Juan Rosai
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Juan Rosai (August 20, 1940 – July 7, 2020) was an Italian-born American
physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
who contributed to clinical research and education in the specialty of
surgical pathology Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Surgical pathology involves gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies submitted by surgeons an ...
. He was the principal author and editor of a major textbook in that field, and he characterized novel medical conditions such as Rosai-Dorfman disease and the
desmoplastic small round cell tumor Desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive and rare cancer that primarily occurs as masses in the abdomen. Other areas affected may include the lymph nodes, the lining of the abdomen, diaphragm, spleen, liver, chest wall, skull ...
. Rosai is also well-known because of his role as teacher, mentor and consultant to many American and international surgical pathologists.


Early life and education

Juan Rosai was born in
Poppi Poppi () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about east of Florence and about northwest of Arezzo. Poppi borders the following municipalities: Bibbiena, Castel Focognano, Castel San N ...
, a little town near
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, province of
Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...
, in the region of
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. When he was eight years old, his parents emigrated to
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
because of the economic problems in Italy after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. His original first name was ''Giovanni'' Rosai, but after his family settled in Argentina his first name was changed to the equivalent Spanish name ''Juan''. At the age of 15, Rosai enrolled in the
Faculty of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...
at the
University of Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires (, UBA) is a public university, public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the second-oldest university in the country, and the largest university of the country by enrollment. Established in 1821 ...
. During his third year of medical school, he met Eduardo Lascano, a
pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...
who influenced young Rosai's interest in that discipline following the teachings of
Pío del Río Hortega Pío del Río Hortega (1882 – 1945) was a Spanish neuroscientist who discovered microglia. Biography Río Hortega was born in Portillo, Valladolid on 5 May 1882. He studied locally and qualified to practice medicine in 1905. He obtained his do ...
, Lascano mentor. Rosai earned the
M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...
degree at the age of 21, and then he did the
residency training Residency or postgraduate training is a stage of graduate medical education. It refers to a qualified physician (one who holds the degree of MD, DO, MBBS/MBChB), veterinarian ( DVM/VMD, BVSc/BVMS), dentist ( DDS or DMD), podiatrist ( DPM), o ...
in
Anatomic Pathology Anatomical pathology (''Commonwealth'') or anatomic pathology (''U.S.'') is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical, immunologic and molecular examination ...
at the same university, under the direction of Lascano. While serving subsequently as a house officer in pathology at the Regional Hospital of
Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...
, Rosai was introduced to
Lauren Ackerman Lauren Vedder Ackerman (March 12, 1905 – July 27, 1993) was an American physician and pathologist, who championed the subspecialty of surgical pathology in the mid-20th century. Early life Ackerman was born in March 1905 in Auburn, New York, ...
at a medical conference in Argentina. Ackerman invited Rosai to train with him in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
in the United States.


Career in the United States

Rosai completed his residency and fellowship in anatomic pathology at
Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine shares a ca ...
and Barnes Hospital under
Lauren Ackerman Lauren Vedder Ackerman (March 12, 1905 – July 27, 1993) was an American physician and pathologist, who championed the subspecialty of surgical pathology in the mid-20th century. Early life Ackerman was born in March 1905 in Auburn, New York, ...
's mentoring. Subsequently, he remained on the faculty of Washington University until 1974 when, at the age of 34, Rosai was appointed Professor & Director of Anatomic Pathology at the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
. He left there in 1985 for an identical position at
Yale University School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the medical school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. It is the sixth-oldest m ...
in New Haven, Connecticut, where he stayed until 1991. From 1991 to 1999, Rosai was the James Ewing Alumni Professor and Chairman of Pathology at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a oncology, cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute–NCI-designated Cancer Center, designated Comprehen ...
in New York City.


