ROCKVILLE, Md. – October 29, 2021 – The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostics professional society, today announced the recipients of this year’s Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics, Jeffrey A. Kant Leadership Award and Meritorious Service Award.
Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics Jennifer A. Doudna, PhD Nobel Laureate in Chemistry University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Doudna is receiving AMP’s highest honor in recognition of her pioneering work in molecular and cell biology. She is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair and a Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Together with collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier, Dr. Doudna received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the groundbreaking development of CRISPR-Cas9 as a genome-engineering technology, an achievement which forever changed the course of human and agricultural genomics research.
Dr. Doudna is an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes, and the President of the Innovative Genomics Institute. She co-founded and serves on the advisory panel of several companies that use CRISPR technology in unique ways. In addition, Dr. Doudna is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Doudna is also a Foreign Member of the Royal Society and has received numerous other honors including the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2015), the Japan Prize (2016), Kavli Prize (2018), the LUI Che Woo Welfare Betterment Prize (2019), and the Wolf Prize in Medicine (2020). Doudna’s work led TIME to recognize her as one of the “100 Most Influential People” in 2015 and a runner-up for “Person of the Year” in 2016.
Dr. Doudna will accept the Award for Excellence on November 18 during the AMP 2021 Digital Experience, where she will deliver a special lecture, “CRISPRology: Science and Ethics of Genome Editing.”
Jeffrey A. Kant Leadership Award Charles E. Hill, MD, PhD Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
AMP is recognizing Dr. Hill for his exceptional service, mentorship, knowledge & experience in the practice of molecular pathology. In addition to serving as AMP’s President in 2016, Dr. Hill has served as 2010 Hematopathology Subdivision Chair, 2014 Program Committee Chair, 2017 Nominating Committee Chair, and as program director of numerous AMP education courses. Dr. Hill is a strong advocate for the globalization of the AMP community and has represented the organization at scientific meetings around the world.
AMP Meritorious Service Award Marina N. Nikiforova, MD University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Dr. Nikiforova is being honored for her exceptional dedication and effort, over time and often behind-the-scenes, to provide invaluable service to AMP and its membership. Dr. Nikiforova has been a member of AMP since 2002 and served AMP in many capacities, including 2013 Solid Tumors Subdivision Chair, 2015 and 2016 Clinical Practice Committee Chair, as well as being a member of the 2009 Nominating Committee, 2012 and 2013 Program Committee and 2019-20 International Organizing Committee. While chairing the Clinical Practice Committee, she initiated and led to the publication two evidence-based next-generation sequencing practice guidelines, “AMP/CAP Guidelines for Validation of NGS-Based Oncology Panels” and “AMP/ASCO/CAP Guidelines for the Interpretation and Reporting of Sequence Variants in Cancer”.
“Drs. Douda, Hill, and Nikiforova have made invaluable contributions to the molecular diagnostics field and to AMP,” said Antonia R. Sepulveda, MD, PhD, AMP President. “On behalf of the more than 2,500 AMP members, I wish to congratulate and sincerely thank them for their commitment to the molecular diagnostics community and the patients that we serve.”
Register for the AMP 2021 Digital Experience HERE.
ABOUT AMP
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) was founded in 1995 to provide structure and leadership to the emerging field of molecular diagnostics. AMP’s 2,500+ members practice various disciplines of molecular diagnostics, including bioinformatics, infectious diseases, inherited conditions, and oncology. Our members are pathologists, clinical laboratory directors, basic and translational scientists, technologists, and trainees that practice in a variety of settings, including academic and community medical centers, government, and industry. Through the efforts of its Board of Directors, Committees, Working Groups, and Members, AMP is the primary resource for expertise, education, and collaboration in one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. AMP members influence policy and regulation on the national and international levels, ultimately serving to advance innovation in the field and protect patient access to high quality, appropriate testing. For more information, visit
www.amp.org and follow AMP on Twitter: @AMPath
MEDIA CONTACT:
Andrew Noble
415-722-2129
