2024 ASCP 40 Under Forty Honoree

Kimberly Fiock, PhD, QBRS^CM

Kimberly Fiock, PhD, QBRS^CM is the founder and director of the Iowa Neuropathology Resource Laboratory (INRL), a human brain tissue biorepository and histology core at the University of Iowa. She also recently became the technical director of the Histology Research Laboratory at the same institution. Dr. Fiock holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a Master of Science and PhD in Pathology from the University of Iowa. Her research interests center on the tau protein in neurodegeneration, focusing on the role of astrocytes in determining disease patterns. Dr. Fiock is an active member of many professional societies, including ASCP, the American Association of Neuropathologists (AANP), and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). In addition to her professional work, she is passionate about promoting diverse role models in science and supporting equitable science education. This is demonstrated through her partnership with Reinvented Magazine, a non-profit dedicated to reinventing the perception of women in STEM, and her outreach initiative focused on schools in rural Iowa. Beyond her work in the laboratory, Dr. Fiock is an award-winning science communicator who educates more than 28,000 followers about research and careers in neuropathology on her social media platform, ThePathPhD, reaching more than 2,000,000 people worldwide with her content. Her commitment to mentorship and educating the next generation of laboratory professionals has been recognized by prominent organizations, such as SfN, AANP, and the National Institutes of Health. Connect with her on Instagram, X, or TikTok.