Joaquin J. Garcia

Dr. Joaquin J. Garcia serves as Professor of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Clinical Anatomy at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. He currently chairs the Division of Anatomic Pathology and the Digital Pathology Program at Mayo Clinic Rochester. His academic journey includes undergraduate studies in Molecular & Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, medical school at Stanford University School of Medicine, and specialized training in Anatomic Pathology at UC San Francisco, Oncologic and Molecular Pathology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Head & Neck Pathology at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

• BA - Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, 1996
• MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2003
• Resident - Anatomic Pathology, University of California San Francisco, 2005
• Fellow - Surgical Pathology, University of California San Francisco, 2006
• Fellow - Oncologic Surgical Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2007
• Fellow - Molecular Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2008
• Fellow - Head & Neck Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2009

Dr. Garcia possesses expertise in head and neck, frozen section, and molecular pathology with a research focus on identifying genetic signatures of salivary gland malignancies to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient management. His work characterizes biological features of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) tumor cells and microenvironment, and deploys artificial intelligence in anatomic pathology. His team evaluates, generates and deploys AI to revolutionize pathology practice and improve patient care. His research has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and multiple book chapters.

Dr. Garcia's scholarly contributions have been recognized through numerous awards including The Physician's Choice Award from Mayo Medical Laboratories (2012), Stowell-Orbison Certificate of Merit from the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (2009), and Trainee Travel Award from the Association for Molecular Pathology (2008).

• 2012 The Physician's Choice Award Mayo Medical Laboratories
• 2009 Stowell-Orbison Certificate of Merit United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
• 2008 Trainee Travel Award Association for Molecular Pathology
• 2005 National Medical Association Travel Award National Institute of Health

As an active researcher and educator, Dr. Garcia leads multidisciplinary teams investigating salivary gland malignancies and developing laboratory tests to improve diagnostic accuracy. He serves as Medical Director of the Histology Laboratory and Vice Chair of Laboratories within the Division of Anatomic Pathology. His leadership extends to chairing the Executive Laboratory Oversight Team and serving on the Executive Committee Member Division of Anatomic Pathology. His work with the Digital Pathology Program has transformed pathology practice through high-value digital assets spanning over 100 years of surgical pathology cases.

Dr. Garcia's laboratory focuses on utilizing fusion transcripts that characterize salivary gland malignancies to improve diagnostic accuracy. His Digital Pathology Program is an enterprisewide effort to revolutionize pathology practice by supplanting glass slides with digital images and deploying artificial intelligence at scale. The program has established high-value digital assets that span over 100 years of surgical pathology cases and is developing AI tools for pathologists, clinicians and investigators to provide better patient care.