We are thrilled to share the highlights from this year’s awards, celebrating the exceptional contributions and achievements within our community. The North American Chinese Clinical Chemists Association (NACCCA) proudly presents the 2026 award recipients:

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Dr. Kiang-Teck (Jerry) Yeo

  • Home Institution: University of Chicago (Professor of Pathology; Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacogenomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratories)

  • Major Accomplishment: Pioneered the clinical implementation of hospital-wide pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing and clinical decision-support systems, alongside major contributions to translational mass spectrometry.

    
    

Outstanding Woman in Laboratory Medicine Award

• Dr. He (Sarina) Yang

  • Home Institution: New York-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medicine (Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Medical Director of Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology)

  • Major Accomplishment: Global leadership in advancing artificial intelligence and machine learning integration in clinical laboratories, notably serving as Chair of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Working Group on Artificial Intelligence.

    
    

Outstanding Education Contribution Award

• Dr. Yusheng Zhu

  • Home Institution: Penn State College of Medicine / Penn State Health (Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)

  • Major Accomplishment: Exceptional dedication to academic mentorship and curriculum development in laboratory medicine, alongside innovative research in developing rapid molecular diagnostics and point-of-care testing devices.

    
    

Outstanding Leadership Award

• Dr. Fang Wu

  • Home Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School (Faculty of Pathology; previously Saskatchewan Health Authority / University of Saskatchewan)

  • Major Accomplishment: Exemplary operational leadership in clinical laboratory process improvement, quality stewardship, and the clinical implementation of reflexive testing algorithms and pharmacogenomic testing programs.

    
    

Travel Grant Awardees

• Annalara Fischer, Ph.D., Clinical Chemistry Fellow, University of Louisville

• Ryan Pearce, Ph.D., Clinical Chemistry Fellow, Mayo Clinic

• Wen Gu, Ph.D., Clinical Chemistry Fellow, UT Southwestern