ASCP Celebrates the Future Leaders of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Forty members of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) under the age of 40 are being recognized for their achievements and leadership qualities that are making an impact on pathology and laboratory medicine. This year’s ASCP 40 Under Forty honorees join 160 alumni of this prestigious recognition program. And like these alums, they will continue to advance into even more prominent positions and achieve even more accomplishments in the coming years.

From this group, the Top Five 40 Under Forty honorees were selected based on voting by the membership and selection by committee. Each of the five will receive free registration to attend the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, a $1,000 stipend toward airfare and lodging, and recognition at the Annual Meeting. In addition, all 40 honorees will receive free enrollment in the Lab Management University Core Competencies package, a collaborative educational initiative of ASCP and the American Pathology Foundation.

ASCP’s 40 Under Forty program made its debut in 2014 and has garnered attention from around the globe. The 40 Under Forty recognition has also made a powerful impact on all of its honorees, ranging from pronounced recognition within their organizations to exciting media attention. To see all of the honorees’ bios, visit www.ascp.org/40underforty.

Here is a look at this year’s Top Five honorees.

Jordan Baum, MD, FASCP
Dr. Baum is a molecular genetic pathology fellow at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell, New York, NY, and plans to pursue a career in academic medicine with a focus on the genomics of breast cancer and women’s health. At Cornell, Dr. Baum served on the founding committee for the Pathology Student Interest Group for medical students, and spoke at a local high school’s career day about medicine and pathology to a student body comprising mostly minority students.

“To be named as a 40 Under Forty honoree is one of the highest honors that a young pathologist or laboratory professional could receive,” Dr. Baum says. “The recognition and publicity in the field is a major benefit to recipients, yet I am also interested in the opportunity to join other talented and enthusiastic members of the field in the Career Ambassadors 2.0 [and] Pathology Ambassadors programs. Teaching and mentoring the next generation of future pathologists is a passion of mine.”

Michael Bois, MS, MPhil, PhD, M(ASCP)^CM
Growing up, Dr. Bois was always fascinated by the allied health professions. “Being a first-generation immigrant, culturally, [your] level of success is [often] weighed by your ability to earn a degree in medicine,” says Dr. Bois, staff scientist at Becton Dickinson, in Sparks, MD. “I never believed that; [I] understood the importance of the allied health professionals, particularly that of laboratorians, in diagnosis and ultimately guidance for therapy. Clinical lab professionals are integral members of the medical team and, through their acumen, diligence, accuracy, and work, guide the physician in determining patient therapy. It is truly rewarding to know that your passion for laboratory medicine is helping to save lives.”

Working for Becton Dickinson as a staff scientist in the research and development division has enabled him to be part of a team that focuses on revolutionizing the clinical microbiology laboratory. He is the microbiology lead on a cross-functional team that addresses the laboratory professional’s needs and transforms the way that clinical microbiology is done. The team’s collective approach has led to novel technologies and workflows that accelerate laboratory results, enhance quality, and improve patient outcomes.

Bojana Djordjevic, MD, FASCP
Dr. Djordjevic is a gynecologic pathologist at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and an associate professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Toronto, Canada. She completed her medical degree at the University of Alberta, her anatomical pathology residency at the University in Toronto, and her fellowship training at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on discovery of cancer biomarkers in gynecologic pathology and their implementation into daily clinical practice. She is the 2013 recipient of the Stephen F. Vogel Award from the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. Dr. Djordjevic is dedicated to dissemination of knowledge of gynecological pathology, and has directed several short courses and workshops.

“Over the years, I have worked with numerous pathology trainees (medical students, residents, and fellows), both on the clinical service and on research projects, and I assumed the role of an informal career mentor for many. My philosophy has always been to fully immerse trainees in all aspects of my clinical or research work, so as to allow them to appreciate both the joys and the challenges of these activities,” she says.

Kyle Nevins, MLS(ASCP)^CM
Ms. Nevins is a supervisor at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, NY. Her laboratory team is very involved in audit preparations for New York State, the College of American Pathologists, the Joint Commission, and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988. Her team works closely with professionals from clinical and anatomic pathology laboratories to ensure accurate results are being produced and patient safety is advocated for. It also traces collections back to the patient’s bedside when looking for root cause analysis and ways to improve the testing processes. This requires a good working relationship with the nursing and medical staff.

“Throughout my career, I have received numerous promotions to more challenging roles, with increasing responsibilities along the way,” Ms. Nevins says. “Being recognized as a 40 Under Forty Top Five honoree reaffirms how much hard work I have put in to get to my current position and provides the motivation to continue striving for success in each additional role I take on.”

Dana Razzano, MD
Dr. Razzano is a second-year chief resident in anatomic and clinical pathology at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. At the start of her second year of training, she created a global health elective in pathology for her program and completed a one-month anatomic pathology rotation in Mbarrara, Uganda. She will return to Africa in December as an awardee of the ASCP Foundation Trainee Global Health Fellowship.

“The true core of pathology is that we are physician educators as well as physician scientists,” Dr. Razzano says. “No matter how health care evolves, pathologists will always be needed in this capacity and are truly suited for this role. As the abundance of laboratory tests and specimens sent for analysis and diagnosis continues to multiply, and the range of genetic tests expands, pathologists are uniquely positioned to conduct the symphony of results produced by the clinical team orchestra.”