Professor Ivan Damjanov, the third recipient of Tomas Kent Award from the Group for Research in Pathology Education.

(GRIPE) was founded in 1971 by Dr Tom Kent of the University of Iowa as an organization devoted to promoting excellence in teaching pathology to medical students. A few years ago, the Executive Board of GRIPE decided to recognize the pioneering work of Dr Kent by giving an award in his name (http://peir.path.uab.edu/griper). This prestigious award was established to give a formal recognition to outstanding academic pathologists for their lifetime contributions to the field of pathology education. The first recipient of the Tom Kent Award was Dr Stanley L. Robbins from Boston University, the author of the leading pathology textbook in the United States, which is also widely used throughout the entire world. The second recipient was Dr Emanuel Rubin from Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, the author of the innovative pathology textbook, in which he pioneered the use of conceptual color drawings, diagrams, and algorithms in teaching of pathology. The third recipient of the Tom Kent Award is Dr Ivan Damjanov, professor of pathology from the University of Kansas, Kansas City. Since Ivan Damjanov is a graduate of the University of Zagreb, we are pleased to have the opportunity to briefly outline the contributions of Ivan Damjanov to pathology practice, research, and education, both in the USA and Croatia. Ivan Damjanov graduated from the Zagreb University Medical School. After completing a residency in pathology, he moved to the USA, where he continued his illustrious scientific and medical career. He has done outstanding research in developmental biology and teratology. In collaboration with Dr Davor Solter, he pioneered the use of teratoma as an experimental model system for the study of early development (1-4). His knowledge of differentiation in neoplasia has been instrumental in shaping the future of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. He has participated in many impressive scientific projects and shared his knowledge with scientists in the Croatian universities. By means of his vision and leadership skills, he has helped many medical universities outside the USA to attain the highest standards of excellence in science. Ivan Damjanov began teaching pathology in the United States in 1973. He organized and directed pathology courses at Hahnemann Medical School and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He is passionate about pathology education, displaying a profound insight into the philosophy and practice of teaching. He has influenced countless students by his lectures, tutorials, scholarly journal articles (5-7), and colorful textbooks (8-11). As the American author Henry Adams wisely noted: “A teacher affects eternity – he can never tell where his influence stops.” Throughout his career, Ivan Damjanov has advocated for change in undergraduate medical edProfessor Ivan Damjanov, The Third Recipient of Tomas Kent Award from the Group for Research in Pathology Education > Croat Med J. 2007;48:4-8