Joseph "Joe" A. DiRienzi, PA (ASCP), Pathologists' Assistant and lead Medical Pathology Coordinator in the Anatomic Pathology Division at Penn Medicine, is the recipient of the 2018 National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) "Service to Science - Outstanding Tissue Procurement Partner Award." He received the award as part of an awards ceremony earlier this month in which, among others, U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) and Francis Collins, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), were also honored by the NRDI.

The National Disease Research Interchange Service to Science Award recognizes DiRienzi's longstanding support for the NDRI's Private Donor program, which helps families leave a meaningful legacy for their loved ones through the donation of organs and tissues for research, and honors DiRienzi's "unparalleled blend of compassion and excellence" in biospecimen procurement. In their announcement, the NDRI Board of Directors cite DiRienzi as a "trusted steward of the precious gifts donated for research from selfless individuals, family members and loved ones wishing for a chance to advance medical science and contribute to the development of new treatments and cures." DiRienzi was also recognized for his more recent key contributions to the NDRI's participation in the groundbreaking National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Division of Clinical Research HIV Replication Study aimed at improving HIV treatment.

Joseph DiRienzi has served as a Pathologists' Assistant in the Medical Pathology section of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine since 1985. Prior to that he worked as an Electron Microscopist in the Department. He holds a degree from the School of Histotechnology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). He is a member of the American Association of Pathologists' Assistants and the National Society of Histotechnologists. In 2016 he was the co-recipient of the Spirit of Caring Award, presented annually by Pastoral Care to honor individuals who offer incredible service to patients, family and staff at HUP.

The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) is the nation's leading source of human tissues, cells and organs for scientific research. Founded in 1980, the non-profit NDRI is funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, public and private foundations and organizations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations. NDRI partners with a nationwide network of over 130 tissue source sites (TSS), including organ procurement organizations (OPO), tissue banks, eye banks, and hospitals to provide biospecimens from donor populations with diverse demographics and also facilitates the timely and efficient provision of fresh tissues directly to researchers around the world.
Read the NDRI press release
Watch a video of Joe's acceptance speech