Lecture Series

The Eleanor Humphreys Visiting Surgical Pathologist

The aim of the Eleanor Humphreys Visiting Surgical Pathologist is to bring to the University of Chicago distinguished surgical pathologists with the goal of enhancing the education of students, housestaff, and faculty in the latest concepts and techniques of surgical pathology. The Visiting Surgical Pathologist brings distinction, not only to the recipient, but also to the University. 

Inquiries and contributions to the Eleanor Humphreys Visiting Surgical Pathologist can be directed to: 
The University of Chicago · Department of Pathology 
5841 South Maryland Avenue · MC 6101 
Chicago, Illinois 60637 
(773) 702-6254  · Fax (773) 834-7644

About Eleanor Humphreys

Eleanor M. Humphreys was born in Fairhaven, Vermont, grew up with four brothers, and attended Smith College, where she thrived on the classics and chemistry, and was known as the "Big Cheese" because of her friendly cheese and cracker parties. After college, she worked as a physiological chemist and bacteriologist in Rochester, New York and the State Laboratories of New York. 

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In 1923, she came to the University of Chicago to work with H. Gideon Wells, Chairman of Pathology. She was an assistant in the Department through 1929. She went to medical school here and at Rush Medical College and graduated with an MD in 1931. 

She stayed on in Pathology at this University throughout most of her career, becoming associate professor in 1942, and full professor in 1946. 

In 1946, Dr. Humphreys was asked to direct the University of Chicago's Surgical Pathology Laboratory, becoming the first pathologist at this institution to do so. She continued in that role until her retirement in 1958. She single-handedly diagnosed all the surgicals, taught surgical pathology to medical students and residents, worked with many clinicians concerning their research projects, and published over forty papers. She was the major student advisor-confessor for many classes of medical students who came to her during her long professional hours for advice, sometimes medical, sometimes personal. 

Her contribution to both the scientific and academic endeavors at the University, and especially her remarkable rapport with the students and residents, add up to an immense gift to society as a whole and to this institution in particular.

Year Lecture
2023 Kenneth Aldape, MD, National Cancer Institute
2022 Esther Oliva, MD, Professor of Pathology and Medicine, Harvard Medical School
2021 No lecture
2020

Esther Oliva, MD, Professor of Pathology and Medicine, Harvard Medical School

“The Evolving Landscape of Endometrial Stromal Tumors”

2019

Andrew Churg, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia

"Interstitial Lung Disease” and “The Separation of Benign from Malignant Proliferations”

2018 Sunil R. Lakhani, MBBS, MD, FRCPath
"Revolution and Evolution in Pathology: A Time to Reclassify?"
2017 Daniel Brat, MD, PhD
"A Contemporary Molecular View of the Diffuse Gliomas with Implications for Diagnosis"
2016 Vinay Kumar, MBBS, MD, FRCPath
"The accidental pathologist - A curiosity driven journey from plant evolution to natural immunity."
2015 Robert J. Kurman, MD
"Serous Borderline Tumors of the Ovary at 50. What have we learned?"
2014 Ralph H. Hruban, MD
"What Will it Take to Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer Early?"
2013 Jerome B. Taxy, MD
"Frozen Section in Surgical Pathology: The Pathologist as Consultant"
2012 Charles E. Alpers, MD
"The Goal is Reversal of Diabetic Nephropathy- Can a New Mouse Model Get Us There?"
2011 Noel Weidner, MD
"Predicting Cancer Origin by Gene Expression Patterns. Is it The Beginning of The End of the Traditional Glass Slide Diagnosis?"
2010 Elizabeth J. Perlman, MD
"Toward a Molecular Classification of Wilms Tumor: Pathology Implications"
2009 James W. Vardiman, MD
"Diagnosis and Classification of the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in the Molecular Era"
2008 Frank A. Mitros, MD
"Musings of Gastropath - the Gastric Mucosa in Health and in Disease"
2007 Melvin M. Schwartz, MD
"Segmental and Diffuse Glomerulonephritis: The Disparate Outcomes and Pathogeneses of Two Discrete Lesions in Lupus Nephritis"
2006 John K.C. Chan, MBBS, MRCPath 
"Update in Salivary Gland Tumors"
2005 Hiroyuki Shimada, MD, PhD 
"The International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification"
2004 Peter C. Bruger, MD 
"The Epidemic of Oligodendrogliomas and Mixed Gliomas - and the Cure"
2003 Christopher P. Crum, MD 
"Redefining Transformation Zones in the Female Genital Tract: The Role of p63"
2002 Thomas V. Colby, MD
"Bronchiolitis and the Surgical Pathologist"
2001 Christopher D.M. Fletcher, MD, FRCPath 
"Evolving Concepts in Soft Tissue Neoplasia"
2000 Ian R. Wanless, MD, CM 
"Human Cirrhosis: Pathogenesis and Regression"
1999 David L. Page, MD
"Premalignant Breast Disease Highlighting DCIS"
1998 Virginia A. Livolsi, MD
"Mimics on Thyroid Pathology"
1997 Nancy Harris, MD
"The Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms: Principles and Clinical Correlations"
1996 Joseph M. Mirra, MD
"Cartilage Tumors of the Bone: Pathogenesis Relative to Gross"
1995 Robert H. Riddell, MD
"Gastritis - Cause, Cure and Consequences"
1994 Louis P. Dehner, MD
"Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors: One Family or Several Kindreds?"
1993 Johnathan I. Epstein, MD
"Pathology of Radical Prostatectomy Specimens: Methods of Evaluation & Prognostic Implications"
1992 Cecilia M. Fenoglio-Preiser, MD
"Differential Diagnosis of Colitis"
1991 Sharon W. Weiss, MD
"Life in the Fat Lane: Issues in the Diagnosis, Nomenclature and Behavior of Lipomatous Neoplasms"
1987 Joseph C. Eggleston, MD
"In Search of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung"
1986 Robert E. Scully, MD
"The Abdominal Surgeon & Ovarian Pathology"
1985 Richard L. Kempson, MD
"A Surgical Pathologists's View of the Diagnosis and Management of Soft Tissue Neoplasms"
1984 Nancy E. Warner, MD
"Highlights of Endocrine Pathology"
1983 William H. Hartmann, MD
"Minimal Breast Cancer"
1982 Lauren V. Ackerman, MD
"Benign and Malignant Cartilaginous Tumors of Bone"