Newswise — The 2025 recipient of the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) Gold-Headed Cane Award is Dr. Fred P. Sanfilippo, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Professor of Health Policy and Management, and Director of the Emory-Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program at the Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, GA).
The ASIP Gold-Headed Cane Award is the society's oldest and most prestigious award (first awarded in 1919). This award recognizes significant long-term (lifetime) contributions to the field of pathology, including meritorious experimental pathology research, outstanding teaching, general excellence in the discipline, demonstrated leadership in the field, and engagement in the activities of the American Society for Investigative Pathology.
Dr. Sanfilippo earned a BA and MSc in physics from University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) in 1970, and a PhD and MD from Duke University (Durham, NC) in 1975 and 1976, respectively. He is certified in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology with added qualification in immunopathology (American Board of Pathology). Dr. Sanfilippo completed an internship and medical training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the Duke University Hospital from 1977–1979. Dr. Sanfilippo was subsequently appointed as Assistant Professor of Pathology and Experimental Surgery, and Lecturer of Immunology at Duke University where he ascended to Professor. In 1993, Dr. Sanfilippo relocated to Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) as Baxley Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology. Subsequently, Dr. Sanfilippo served as Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center, Dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health, and Professor of Pathology at Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) from 2000-2007. During this period, Dr. Sanfilippo also served as Executive Dean for Health Sciences at Ohio State University. In 2007, Dr. Sanfilippo was appointed Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Chief Executive Officer of the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Chair of the Board of Directors of Emory Healthcare, and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia). Later he was also appointed Professor of Health Policy and Management at Emory. Since 2010 he has been Director of the Emory – Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program.
Dr. Sanfilippo’s research focused on transplantation immunopathology, and he has published more than 230 original articles in premier journals in his field, garnering more than $30 million in sponsored research as principal investigator. His scientific work has been cited more than 7000 times. Dr. Sanfilippo has also been active in teaching and mentoring. During the course of his career, he mentored more than 30 graduate students and fellows. He has been a consultant to more than 80 university, government, and corporate institutions, chair of the board of many non-profit organizations, and president of numerous academic and professional organizations including the American Society for Investigative Pathology, the American Society of Transplantation, the Intersociety Pathology Council, and the Universities Associated for Research and Education in Pathology. He served on the editorial boards of 15 journals relevant to Pathology including Pathobiology; Pathology, Research and Practice; Laboratory Investigation; Experimental and Molecular Pathology; and Academic Pathology.
In his letter of nomination, Dr. Guido Silvestri (Executive Associate Dean for Research Strategy and Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine wrote: “[Dr. Sanfilippo] is one of the clinical and experimental pathologists that have advanced the most our field in the three key missions of clinical service, research, and education.”
Dr. Sanfilippo is a longtime, engaged member of the ASIP. He served on the Council from 1996 to 1999 and chaired the Meritorious Awards Committee from 2001 to 2002. Dr. Sanfilippo led the ASIP as the Vice President and President of ASIP from 2001 to 2003. He currently participates with the President’s Circle.
In 2019, Dr. Sanfilippo provided a financial gift to the ASIP to establish and endow the Fred Sanfilippo-ASIP Visiting Lectureship Program. This program provides funding for ASIP members who are in the early stages of their academic careers to travel and visit other departments/institutions to give one or more research presentations as a distinguished visiting lecturer. The primary goal of this program is to provide exposure of promising young faculty to members of the larger pathobiology research community, increasing their national recognition and reputation. To-date 14 early-career investigators have been selected for this program.
In his letter of nomination, Dr. David N. Bailey (Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Pharmacy Emeritus, Vice Chair for Education and Academic Affairs in the Department of Pathology, and Deputy Dean in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego) wrote: “Throughout his career, Fred Sanfilippo has been a visionary, a change agent, the ‘go-to person,’ the ‘organizer,’ and the ‘shaker and mover.’ It is widely known that, if one wants something done, they go to [Dr. Sanfilippo].”
Dr. Sanfilippo’s awards include the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Duke University Medical Center; the Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award from Johns Hopkins University; the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Pathology Chairs; election to fellowship in the American Association for Advancement of Science; the Norman Cohn Hope Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; the Kermit G. Osserman Award from the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation; and the John Peter Minton Hero of Hope Research Champion Medal of Honor from the American Cancer Society, among many others.
In his letter of nomination, Dr. Daniel G. Remick (Professor of Pathology in the Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine) observes: “After serving so well for so long, one would expect that Dr. Sanfilippo would show evidence of slowing down. No – he continues to lecture at several colleges. Additionally, he is the course director for a course in health services research. He is also engaged in scholarly activity and continues to serve on two different editorial boards. Remarkably he has published seven peer-reviewed papers during 2021 to 2022.”
Dr. Sanfilippo will receive the 2025 ASIP Gold-Headed Cane Award during the 2025 Annual Meeting of the ASIP in Portland, OR (April 2025).
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About ASIP
The American Society for Investigative Pathology is comprised of biomedical scientists who investigate mechanisms of disease. Investigative pathology is an integrative discipline that links the presentation of disease in the whole organism to its fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms. It uses a variety of structural, functional, and genetic techniques and ultimately applies research findings to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. ASIP advocates for the practice of investigative pathology and fosters the professional career development and education of its members.
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