2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award

Established in 2006, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and honors members of 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 Fouad Al Dayel, MD, FRCPA, FRCPath, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions and service to the CAP Laboratory Improvement Programs.

Dr. Al Dayel has been a steadfast and committed member of the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) team for over two decades, having been an LAP inspector since 2002 and a commissioner since 2014. He currently serves as a deputy regional commissioner for the Middle East and is a dedicated member of the CAP Accreditation Committee.

Dr. Al Dayel serves as an outstanding role model for other pathologists, laboratory professionals, and inspectors. His continued service to the CAP, his support of pathology and laboratory quality, and his representation of laboratory excellence in the Middle East is greatly appreciated by CAP members. His support over the years has contributed to CAP revenue growth from the increased number of LAP-accredited labs in the Middle East region.

Dr. Al Dayel is a professor and chairman in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The College of American Pathologists presents Sylvia L. Asa, MD, PhD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions and dedication to developing and advancing endocrine pathology.

Dr. Asa was instrumental in the formation of the Endocrine Pathology Society, and she was an inaugural co-editor of its official journal, Endocrine Pathology. Only eight years after completing her PhD, she published the third series “AFIP Fascicle on Pituitary Tumors” and has been a mentor to young pathologists working on publications. Dr. Asa has published more than 600 papers, hundreds of book chapters, and several major textbooks on endocrine pathology.

Beyond the field of endocrine pathology, Dr. Asa has helped to develop and further the concept of subspecialty pathology—key to the integration of pathologists as important members of multidisciplinary care teams—through her work as head of Canada's largest academic pathology department, University Health Network in Toronto, for 15 years. To facilitate access to subspecialists, she pioneered digital pathology for primary diagnosis. She also built a biobank that served as one of the main contributors to The Cancer Genome Atlas Project, which has uncovered the molecular basis of many cancer types.

Dr. Asa has maintained a direct connection to patients throughout her career, serving as an advisor to several patient support groups and attending patient meetings to ensure their education. She initiated clinics where patients could access their pathologist, and she has always encouraged patients to visit her office to review and discuss their diagnosis and its implications for their treatment and prognosis. In addition to making herself available to patients, Dr. Asa consistently takes time to mentor students at every level.

Dr. Asa is a consultant in endocrine pathology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and a professor of pathology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

The College of American Pathologists presents Mark K. Fung, MD, PhD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for his long-standing contributions to patient care and years of service to the CAP as a member of the Histocompatibility-Identity Testing Committee.

Dr. Fung is a nationally recognized expert in transfusion medicine. He has been a consultant, co-investigator, or principal investigator on numerous funded research projects, and was previously a co-team leader for a team of eight international transfusion medicine faculty researchers as part of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative. The BEST Collaborative is an international research organization that works to lead the field of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies toward the best products and practices for donors and patients.

Dr. Fung was the editor in chief of the 18th and 19th edition of the AABB Technical Manual, the leading textbook in his field, has dozens of peer-reviewed publications, and is a publisher of six book chapters. His commitment to the CAP is shown through his involvement on the Histocompatibility-Identity Testing Committee, where he has served as a member, chair, and now as an advisor. He has also been a champion for improving the CAP proficiency testing surveys, working tirelessly on updating grading and data reporting, as well as streamlining legacy programs and introducing new ones.

Dr. Fung is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Vermont Health Network in Burlington, Vermont.

The College of American Pathologists presents Billie S. Fyfe-Kirschner, MD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for her service as a member and chair of the CAP Autopsy Committee and for her contributions to the Autopsy Pathology Program.

Dr. Fyfe-Kirschner has been a leading contributor for autopsy educational courses presented by the committee at CAP annual meetings. She was instrumental in developing the innovative wet-lab course for CAP22, which allowed attending pathologists to reinforce the lecture material with immediate hands-on practice.

She is a leader in the field of autopsy pathology and has worked tirelessly to help develop additional autopsy educational materials for practicing pathologists, residents, and pathologist-educators.

Dr. Fyfe-Kirschner is an anatomical pathologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey.

The College of American Pathologists presents James R. Gill, MD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of forensic pathology and his support of the CAP Forensic Pathology Committee as a member and chair.

Dr. Gill has used his expertise to champion the educational Forensic Pathology Program and the many courses presented by the committee at the CAP annual meeting and at other society meetings. He helped to initiate and develop the CAP Foundation’s new Forensic Pathology Advanced Training Grant, in collaboration with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), and the NAME Foundation. The 2023 grant is dedicated to the memory of Beth Frost, DO, FCAP. He has also been a leading supporter of CAP advocacy for legislative action to address forensic issues and to help mitigate the significant shortage of forensic pathologists.

Dr. Gill’s commitment to forensic pathology shows through his accomplishments. He has published over 100 scientific articles, books, and book chapters on a variety of forensic pathology topics. Dr. Gill continues to bring pathology and its challenges into the spotlight. He has participated in a multitude of media outreach interactions where he has dispelled misconceptions about forensic pathology, highlighted emerging public health threats including drug overdose and COVID-19 related deaths, and emphasized professionalism.

