ASCP 2025 Named Lecture Speakers Delve Deep to Create Positive Change

ASCP 2025, to be held Nov. 17-20 in Atlanta, GA, will host renowned experts in their fields who will share their insights and challenge us to reshape conventional wisdom during the named lectures. These visionaries will equip you with the skills to make a difference in serving your profession.  

Paul Farmer Lecture: Around Laboratories of the World in 60 Minutes 

Having diagnostic capability is imperative to be able to treat patients. However, not all countries have the same diagnostic capabilities that healthcare professionals are accustomed to in developed nations. Understanding the underpinnings of what happens in laboratories around world is paramount to advocating for improvements. The presentation will 1) Compare the diagnostic capabilities as they happen in different countries based on prevalence of diseases; 2) Evaluate vertical and horizontal programs that funding agencies provide; and 3) Consider the World Health Organization essential diagnostics list and its importance for different countries.  

Dr. Guarner is vice chair of Faculty Affairs and Development at the Emory University School of Medicine, where she is also a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.  

The late Dr. Paul Farmer founded Partners in Health, a nonprofit that serves impoverished areas around the globe. He was a strong advocate for pathology and laboratory medicine and believed the laboratory was the linchpin to advancing care in underserved populations. 

Barbara M. Castleberry Lecture for Laboratory Professionals: My Journey in Advocacy—Why OUR Voices Matter! 

Dr. Rohde will share his personal path from microbiologist to global public health and medical laboratory advocacy, revealing how one voice can spark change and how many voices together can transform communities. Drawing from his lengthy experience in public health, education, and science communication, Dr. Rohde will offer lessons learned and strategies for using one’s own expertise to influence policy.   

Dr. Rohde is the Regents' Professor and chair of the Medical Laboratory Science program at Texas State University and the associate director for the Texas State University Translational Health Research Center. He is also a clinical assistant professor (joint appointment) in the Clinical Laboratory Science program at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Allied Health Sciences.  

This lecture is named for Barbara M. Castleberry PhD, MT(ASCP) former longtime vice president of the Board of Registry, now the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC). Through her leadership, Dr. Castleberry strategically positioned the BOC for the competitiveness of the 21st century. 

Michele D. Raible Lecture for Residents: Preclinical Medical Education: A Low-Power Approach 

This lecture reviews the history of pre-medical education in the United States and highlights how Dr. Sattar intersected with these historical trends to develop a pathology textbook and video series (Pathoma) that are commonly used by medical students across the globe. Emphasis is placed on key themes in hopes of inspiring attendees to identify opportunities and make contributions in their respective areas of expertise. 

Dr. Sattar is a surgical pathologist at the University of Chicago Medicine, with a particular expertise in breast and gynecologic pathology. He is the associate director of the clinical pathophysiology and therapeutics course at the Pritzker School of Medicine, where he serves as a dedicated instructor, advisor and mentor to second-year medical students. He also teaches a pathology review course that he developed.   

The Michele D. Raible Lecture honors Dr. Raible’s commitment to delivering superior medical education and creating a lasting impact on the lives of medical students during her career. 

Cindy Johns Lecture: Artificial Intelligence Versus Laboratory Instinct: What will the Future Hold? 

Laboratory personnel have many strengths, including a strong instinct regarding sources of error in testing. Will the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care impact how diagnosis is determined? Ms. Castellone will explore whether implementation of AI in patient care will impact how diagnosis is determined. This session will explore laboratory issues and problem solving using possible AI versus laboratory professionals’ “gut feeling” approaches.    

Ms. Castellone is the supervisor of special coagulation and the quality assurance manager for specialty testing at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and an adjunct professor at SUNY Stony Brook, New York.   

The late Cindy Johns, MSA, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)^CMSH^CM, a longtime ASCP member who passed away in 2017 after a lengthy battle with cancer. A champion for laboratory medicine, Ms. Johns worked tirelessly as an ASCP volunteer for more than 30 years.   

Arthur Purdy Stout for Pathologists: Diagnostic Challenges and Pitfalls in Prostrate Pathology: From Selected Subtypes of Prostrate Cancer to Secondary Tumors 

Prostate specimens (biopsies and resections/prostatectomies) are frequently encountered in both academic and community practices and continue to pose diagnostic challenges. A systematic approach will be used to analyze a select group of prostate cancer cases with unusual morphologic features. In addition, a subset of secondary tumors involving the prostate will be reviewed with emphasis on potential diagnostic pitfalls. Historical insights, literature review, and differential diagnoses will also be discussed. 

An internationally recognized expert, Dr. Osunkoya specializes in urological and genitourinary pathology and the diagnosis of bladder, kidney, testicular and prostate cancers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Osunkoya is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Urology at Emory University School of Medicine.  

Arthur Purdy Stout (1885-1967) was an American surgeon and pathologist. He was a pioneer in developing the science of relating the tissues removed during surgery to the expected course of an illness, especially tumor pathology.  

Learn about the ASCP 2025 Annual Meeting and register at www.ascp.org/2025.