By Lynn McCain 

Congratulations to Thomas Annesley, PhD, DABCC, Active Professor Emeritus of Clinical Chemistry on his recognition with an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine from the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine. This award is considered the premier award of the Association and is granted as a "lifetime achievement" award for contributions to the field of clinical chemistry. Individuals selected for this award have made significant contributions in all aspects of clinical chemistry, particularly service, education, and research; have achieved international stature and reputation by virtue of their efforts; and have demonstrated long standing service to the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC), either at the grass roots, national and/or international levels. 

Annesley has been a member of the Department of Pathology since he was recruited to the department at the conclusion of his postdoctoral fellowship at Mayo in 1981. In 2012, Annesley “retired” from the Department of Pathology but remains an active emeritus professor to this date, continuing to support the clinical chemistry section and the training of our residents and fellows. He has won several education awards, including a teaching award his first year at Michigan, the 2018 ADLM Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education, and the 2020 International Federation of Clinical Chemistry award for Distinguished Contributions to Education. 

In addition to his service in clinical chemistry and education, Annesley conducted research focused on chromatography and mass spectrometry, publishing 135 articles, two of which were designated as Citation Classics. In 1981, he received the Young Investigator’s Award from the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists. In 1987, he received the Young Investigator’s Award from ADLM. In 2008, he received the Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Mass Spectrometry Award. During the latter portion of his career, he has focused on teaching scientific writing. He authored the “14-part Guide to Scientific Writing”, translated into seven languages, and which was adapted into the book Designing and Writing Scientific Research Papers. 

A member of ADLM since 1977, Annesley held several positions at the local and national levels. These activities have included the board of directors of ADLM, four Annual Meeting Organizing Committees, president of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (now the Academy of Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine), chair of the National Registry in Clinical Chemistry toxicology examination committee, and the board of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. He was one of the three individuals who created the original concept of the Society for Young Clinical Laboratories (SYCL), winning the SYCL Mentor of the Year award in 2013. Dr. Annesley has served multiple editorial roles for the ADLM’s journal Clinical Chemistry, the last role as Deputy Editor from 2008 to 2022.