2023 Award Winners

The CAP Foundation recognizes and rewards current and future leaders in pathology. For 2023, the Foundation is proud to acknowledge the contributions of an outstanding group of award recipients for their work in advancing pathology and promoting our shared values.

Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award

The Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award, introduced in 2011, is named in honor of Gene N. Herbek, MD, FCAP, a past president of the CAP who brought the first See, Test & Treat program to Native American women in South Dakota, as well as for his wife, Jean, who continues his commitment. The award honors a pathologist leader who has made innovative and unique contributions to advance the See, Test & Treat program.

2023 Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian Award Recipient

See, Test & Treat Outstanding Partner Award

The See, Test & Treat Outstanding Partner Award, established in 2019, compliments the Herbek award by recognizing and honoring a non-pathologist partner for their contribution and service in support of the See, Test & Treat program.

2023 See, Test & Treat Outstanding Partner Award Recipient

Leadership Development Award

Among the CAP Foundation’s most enduring programs, the Leadership Development Award introduces young pathologists to the specialty’s issues and leadership opportunities. The award enhances each recipient’s education and experience as they become immersed in the issues that confront the specialty. This immersion illustrates the necessity of maintaining a patient-centered practice.

2023 Leadership Development Award Recipients

Moyosore Awobajo, MD, MSc
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX

Pragya Virendrakumar Jain, MD, MBBS
Medical College of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, WI

Vinay Sakaleshpura Mallikarjuna, MD, MBBS
University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH

Adeyinka Akinsanya, MBBS
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN

Yekaterina Belogrivtseva, MD
Temple University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA

Hafsa Nebbache, MD
University of Kentucky, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Lexington, KY

Mariel Molina Nunez, MD
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI

Sehyo Yune, MD
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA

Pooja Srivastava, MD, FCAP 
Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY

Blessing Kenechi Myke-Mbata, MBBS, MSc, IFCAP
Benue State University Teaching Hospital
Nigeria

Informatics Award

The field of pathology has experienced dramatic growth in the areas of informatics, clinical applications, standardized reporting and laboratory test utilization, electronic health records, workflow, and patient safety. Experts attribute the growth to external financial and health care pressures.

Award recipients will receive exposure to real-world practical applications in the ever-evolving field of informatics via the annual meeting. They will have direct access to industry leaders and a choice of several courses presented by experts in the informatics field.

2023 Informatics Award Recipients

Patricia Hernandez, MD
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO

Haiming Tang, MD, PhD
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT

Leonard Yenwongfai, MD, MS
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY

Medical Student Travel Award

The Medical Student Travel Award is intended to encourage and support medical students showing a strong interest in the specialty of pathology as a career choice. This award provides a stipend toward travel expenses to attend the CAP Annual Meeting, where awardees will gain valuable insight and critical knowledge from experts regarding the field of pathology and career pathways.

2023 Medical Student Travel Award Recipients

Phoebe Li
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Newark, NJ

Santos Acosta Martinez
The University of Virginia School of Medicine
Charlottesville, VA

John Overton
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine
Jackson, MS

Lauren Pelkey
Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine
East Lansing, MI

Jason Yeung
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX

Keitges Grant for Medical Ethics

This grant provides funding to support programs addressing medical ethics and/or health disparity issues as it relates to the practice of pathology and pathologists (eg, the leadership role of pathologists in medical ethics, patient care, and patient advocacy).

2023 Keitges Grant Recipient

Suzanne Powell, MD, FCAP 
Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, TX

Translational Diagnostics Advanced Training Grant

Sponsored by Roche/Ventana

This grant offers CAP Junior Members hands-on exposure to ways in which novel histopathology-based diagnostic assays are developed. Under the direction of Ventana’s chief medical officer, Shalini Singh, MD, FCAP, recipients tailor their experience to explore R&D innovation, scientific and clinical affairs, digital pathology and whole slide imaging, platform and instrumentation development, and/or tissue sample management.

2023 Translational Diagnostics Grant Recipients

Joel Morales-Rosado, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

Fareed Rajack, MD
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX

Global Pathology Education Award

This award was created to improve global health by increasing the exchange of information on the science of pathology. It provides international pathologists practicing in medically under-resourced areas with complimentary registration to attend the CAP23 virtual annual meeting. Awardees gain access to outstanding continuing education in all pathology specialties taught by world-class experts.

2023 Global Pathology Education Award Recipients

Melaku Abay, MD
Arsi University
Ethiopia

Shaimaa Abdelmalik Hassan Pessar, MD
Ain Shams University
Egypt

Zeeshan Ahmed, MBBS
Aga Khan University Hospital
Pakistan

Javeria Aijaz, MBBS, PhD
Indus Hospital & Health Network
Pakistan

Obafemi Aina, MBBS
Federal Medical Centre, Bida
Nigeria

Banchayehu Ararsa, MD
Arsi University
Ethiopia   

Md. Asaduzzaman, MBBS, MD
Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery
Bangladesh   

Wubshet Assefa, MD
Debre Markos University
Ethiopia   

Aung Aung Oo, MBBS, PhD
Sakura Hospital
Myanmar   

Anteneh Belachew, MD
Haramaya University College of Health and Medical Sciences
Ethiopia    

Uma Bhatta, MBBS, MD
Kanti Children’s Hospital
Nepal   

Omar Bihi, MD
Hargeisa Group Hospital
Somalia   

Lijalem Birhane, MD
Wolkite University
Ethiopia   

Lusiana Boseiwaqa, MD
Aspen Medical Fiji Lautoka
Fiji   

Sandeep Raj Dahal, MBBS, MD
Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
Maldives   

