This award is presented to outstanding renal pathologists for their life-long achievements. Three awards have been given as of 2010.  The recipients are Drs. Robert Timmons McCluskey and Gloria Gallo in 2006, and Dr. Michael J. Mihatsch in 2010.

Michael J. Mihatsch, MD

Michael J. Mihatsch, MD, Professor and Chair Emeritus, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland, is a pioneer and icon of renal pathology, a distinguished and productive academic pathologist who for many decades has had a singular and impressive impact on the field of nephropathology in Europe and throughout the world.

Mike, a German native, moved to Basel, Switzerland in 1970 and began his training in anatomic pathology in the University Institute for Pathology, directed by Professor Zollinger. Only 8 years, later at the tender age of 35, Mike, together with Prof. Zollinger, published the soon-to-be-classic 'blue bible' on "Renal Pathology in Biopsy" that complemented "Heptinstall" and drew attention to the light microscopic and ultrastructural lesions seen in diagnostic renal biopsies. More than 30 years later, it remains a seminal work and many of us still use it frequently as a valuable resource.  After 1978, Mike's work focused on the side-effects of analgesic drugs that resulted in the ban of phenacetin from most analgesic medications in the mid 1980s. Mike’s subsequent work, on the side effects of cyclosporine, helped to define the morphologic lesions of "calcineurin-inhibitor-induced-toxicity" and to develop optimal dosing protocols for patient management. In the early 1990s, following Helmut Feucht's landmark publications on C4d, Basel was the first pathology department world-wide to routinely report C4d staining results in all renal graft biopsies. Mike pioneered the incorporation of 'new markers' into the diagnostic decision making process of renal allograft biopsies. It was not until the 1997 Banff consensus meeting on allograft pathology, and Mike's in-depth report on the "Basel C4d staining data", that an interest in C4d stain literally “took off”. Now, over a decade later, C4d staining is considered the standard of care worldwide.

Mike has not only been interested in kidneys but also in various other areas of pathology, including urogenital pathology, comparative genomic hybridization and tissue microarrays (pioneered by Mike's mentee G. Sauter in Basel, among others). Mike’s leadership and exceptional enthusiasm for his profession has attracted legions of highly motivated graduate students and pathology residents to his department at the University of Basel, many of whom are now at leading academic centers, and include department chairs in Switzerland and Germany. For decades, Mike has embodied the very best of academic research and humanity through his modesty, good humor, creativity, and love of his subject. By his example, hundreds of students and colleagues have learned how to help the world through critical observation, curiosity, and research. Mike's spirit, ideas and mentorship opened new avenues of adventure into the world of pathology for his trainees – and many became addicted for life. 

 Mike also initiated many other "outreach activaties" such as “Pathology and Art” (hosting professional style art exhibitions in the Institute for Pathology), medical lectures for the general public called “What I’ve always wanted to know about diseases” and Basel's "Children’s University".  After officially retiring as chair of pathology in 2007, Mike became the President of the Working Group for Nephropathology in the European Society of Pathology. In his new capacity, Mike is spearheading new initiatives to organize and promote renal pathology in Europe and beyond, and to strengthen cooperation with the RPS.

Gloria R. Gallo, MD

Gloria Gallo, after graduating from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1955 and completing an internship at Philadelphia General Hospital, Gloria moved to NYU Medical Center where she remained for the rest of her career, moving through the academic ranks from resident physician to professor. Her work has contributed greatly to our current understanding of renal diseases, particularly amyloidosis, fibrillary glomerulonephritis (GN), cryoglobulinemic GN, monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition diseases, IgA nephropathy, and post-infectious GN. Gloria always took great pride in teaching, serving as a mentor for a number of today's leading renal pathologists and greatly influencing numerous additional students, residents, and colleagues with her knowledge, enthusiasm and generosity.

Gloria was the first president of the RPS, taking office in 1993 and helping guide the transition of the Renal Pathology Club into a full-fledged society. She remained active in RPS affairs throughout her distinguished career, and it is largely through her efforts that the "Tree of Life" print from Jean Oliver's 1939 book became available to be used to raise funds for the National Kidney Foundation, and now the RPS.

