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in Toledo, Ohio.

The College of American Pathologists presents Michael A. Linden, MD, PhD, FCAP, with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many years of service in pathology and to the CAP.

Dr. Linden’s dedication to improving the CAP is shown through his commitment to increasing member diversity. He has taken the initiative to create a transparent and inclusive process to select new committee members to fill open leadership positions.

Additionally, Dr. Linden was instrumental in improving flow cytometry PT material by providing expertise to the vendors. Under Dr. Linden's leadership, the Diagnostic Immunology and Flow Cytometry Committee developed nine PT programs (including SARS-CoV-2 Serology), 10 significant survey enhancements, and began grading more than 35 analytes. In addition, more than 15 research projects were approved during his tenure, resulting in eight publications, with the remainder in active development.

Dr. Linden’s transparent commitment to pathology and inclusivity have made him a boon to his profession and specialty.

Dr. Linden is a professor and director of hematopathology in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

The College of American Pathologists presents Rajendra S. Singh, MD, FCAP, with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his commitment and dedication to improve the pathology education process and bring it to a new, advanced level using digital pathology.

Dr. Singh is the founder of PathPresenter, an online digital platform with more than 50,000 users in 172 countries that’s used by more than 25 academic departments, private pathology groups, and organizations around the world. His invaluable contributions to teaching residents and fellows earned him the Icahn School of Medicine’s Teacher of the Year Award for five consecutive years.

Dr. Singh is a role model to many and a mentor for trainees in the US and outside its borders. During his appointment at Mount Sinai Hospital and Northwell Health, Dr. Singh used his educational platform to advance the implementation of digital pathology, to great effect and general approval. He has proven to be an excellent leader in pathology and was named to The Pathologist magazine’s Power List in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, PathPresenter enabled trainees and pathologists across the world to continue studying at the same level. The platform helped thousands of people survive the crisis in education, pass the boards, communicate with each other, and stay on track emotionally and professionally. Dr. Singh built his easy, intuitive platform for digital education without any boundaries; pathologists can upload their best slides to share with colleagues and interact at any time in a virtual space that includes conference or lecture formats—no matter their location. The platform and resources are free and available to everyone on any device. It enables whole slide imaging to be shared not only for education, but also to obtain an easy, efficient consultation from colleagues across the globe.

Dr. Singh currently performs multiple roles teaching medical students, fellows, and residents using digital pathology—the new reality in every pathologist’s daily life. He regularly directs free online courses with internationally renowned faculty that attract thousands of trainees and working pathologists from around the world. He extended digital pathology education to the entire field of pathology, an achievement that will benefit pathologists for many generations. Moreover, his style of teaching and mentoring encourages students to believe in their ability to contribute to the future of science.

Dr. Singh is currently the director of dermatopathology and digital pathology at Summit Health in New Jersey.

The College of American Pathologists presents Bruce R. Smoller, MD, FCAP, with the CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his long and distinguished career in academic pathology and, specifically, dermatopathology.

Dr. Smoller has led organizations and several departments of pathology, and has published more than 235 original articles, 39 book chapters, and 13 textbooks on dermatopathology. He has received numerous awards for his research and lifetime excellence in teaching dermatopathology.

Dr. Smoller has been a great mentor and advisor to many pathologists at different stages of their careers. He is an accomplished scholar and experienced diagnostician. He has touched many lives with his wisdom, kindness, and great sense of humor.

Dr. Smoller is a professor of pathology and dermatology and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, New York.

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