CAP Review and Forecast: Scientific Affairs 2025/2026

Dr. Joel Moncur:
We're looking at evolving clinical practice so we can develop new proficiency testing programs that keep pace with the rapidly changing world of laboratory testing.

Nancy Johnson:
Welcome to a series of conversations featuring council chairs from the College of American Pathologists. They highlight the successes of 2025, look ahead to 2026, and give us a window into who they are and why they're passionate about the work they do. I'm Nancy Johnson, and I'll bring you their stories. Dr. Joel Moncur chairs the Council on Scientific Affairs and serves on the Board of Governors. His council creates and manages best-in-class proficiency testing programs that support laboratory quality and ensure labs are doing high-quality testing.

Dr. Joel Moncur:
Some of the accomplishments were that, you know, we continue to have hundreds of very successful proficiency testing programs. It takes a lot of really hard work from a lot of dedicated volunteers. There's 753 proficiency testing programs that CAP oversees, said that the CSA oversees. We added 21 new proficiency testing programs this last year, and those address, you know, really important areas of laboratory testing and in multiple different domains like infectious disease testing and things. And so I think that that is probably our biggest accomplishment.

Nancy Johnson:
Another win for laboratory improvement involves data and how the CSA can use it to strengthen pathology.

Dr. Joel Moncur:
The CSA PT programs are one of the best sources of high-quality data on laboratory practices and performance. And we curate those data, publish it and share it in all ways that we can through educational programs at the CAP annual meeting, through publications, through press releases, and through our participant summary reports, of course, to share those data because they are invaluable to laboratories and to the medical community and to patients in understanding the value of what pathologists do.

Nancy Johnson:
The CAP released new guidelines that reinforce evidence-based best practices in laboratory medicine.

Dr. Joel Moncur:
There was certainly one on amyloidosis. I was personally involved in one that I was published in 2025 that was on the optimal testing for human high-risk human papillomavirus in head and neck carcinomas. So that's out there and having an impact on standardizing practice. And there are numerous other guidelines that are under development right now that are really exciting.

Nancy Johnson:
Dr. Moncur first became excited about medicine as a child, growing up with the influence of his father, who was a scientist. He accepted a military scholarship to pay for his medical school and his graduate education. From there, he served in the Army for 24 years and 10 months, rising through the ranks and learning how to be a leader.

Dr. Joel Moncur:
The CAP was a great organization for me to join after the military because it also is all about service. It was the perfect way for somebody who's been in a more rigid military system and hierarchy to have a smooth transition to a similar philosophy in the civilian world. I think that it's really just critical that we keep the patient at the center of all that we do. And so that requires some you know self-sacrifice oftentimes, and that's what it's all about. And so I have designed what I do, you know, to allow me to do that. I avoided debt by joining the military so that I didn't have the incentive to make more money to pay off overly burdensome debt.

Nancy Johnson:
What's next on the horizon for Dr. Moncur and the CSA involves embracing the evolution of emerging technologies.

Dr. Joel Moncur:
So we are looking to implement horizon scanning for each of our 28 committees so that they can have some assistance in monitoring what's new in their field so we can stay abreast of developments. So we're implementing that across all of the different committees. And then we're also really challenging ourselves to ask where is artificial intelligence entering into clinical practice? And can we support labs by providing proficiency tests for those? So we're actively looking at that rapidly evolving area to see how we can support it.

Nancy Johnson:
In an evolving field, one thing will always remain constant for Dr. Moncur: how to best serve patients.

Dr. Joel Moncur:
I feel very connected actually to patients through the CSA. I mean, I, you know, there's so many different ways to serve. You can have a big impact on one person, you know, by making an accurate diagnosis. And, you know, the best treatment begins with an accurate diagnosis. So when you put your heart and soul into diagnosing a case so that a patient can get on the right treatment that's the most effective for their unique condition, that's service, you know. But at the same time, you can have a huge impact by changing the way that medicine is practiced. And that's actually what we're doing on the CSA. We are changing the way medicine is practiced by generating, by supporting labs first and foremost through proficiency testing, which is so much more than just meeting CLIA requirements, but also by generating data that informs their practice and helps them abide by best standards and understand what the cutting-edge laboratories are doing so that so that they can be their best and uh and and have the greatest positive impact. So that's I feel very connected to patients through the work we do on the CSA.

Nancy Johnson:
Read the full annual report to learn more and be sure to check the show notes. In the days ahead, we'll visit with other council chairs to learn about their work and what's coming up this year. For the College of American Pathologists, this is Nancy Johnson. Have a great day.