Dr. Kamran Mirza Invested with the Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professorship in Pathology Education

By Lynn McCain | July 22

Kamran Mirza with the Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professorship in Pathology Education MedallionCongratulations to Dr. Kamran Mirza on his endowed professorship investiture held on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at the Kahn Auditorium, Basic Science Research Building. Dr. Mirza was joined by his wife, Dr. Sara Hanif Mirza, his daughters, Daaniyah, Zoyah, and Safina, his mother, Dr. Shehnaz Khan, and his sister, Ms. Angbeen A. Mirza.

Kamran M. Mirza, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology, Assistant Chair for Education, and Director of the Division of Training Programs and Communication, is one of the world’s premiere educators in pathology. He was endowed with the Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professorship in Pathology Education, in honor of Godfrey D. Stobbe, M.D. who received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan.  Dr. Stobbe trained in the Department of Pathology under Carl Vernon Weller, M.D. for six months in 1938-1939.  Throughout his career he attended continuing medical education programs at the University of Michigan Medical Center and left his entire estate to the Department of Pathology upon his passing.   

Dr. Mirza received a recorded message from Dr. Cullen Lilley, currently an AP/CP resident at the University of California, Los Angeles, that was played at his investiture, thanking him for the impact he has made. “It is hard to know where to start with Dr. Mirza. Throughout my journey, I have been able to see him mentor leaders of the Pathology Student Interest Group, educate medical students about the elegance of basic pathology, lead discussions about the diagnostic challenges in hematopathology with residents, advocate for the field at national meetings, and even develop a web-based pathology education program from scratch.” Then, rather than list his accolades, Lilley provided a video montage featuring several trainees from around the world who were profoundly impacted by Dr. Mirza. It was a moving tribute to a gifted educator.

Dr. Jeffrey Myers with Dr. Kamran MirzaDr. Jeffrey Myers, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Quality, and a friend and advocate of Dr. Mirza, reflected on Mirza’s career, “I could not help but be moved by Kamran’s emphasis on sponsorship and mentorship of others as the things most important to him in his career. His global impact came through loud and clear in the testimonials shared from around the world in Dr. Cullen Lilley’s video tribute. Dr. Mirza was very clear that going forward the abilities to be flexible and nimble are key to meeting the needs of future learners who are different from the students and trainees of just a decade ago as are the tools with which to teach them.”

“Receiving the Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professorship in Pathology Education is an immense honor that extends beyond personal achievement; it stands as a testament to the collective efforts of my family, mentors, colleagues, and students. This recognition is a reflection of Dr. Stobbe’s enduring legacy and his profound impact on the field of pathology. It reminds me of the sacred duty we have as educators to share knowledge, ignite curiosity, and inspire future generations. Together, we are shaping a brighter future, one lesson at a time, and I am deeply humbled to be part of this transformative journey. In this role, I am committed to strengthening Michigan Pathology’s position as a global leader, and together, we will chart a visionary future, fostering innovation and excellence in pathology education,” stated Mirza.

Dr. Mirza received his medical education from Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan in 2003. Emigrating to the USA in 2005, he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago under Professor Asrar B. Malik, focusing on lung and vascular biology. He went on to complete AP/CP Pathology residency at the University of Chicago, serving as chief resident, followed by fellowships in hematopathology and thoracic pathology, also at the University of Chicago. He was recruited to the University of Michigan on January 1, 2024.

Dr. Kamran Mirza with his  daughter Daaniyah, sister Ms. Angbeen A. Mirza, mother Dr. Shehnaz Khan, wife Dr. Sara Hanif Mirza, and daughters  Zoyah, and Safina (front).Mirza has won multiple awards and honors including the 2023 American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Michele Raible Named Lectureship. He was an inaugural inductee into the Association of Pathology Chairs Academy of Distinguished Pathology Educators in 2023. He is the recipient of the 2022 ASCP Michele Raible Award for Distinguished Education, the 2021 H. P. Smith Award for Distinguished Pathology Educator from the ASCP, the 2021 College of American Pathologists (CAP) Pathology Advancement Award, the 2020 CAP Resident Advocate Award, and the 2019 ASCP Mentorship Award. He received both the regional and the national M. Brownell Anderson Award for New and Emerging Educators in 2020 by AAMC/GGEA and was a Top 5 Forty Under Forty honoree by the ASCP in 2017. He was a faculty inductee of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society at Loyola Medicine and has been featured in The Pathologist magazine’s Power List 100 for six consecutive years. Mirza co-founded PathElective.com, a free educational website in pathology, ASCP’s Virtual Pathology Grand Rounds, the PathPod podcast, the PATH_SIG virtual pathology student interest group, www.hemereports.com, and the Digital Communications Fellowship in Pathology.