The Education Committee established the Timely Topics Lecture in 1982 at the suggestion of Dr. Nathan Kaufman. It was initially conceived as a lecture by a prominent individual in the field of pathology to address a “timely topic” but has evolved into a sophisticated presentation, generally by a clinician or researcher, whose integrated relationship with pathology moves the discipline forward with contemporary ideas, innovative methods, and futuristic technology. This lecture is regarded as an honor within the USCAP sphere.
The lecturer should be well recognized and respected within the medical community, in general, and by the pathology community; he/she should be capable of giving a lucid and erudite lecture relating to topics of contemporary interest. The lecture is presented during the Annual Meeting of the Academy.
In 1999, the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology chose to honor Dr. Kaufman by renaming this lecture the Nathan Kaufman Timely Topics Lecture. This action was taken in recognition of his distinguished service and invaluable contributions to the Academy, including: prolonged service as first full-time Secretary-Treasurer of USCAP; founding Assistant Editor of Laboratory Investigation and founding Editor of Modern Pathology; institution of the Diagnostic Pathology Course; facilitation of separate incorporation of USCAP and establishment of its Bylaws; formulation of guidelines and procedures for Companion Societies meetings; supervision of lot purchase and construction of a permanent office building for the Academy; establishment of policies and procedures for operations, objectives for educational offerings and terms of reference for the various committees.
Timothy Stenzel, MD, PhD
Director, OHT7: Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health Office of Product Evaluation and Quality Center for Device and Radiological Health U.S. Food and Drug Administration
2021 Nathan Kaufman Timely Topics Lecture
Timothy Stenzel, MD, PhD directs the FDA’s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health (OIR) and has an extensive background, spanning more than 20 years, in executive leadership, innovation, companion diagnostics, research and development, FDA regulations, and clinical laboratory operations. He received his MD and PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, focusing on the Molecular Biology of DNA Replication, from Duke University after graduating with Honors in Chemistry from Grinnell College.
Following his residency at Duke University, Tim was recruited to create Duke’s Clinical Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory and served as the Director, Clinical Molecular Diagnostics and Medical Director, Cytogenetics. He also joined the faculty of the Duke University School of Medicine and served as an Assistant Professor of Pathology where his research focused on cancer and genetics, as well as directed the Clinical Cytogenetic and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratories and taught in the School of Medicine. While at Duke, his research laboratory was funded by the NIH/NCI and private agencies to study the molecular genetics and develop novel molecular diagnostics testing for the early detection of breast cancer and the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors and by the CDC to perform research in the area of performance evaluation and quality assurance for genetic testing. He is board certified in Molecular Genetic Pathology and Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.
In his last position, from 2014 to 2018, Tim served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Invivoscribe (San Diego, CA), focusing on Companion Diagnostics and Next Generation Sequencing/Massively Parallel Sequencing in Oncology. During his career prior to joining the FDA, he has played important roles in the development and launch of more than 30 In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) products, as well as numerous unique laboratory developed test (LDT) services, including the FDA approved companion diagnostic for Novartis’ drug Rydapt and the world’s first clinical microRNA assay (for pancreatic cancer detection). Other experience includes serving as Chief Scientific Officer and founder of the Molecular Diagnostics franchise at Quidel (San Diego, CA), Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Research and Development at Asuragen (Austin, TX), and Senior Director for Medical, Regulatory and Clinical Affairs at Abbott Molecular (Des Plaines, IL). He served as a Board Director at the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine from 2008 to 2013. He has served on the ACMG/CAP Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Resource Committee from 1996 to 2005, the AMP Finance Committee from 2012 to 2018, the AMP Strategic Planning Committee from 2007 to 2009, as the AMP Chair-Elect and Chair of the Solid Tumor Division from 2003 to 2004, the CAP Molecular Oncology Committee from 2013 to 2018, and as a Member of the CAP House of Delegates from 2011 to 2017.
As the OIR Director, Tim advises FDA leadership on all regulatory (pre-market and post-market) for in vitro diagnostics, radiological medical devices, and radiation-emitting product issues that have an impact on Center and Agency level decisions, policy development, nationwide program execution and short and long-range program goals and objectives as well as provide executive leadership and scientific direction to the OIR staff.
Previous Honorees
2019 | Jeroen A.W.M. van der Laak |
2018 | H. Gilbert Welch |
2017 | Daniel J. Brat |
2016 | Eric F. Glassy |
2015 | Otis W. Brawley |
2014 | Arul Chinniyan |
2013 | Christopher Crum |
2012 | Bogdan Czerniak |
2011 | Guillermo J. Teamey |
2010 | Anthony Atala |
2009 | Todd Golub |
2008 | Frank McKeon |
2007 | Steven L. Kunkel |
2006 | Tyler Jacks |
2005 | Phillip Sharp |
2004 | David H. Walker |
2003 | Irving L. Weissman |
2002 | Lance Liotta |
2001 | James Madera |
2000 | Peter M. Howley |
1999 | Anthony S. Fauci |
1998 | David Korn |
1997 | Raymond White |
1996 | Anthony Epstein |
1995 | Eric Stanbridge |
1994 | Francis Collins |
1993 | Judah Folkman |
1992 | French Anderson |
1991 | Stanley Cohen |
1990 | Philip Leder |
1989 | Jay Levy |
1988 | Cecilia Fenoglio-Preiser |
1987 | Ronald Weinstein |
1986 | James Curran |
1985 | Robert Leader |
1984 | Arthur Upton & Robert Squire |
1983 | Edwin Ewing & Thomas Spira |