September 29, 2026
CAP AI Studio Named a Top 100 Finalist in the Chicago Innovation Awards
Chicago Innovation Awards People’s Choice Voting
Transcript
Nick Lanyi
The CAP speaks out against excessive H1B visa fees. The AI Studio is recognized as an innovation leader. And this year's Junior Pathologist of the Year. These stories and more coming up next. Welcome to CAP News. I'm Nick Lanyi with the College of American Pathologists. It's Tuesday, September 29th. Here's what's making news in pathology and laboratory medicine. The CAP this week formally opposed the Trump administration's proposed $103,265 fee for H1B visas, which allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers with special skills, including medical occupations. International medical graduates account for almost a quarter of all practicing physicians in the U.S. and about 36% of actively practicing pathologists, the CAP says in a statement submitted to the federal government. And the shortage of doctors and staff in pathology laboratories is expected to worsen over the next decade. Medical facilities in rural and low-income areas are especially dependent on international workers. The CAP also signed on to a group letter with dozens of other medical associations. The CAP AI Studio has been named a top 100 finalist for the Chicago Innovation Awards, which recognize Chicago area organizations developing significant new products and services. The AI Studio, which launched in 2025, allows CAP members to try out AI tools from a variety of vendors using real pathology cases. Judges will select 20 winners for the November 17th ceremony. The CAP AI Studio is also eligible for the People's Choice Award. You can vote through October 16th on the Chicago Innovation Awards website. The CAP Foundation is offering a grant of up to $10,000 for creative projects that uncover and mitigate bias in pathology and laboratory medicine. The Equity and Equality in Diagnostics Award will support one-year projects that focus on bias identification, equity intervention, data transparency and inclusion, or community connection. Applications opened September 28th. Visit the CAP Foundation website for more information. And finally, Dr. Tania Platero -Portillo will receive the CAP's Junior Member of the Year Award at the upcoming CAP26 meeting. An anatomical pathology instructor at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Platero -Portillo grew up in El Salvador. She said she was a sickly child who required several surgeries. That care inspired her to attend medical school, where she got inspired some more.
Dr. Platero-Portillo
What really got me interested in pathology was a professor that I had who took tremendous amount of time to teach me, to teach me pathology. Because in that point in life, I had, you know, it was very difficult for me to kind of, oh my god, all these pictures, what does it mean? What is this? What is that? It's all pink, it's all like purple, right? So he took tremendous amount of time to teach me. And his enthusiasm for pathology and the way that he approached the cases uh made a lasting impression on me.
Nick Lanyi
She's been involved with the CAP since attending her first annual meeting in 2017.
Dr. Platero-Portillo
It really changed my view of pathology as a whole. It made me seem like such large community pathologists, mentors, leaders, all this professional involvement. So when I finally matched into Path, I remember just being struck by the sensor community. So I, you know, wanted to give back and I wanted to be part of this larger-than-me kind of organization.
Nick Lanyi
She went on to serve as a CAP Residence Forum delegate and vice chair of the Residence Forum Executive Committee. She has served as a mentor to trainees, some of whom have won grants and awards and earned leadership positions of their own. And she has strong feelings about at least one topic.
Dr. Platero-Portillo
I would absolutely encourage people to go for pathology. I think it's a beautiful specialty.
Nick Lanyi
That's all for today. See the show notes for more information on today's stories. And if you have a story you'd like us to cover, write to us at stories at CAP.org. We'll be back Wednesday at 5 a.m. Eastern for another episode of the Daily Edition. I'm Nick Lanyi. Have a wonderful day.