Work in Italy and the United States

Juan Rosai maintained ties to
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, his home country, throughout his life. In 1982–1983 he spent a sabbatical year at the
University of Florence The University of Florence ( Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Firenze'') (in acronym UNIFI) is an Italian public research university located in Florence, Italy. It comprises 12 schools and has around 50,000 students enrolled. History The f ...
and the
University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...
. In 2000 Rosai moved permanently back to Italy as Chairman of the Department of Anatomic Pathology at the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (National Cancer Institute) in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Italy. Later, in 2005, he created the Center for Oncologic Pathology Consultations, located at the Centro Diagnostico Italiano in Milan, where he continued his consultation and educational activities focusing on oncological surgical pathology. During his work in Italy, Rosai maintained academic connections to the United States as adjunct professor of pathology at the
Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in N ...
, visiting professor of pathology at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and
Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the original and largest clinical education and research facility of Harvard Medical School/Harvar ...
, and senior consulting pathologist at Genzyme Genetics ( LabCorp). He also was consultant pathologist for the Department of Pathology of the
University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...
and
ARUP Laboratories Associated Regional and University Pathologists, Inc. (ARUP Laboratories) is a Salt Lake City, Utah-based nonprofit laboratory at University of Utah's Department of Pathology. It is located in the University of Utah Research Park The Universi ...
, providing surgical pathology consultation through telepathology while still working in Milan.


Illness and death

Rosai developed Parkinson's disease in his late 60s. It was well-controlled for many years, but he died from complications of the condition in July 2020 at the age of 79.


Scientific publications

Rosai was an author of more than 400 scientific peer-reviewed papers on topics in pathology, including the seminal descriptions of entities such as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy ( Rosai-Dorfman disease),
desmoplastic small round cell tumor Desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive and rare cancer that primarily occurs as masses in the abdomen. Other areas affected may include the lymph nodes, the lining of the abdomen, diaphragm, spleen, liver, chest wall, skull ...
, spindle-cell epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation of the thyroid, and sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen. He was Editor-in-Chief of the ''
International Journal of Surgical Pathology ''International Journal of Surgical Pathology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of Pathology. The journal's editor is Cyril Fisher, M.D. It has been in publication since 1993 and is currently published by SAG ...
'' until 2014 and served as a member of the editorial boards of several other pathology journals. Rosai was also Editor-in-Chief of the 3rd Series of the ''Atlas of Tumor Pathology'' of the
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) (1862 – September 15, 2011) was a U.S. government institution concerned with diagnostic consultation, education, and research in the medical specialty of pathology. Overview It was founded in ...
(AFIP), and author of AFIP fascicles on ''Tumors of the Thymus'' and ''Tumors of the Thyroid Gland'', and a book on the history of American surgical pathology called ''Guiding the Surgeon's Hand''. He has also edited or co-edited 13 other books. Perhaps the most famous publication by Juan Rosai is his textbook called ''Rosai and Ackerman's Surgical Pathology''. This classic
surgical pathology Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Surgical pathology involves gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies submitted by surgeons an ...
textbook was first published in 1953 by Rosai's mentor,
Lauren Ackerman Lauren Vedder Ackerman (March 12, 1905 – July 27, 1993) was an American physician and pathologist, who championed the subspecialty of surgical pathology in the mid-20th century. Early life Ackerman was born in March 1905 in Auburn, New York, ...
, as a pathology book focused on the differential diagnosis and morphological features with clinical significance. Over the years, the new editions of Ackerman's book were continued by Rosai until its tenth edition published in 2011. Rosai's textbook is well known among pathologists due to its clear and didactic style, including illustrations as examples of key diagnostic features. Rosai's pathology textbook has been influential in the education in surgical pathology across the world and it has been translated to several languages including Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Croatian besides its original edition in English language. Rosai and Ackerman's Surgical Pathology textbook is currently continued in its 11th edition (2018) by a team of experts in the field of pathology.


