History of the International Board of Cytopathology
The International Board of Cytopathology was initiated in 1974 by then President Emmerich von Haam, M.D., FIAC. Admission to the qualifying examination only available to Members of the International Academy of Cytology (MIAC).
The details of the examination procedure and qualifying criteria were established during the years 1974-1977 by the appointed Committee of the International Board under the leadership of James W. Reagan M.D., FIAC. Dr. Reagan subsequently became the first President of the International Board with Dr. Alexander Meisels as Secretary of the Board. The first examination of the International Academy of Cytology was given in Chicago, IL, USA, in May of 1978. Since then more than 600 pathologists from more than 50 countries have successfully taken the Board Examination of the I.A.C.
The Chairs of the Board (Past and Present)
James W. Reagan
James W. Reagan
Active Years: 1979 – 1986
City, State/Province: Cleveland, Ohio
Country: United States of America
Short Bio: Biography published in the International Journal of Gynecologic Pathology 2002; 22, 95-100
President
Syed Z. Ali,
U.S.A.
President
Syed Z. Ali,
U.S.A.
Dr. Ali serves as Professor of Pathology and Radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as well as the Director of the Division of Cytopathology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He received his Pathology residency training at North Shore University Hospital/Cornell University in New York with fellowships in Oncologic Surgical Pathology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Cytopathology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Known globally as an innovative educator, Dr. Ali has over 350 invited lectures, keynote speeches and visiting professorships all over the world. In collaboration with international societies and universities, he directs or co-directs several annual major cytopathology tutorials.
Dr. Ali has published extensively with over 320 peer-reviewed articles in major scientific journals, over 35 books, book chapters and electronic media. Known for his expertise in “Thyroid” and “Pancreatic” cytopathology, his monograph on “The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology” (now in its 3rd edition) has been translated in 8 languages and is extensively used in medical practice all over the world. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology (JASC) and has served as member of the executive board and chair of the scientific program and several other committees of the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC). He is a past-President of the ASC, President-elect of the International Academy of Cytology (IAC) and chair of the International Board of Cytopathology of the IAC. He is a fellow of both, the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) and the IAC. He is recipient of the ASC’s “Warren R. Lang Award” in 1996, “President’s Award” in 2012, “Excellence in Education Award” in 2015, the IAC’s “Maurice Goldblatt Award” in 2019 and Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology’s “LC Tao Educator of the Year Award” in 2022.