The Life Achievement award was presented to Gloria Gallo in 2006 by Dr. Laura Barisoni who replaced her in her position as the director of renal pathology at New York University, in New York City.

Robert Timmons McCluskey, MD

Robert Timmons McCluskey was the Distinguished Benjamin Castleman Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, and former Chief of Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. "Mac" as he was known to all his friends, was a pioneer in the field of renal pathology, and has been a distinguished and productive academic renal pathologist with major impact on investigative and diagnostic pathology. This award was presented to him in recognition of his life-long achievements.

Dr. McCluskey was born in New Haven CT Jan 16, 1923. He received his A. B. degree from Yale University in 1944 and his MD degree from New York University School of Medicine in 1947. He trained in pathology at King's County and Bellevue Hospitals and after military service in Germany, was appointed to a faculty position in the Department of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine, rising to Professor of Pathology and Director of the Laboratories at NYU's University Hospital. This remarkably talented department led by Lewis Thomas, included such luminaries as Baruj Benacerraf, a Nobel laureate who became a lifelong friend of Dr. McCluskey. He then was recruited to be Chairman of the Department of Pathology at the State University in Buffalo NY, and came to Harvard Medical School first as the S. Burt Wolbach Professor and Chairman of Pathology at Children's Hospital and later the Benjamin Castleman Professor and Chief of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, positions he held from 1974 to 1991. After his retirement as Chief, he chose to remain working in research, rather than retiring to the "torpor of Cape Cod" (in the words of his great friend Robert Heptinstall), and successfully held R01 grants into his 70's.

Dr. McCluskey was a pioneer in the study of mechanisms of inflammation and use of immunofluorescence as an investigative tool in delineating the nature of glomerular diseases and as an aid in the differential diagnosis of renal disorders. His wisdom and clarity of thought are well documented in his 206 published articles and reviews and 8 edited books on topics of immunopathology. Among his contributions were: a description of the natural history of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, drawing attention to its similarity to immune complex mediated serum sickness. He described a new disease, mixed cryoglobulinemia, with colleagues in New York, and identified the important role of the clotting system in crescentic glomerulonephritis. He was among the first to recognize the clinical significance of the different forms of lupus nephritis, and was a prime mover in establishing the World Health Organization Lupus Glomerulonephritis classification system, which remains the basis of the current pathologic system. In his later years he identified the molecule Megalin, an antigen involved in Heymann's nephritis, and showed its physiological role in thyroid function. His other major contribution was in the genetic identification proteinase 3, the target of devastating vascular inflammatory diseases, such as Wegener's granulomatosis. This formed the basis of a widely used diagnostic test. His diagnostic acumen was reflected in many ways, including 39 clinicopathological case discussions in the New England Journal.

Dr. McCluskey's awards and honors include service as President of the United States and Canadian Division of the International Academy of Pathology (1985-86), membership on the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation and the Advisory Board of the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases, appointment to several NIH Study Sections, election to the Harvey Society and the Council of the ASN, receipt of the Founders' Award of the RPS and the Solomon A. Berson Medical Alumni Achievement Award of NYU School of Medicine. He was founding editor of Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology. He received a recent Annual Teaching Award from the MGH Pathology Residents at age 82.

His life exemplified the joy of science. He loved nothing more than a good idea and an experiment to test it. He had the highest standard of truth, always thorough, thoughtful and skeptical. In all his interactions he was self-effacing and took less credit than he deserved.

Dr. McCluskey's achievements over many decades are an inspiration to all, but perhaps especially to his fellow renal pathologists. It is with great pleasure that the Renal Pathology Society recognizes this outstanding colleague with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

A commemorative plaque and a letter signed by Dr. Lorraine Racusen chair of the RPS nominations and awards committee was presented to Dr. McCluskey on behalf of the RPS by Bob Colvin, Professor and Chair at Massachusetts General Hospital, and life long colleague of Dr. McCluskey.