Laila Farid, MBBCh, PhD
Ain Shams University
Egypt

Esmeralda Guadalupe Gavarrete, MD
Hospital Nacional Zacamil
San Salvador   

Tiruzer Gurji, MD
University of Gondar
Ethiopia   

Tamara Harutyunyan, MD
Histogen Armenian-German Scientific – Practical Center of Pathology
Armenia

Lien Huynh, MD
Da Nang Hospital
Vietnam

Mulenga John Sure, MMEDPath
Lewanika General Hospital
Zambia   

Jacklyn Joseph, MBBS
Port Moresby General Hospital
Papua New Guinea   

Lachit Kalita, MBBS, MD
Assam Cancer Care Foundation (Tata trust)
India    

Diksha Karki, MD
Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital
Nepal   

Adoke Kasimu, MBBS
Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi
Nigeria

Rico Lasaca, MD
Dona Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation
Philippines   

Christian Leta, MBBS
Nova Diagnostics and Research
Somalia   

Smritee Mahat, MD
National Trauma Center
Nepal    

Shraddha Mahindra, MBBS, MD
National Cancer Institute Nagpur
India   

Marwa Mahmoud Abd El-Kader, MD
Dar El-Salam Cancer Centre
Egypt   

Hanh Mai, MD
Hung Vuong Hospital
Vietnam   

San Yu Maung, MBBS, M.Med.Sc
University of Medicine Mandalay
Myanmar   

Izuchukwu Mba, MBBS
Federal Medical Centre Keffi
Nigeria   

Samhar Montaser, MBBS
Alakeed Lab
Libya   

Eddy Veronica Mora, MD, PhD
Iimbuc Universidad De Carabobo
Venezuela   

Alphonsine Mukandekezi, MBBS
Rwanda Military Hospital
Rwanda

Catherine Mutahi, MBBS
Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital
Kenya

Yen Nguyen, MD
Hanoi Oncology Hospital
Vietnam   

Thi Hang Nguyen, MD
Vinmec Health Care System, Vinmec Times City International Hospital
Vietnam   

Zewditu Nigatu, MD
St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College
Ethiopia

Gilbert Nkya, MD, MMed
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre
Tanzania   

Olabode Oluwole, MBBS
University of Abuja
Nigeria    

Anju Pradhan, MD
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences
Nepal

Anamika Priyadarshinee, MBBS, MD
KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital
Nepal   

Solomon Raphael, MBBS, MSc
University of Abuja/University of Abuja Teaching Hospital
Nigeria   

Samuel Richard, MD
University of Abuja Teaching Hospital
Nigeria   

Sanzu Sharma, MD
Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
Maldives    

Sujan Shrestha, MD
Bir Hospital
Nepal   

Pablo Alejandro Solórzano Gudiel, MBBS
National Hospital of San Marcos “Dr. Moisés Villagrán Mazariegos”
Guatemala   

Aisha Jibril Suleiman, MBBS
St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College
Ethiopia

Habanabakize Thomas, MBBS
King Faisal Hospital
Rwanda   

Sansar Tiwari, MBBS, MD
Hetauda Hospital, Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Sciences
Nepal   

Biniam Tsegaye, MD
Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College
Ethiopia    

Trang Vu Huyen, MD
Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital
Vietnam   

Harshima Wijesinghe, MD
University of Colombo
Sri Lanka

Melisachew Yeshi, MD
St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College
Ethiopia

Nusrat Zahra, MBBS
Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, Lahore
Pakistan

Eyerusalem Fekade, MD
Wolkite University Specialized Hospital
Ethiopia

Selamawit Tadesse Wendimagegn, MD
St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College
Ethiopia

Horacio Lezcano, MD, PhD
Hospital Central del IPS
Paraguay

Global Pathology Development Grant

The Foundation’s Global Pathology Development Grant was created to improve global health and the science and expansion of pathology and pathology services. It offers funding to support impactful, sustainable, and accretive global (international) projects that develop, expand, and sustain the delivery of pathology services through education/training, patient care, laboratory quality, or enhanced technology and laboratory diagnostics.

2023 Global Pathology Development Grant Recipients

Emily Glynn, MD 
Pathologists Overseas
Seattle, WA

Elisée Hategekimana, MD, MMed 
Innovation for Perfection in Health
Rwanda

Susan Nabadda, MBChB 
Ministry of Health, National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services
Uganda

Genomic Testing Process Improvement Award

This award—sponsored by Loxo@Lilly—offers CAP members (both Juniors and Fellows), up to $25,000 to fund process improvement projects exploring different approaches/processes for genomic testing, with the goal of exploring laboratory best practices in this area.

2023 Genomic Testing Process Improvement Award

Jadee Neff, MD, PhD, FCAP
Duke University
Durham, NC

Forensic Pathology Advanced Training Grant

With support from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the National Association of Medical Examiners, and the NAME Foundation, this grant offers CAP Junior Members an introduction to forensic pathology via a four-week away rotation at a medical examiner (ME)/coroner office.

2023 Forensic Pathology Advanced Training Grant Recipients

Jonathan Satya Kanakaraj, MD 
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System
Richmond, VA

Sanyk McCuller, MD 
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

Clinical Laboratory Science Investigator Award

The Clinical Laboratory Science Investigator Award—sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company—seeks to provide a four-week onsite training opportunity at Lilly’s Clinical Diagnostics Laboratory in Indianapolis for pathology residents to participate in research projects focused on improving the discovery, quality, and delivery of novel biomarker assays for use in clinical studies.

2023 Clinical Laboratory Science Investigator Award Recipient

Couger Jaramillo, MD
Brooke Army Medical Center
San Antontio, TX

More information about the CAP Foundation’s grants and awards, as well as the application process, is available here.