ROCKVILLE, Md., July 17: Laura J. Tafe, M.D., of the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth has been selected to receive the Association for Molecular Pathology’s 2026 Jeffrey A. Kant Leadership Award, one of the organization’s highest honors.
AMP represents molecular diagnostics professionals and clinical laboratory scientists who develop and perform testing that guides diagnosis, treatment and disease monitoring. The award recognizes an AMP member for exceptional leadership in advancing the organization's mission and goals.
Tafe, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, is an expert in thoracic and gynecologic cancers and molecular diagnostics. She serves as the medical director of the Laboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies at Dartmouth Hitchcock and as director of the molecular tumor board at Dartmouth Cancer Center.
“AMP is my professional home,” Tafe said. “I attended my first AMP meeting as a resident and was immediately smitten with the organization and the field of molecular diagnostics.”
Tafe joined AMP in 2007 and within just a few years began near-continuous volunteer service. She held many elected and appointed positions, including Training and Education Committee member and later chair and Solid Tumors Subdivision representative and later chair. She joined the AMP Board of Directors in 2013 and later served as AMP president in 2023.
She has served on and led multiple task forces and working groups, represented AMP in collaborations, and has reviewed papers for AMP’s official journal, The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, since 2010.
Laurie Menser, CAE, is AMP’s chief executive officer and has worked with Tafe for more than a decade. She said that Tafe's leadership has helped shape AMP's educational programs, strategic initiatives and culture.
“Dr. Tafe has devoted nearly two decades of service to AMP, leading with intelligence, integrity and a deep commitment to our members and the patients they serve. Whether guiding major initiatives, mentoring future leaders or helping AMP navigate a rapidly evolving field, she has consistently strengthened our organization and advanced the practice of molecular pathology,” Menser said.
Tafe completed undergraduate studies at Smith College in Massachusetts and went on to attend medical school at Wayne State University in Michigan. After earning her medical degree, she completed residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, followed by fellowships in oncologic pathology and molecular genetic pathology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She has been a member of the faculty at Dartmouth Hitchcock and the Geisel School of Medicine since 2010.
The Jeffrey A. Kant Leadership Award is named in honor of the late Jeffrey A. Kant, M.D., Ph.D., who was one of AMP's founding members, its first president and the first recipient of the AMP Leadership Award.
Tafe will receive her award and a medallion at the AMP 2026 Annual Meeting & Expo in November in Seattle.