Dr. Gill is the chief medical examiner of Connecticut and a clinical professor of pathology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

The College of American Pathologists presents Aaron C. Han, MD, PhD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his dedication in serving as the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) International Deputy Regional Commissioner for the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

Dr. Han’s dedication to the LAP is evident through his work. Over the last two years, he has completed 55 volunteer laboratory inspections. Beginning in 2007, Dr. Han was foundational in establishing the CAP Education Day program in Dubai, which is held each year in conjunction with the Medlab Middle East Conference. In addition, he is an active member of the International Accreditation and Quality Practices Committees. He previously served a term on the Point of Care Testing Committee.

Dr. Han proactively offers his time and has never hesitated to support the CAP through his speaking engagements, volunteer inspections, training inspectors and team leaders, and committee appointments. Most recently, he spoke at the Medlab Asia Conference in Bangkok and at the 2023 CAP Education Day in Dubai. Dr. Han is an outstanding role model for other pathologists, laboratory professionals, and inspectors.

Dr. Han is the owner of ASA Clinical Labs, chief medical officer of Alliance Care Technologies, and an adjunct professor at Mohammed bin Rashid University School of Medicine, all in the United Arab Emirates.

The College of American Pathologists presents Virginia A. LiVolsi, MD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award for her vast contributions to the field of pathology.

Dr. LiVolsi is a renowned pathologist whose expertise in endocrine pathology is unmatched. She is highly regarded as a mentor and leader in the discipline. Her research and teachings have made significant contributions to pathology, as has her dedication to improving pathology organizations and serving on various committees.

Dr. LiVolsi's impact on future pathologists is profound; she continues to be an excellent mentor to trainees and junior faculty. Her passion for pathology is evident in her everyday work.

Dr. LiVolsi is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, as well as a professor of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

The College of American Pathologists presents Anne M. Mills, MD, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her many years of service in pathology and to the CAP.

Dr. Mills has spent the last decade supporting early career pathologists through her work as an educator, career and research mentor, and—for the last four years—as a residency and fellowship program director. She is dedicated to building the specialty by investing in promising individuals who will most benefit from direct mentorship and sponsorship.

Her impact on pathology is also evident from her research accomplishments, with over 100 publications to her name to date. Many of these works have clinical implications to the practice of diagnostic pathology in the areas of endometrial cancer, heritable cancer syndromes, and human papillomavirus-associated cervical and vulvar neoplasia. Most recently, her published research has highlighted the role of immunotherapeutic biomarkers such as PD-L1 and mismatch repair deficiency in gynecologic and breast cancers. Notable in her long list of publications is the number of mentees who have subsequently followed in her footsteps as gynecologic pathologists practicing both in academics and in the community—a lasting contribution to the field.

Dr. Mills has been an active member on CAP committees and in promoting CAP events. She has supported resident members by providing educational sessions on financial health for trainees. Most recently, she served on the CAP expert panel responsible for crafting guidelines on mismatch repair deficiency/microsatellite instability as biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors and as co-chair for the Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST) Update project.

Dr. Mills is an associate professor of pathology, AP/CP residency program director, and gynecologic and breast pathology fellowship director at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The College of American Pathologists presents Lauren N. Pearson, DO, MPH, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her ongoing work within the CAP Instrumentation Committee (IC) to develop relevant instrument verification programs and collaborate with other CAP committees.

Dr. Pearson started as a junior member of the IC working to develop programs tailored to the changing needs of laboratories, such as the Calibration Verification and Linearity program for C-peptide, insulin, high-sensitivity troponin, and cystatin C. She has continued this work throughout her tenure as chair of the committee, adding new quality cross check programs to meet laboratories’ needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Pearson has also facilitated collaboration with other committees to clarify CAP checklist requirements related to analytical measurement range verification and to provide a statement of support for the removal of race-based eGFR. Through these collaborations, Dr. Pearson has provided invaluable support to laboratories and improved patient care.

Dr. Pearson is the chief medical officer for Associated Regional and University Pathologists at University of Utah Health and an associate professor of pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City.

The College of American Pathologists presents Karim E. Sirgi, MD, MBA, FCAP, with the 2023 CAP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many years of service in pathology and to the CAP.

Dr. Sirgi's unwavering dedication and commitment to the field of pathology is shown through his commitment to leading outstanding laboratories that uphold and advance the practice of pathology. Dr. Sirgi has served his patients, clients, and hospitals for decades with the highest level of care.

Dr. Sirgi has served as president of the CAP Foundation and as an ex-officio member of the CAP Board of Governors. He is the current chair of the Colorado delegation to the CAP House of Delegates, as well as chair of the Practice Management Committee.

Prior awards include the CAP President’s Honor Award in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to pathology and the College of American Pathologists (2016), Denver’s Top Doctors Award (1998–1999 and from 2003–2009), and the Antarctic Support Associates Certificate of Recognition for displaying “a high level of professionalism that very likely saved a life” (1999).

Dr. Sirgi's impressive accomplishments and unwavering advocacy make him a standout in the field of pathology.

Dr. Sirgi is currently a consultant with and owner of Sirgi Consulting LLC in Denver.

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