The Juan Rosai Collection of Surgical Pathology Seminars

During his career, Juan Rosai accumulated a comprehensive collection of slide seminars including histopathology slides of interesting and educational pathological cases with the comments by connoted pathologists. In 2010 Rosai donated his entire seminars collection as an open and free educational resource. Thanks to a collaborative effort between Rosai, the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) and Aperio ePathology the slide seminars are available as
digital pathology Digital pathology is a sub-field of pathology that focuses on managing and analyzing information generated from Digitization, digitized specimen slides. It utilizes computer-based technology and virtual microscopy to view, manage, share, and analyz ...
files which can be freely accessed by pathologists across the world. The collection consists of 18,439 cases originally presented at 1,495 pathology seminars, and comprises digital images of the original histopathological slides, clinical history, and diagnostic summaries, along with commentaries by Rosai and other experts.


Professional awards and honors

In appreciation of his contributions to pathology, Rosai has received formal recognition from academic institutions around the world, as follows: *Life Trustee of the
American Board of Pathology American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...
; *
Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
Honoris Causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
at the
University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...
, Italy (1988); *
Maude Abbott Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott (March 18, 1868Sources disagree on the date of Abbott's birth. The Canadian Encyclopedia'Maude Abbott Medical Museum and the ' are among the sources that support a birthdate of 18 March 1868. However, articles in the ...
Lecturer at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Toronto, Canada (1995);http://www.uscap.org/site~/99th/distinguished.htm , Accessed 17 February 2010. *Doctorate Honoris Causa at the
University of Santiago de Compostela The University of Santiago de Compostela - USC (, ) is a public university located in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. A second campus is located in Lugo, Galicia. It is one of the world's oldest universities in continuous o ...
, Spain (1999); *Doctorate Honoris Causa at the
National University of Córdoba The National University of Córdoba (), is a public university located in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Founded in 1613, the university is the oldest in Argentina, the third oldest university of the Americas, with the first university being ...
, Argentina (2000); *Honorary Membership in the
Royal College of Pathologists The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to p ...
, England (2001); *Fred Waldorf Stewart Award of the
Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute– designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Its main campus is ...
, New York (2006); *Doctorate Honoris Causa at the
University of Ioannina The University of Ioannina (UoI; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων, ''Panepistimio Ioanninon'') is a public university located in Ioannina, Greece. The university was founded in 1964, as a charter of the Aristotle University of ...
, Greece (2007); *Mastership from the
American Society for Clinical Pathology The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), formerly known as the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, is a professional association based in Chicago, Illinois, encompassing 130,000 pathologists and laboratory professionals. Founded ...
, 2007 *Distinguished Pathologist Award of the Council of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Washington, D.C. (2010) *The Golden Medal Award of the International Academy of Pathology (2011)http://www.iaphomepage.org/IAPNews2'11.pdf , Accessed 9-20-2011. IAP International News bulletin, Vol 52, No. 2, 2011


External links


The Rosai's Collection of Surgical Pathology Seminars
free educational website sponsored by the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology and Aperio Technologies.
Conversations with Pathologists
Interview with Juan Rosai, for the book project A Matter of Life and Death by Sue Armstrong, sponsored by the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland (; )


Other Pertinent Topics

*
Surgical pathology Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Surgical pathology involves gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies submitted by surgeons an ...
*
Digital pathology Digital pathology is a sub-field of pathology that focuses on managing and analyzing information generated from Digitization, digitized specimen slides. It utilizes computer-based technology and virtual microscopy to view, manage, share, and analyz ...
*
List of pathologists A list of people notable in the field of pathology. A * John Abercrombie, Scottish physician, neuropathologist and philosopher. * Maude Abbott (1869–1940), Canadian pathologist, one of the earliest women graduated in medicine, expert in c ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosai, Juan 1940 births 2020 deaths American pathologists Italian pathologists Italian emigrants to the United States Argentine pathologists Washington University in St. Louis faculty Harvard Medical School people Academic staff of the University of Florence Academic staff of the University of Bologna University of Minnesota faculty Yale School of Medicine faculty Cornell University faculty University of Buenos Aires alumni People from the Province of Arezzo University of Utah School of Medicine faculty