UP FRONT
National Academy of
Medicine Elects 85 New
Members
ASH Executive Director Marty Liggett presents Dr. Sadler with his award.
Exemplary Service Award
J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, is the re-
cipient of the ASH Exemplary Service
Award, thanks to his years of excep-
tional service and dedication to ASH
and to hematology. Dr. Sadler, who has
served on the faculty of Washington
University School of Medicine in St.
Louis for 34 years, is director of the
hematology division at Washington
University, where he is also a professor
of medicine and of biochemistry and
molecular biophysics.
This award recognizes his many
years of service to ASH in various
capacities, including serving as a
councillor from 1998 to 2002, treasurer
of the Society from 2003 to 2006, and
president in 2011. Dr. Sadler also served
as an associate editor of Blood from
1993 to 2002 as well as on the edito-
rial board and has published more
than 60 papers in the journal. He was
a scientific program co-chair for the
50th ASH Annual Meeting and Ex-
position in 2008 and also served on
the Committee on Investment and
Audit, the Nominating Committee,
the Society’s Task Force on Recruit-
ment and Retention, and scientific
committees on biochemistry, bleeding
disorders, and platelet disorders. Dr.
Sadler has previously been recognized
by the Society for his contributions
to hematology and pioneering work
in the study of several blood coagula-
tion factors: In 2016, he received ASH’s
Henry M. Stratton Medal for Basic
Science, and in 1998, he received the
William Dameshek Prize. In addition to
his numerous research and leadership
accolades, Dr. Sadler is known as an
extraordinary mentor, having trained
a number of the key world leaders in
academic hematology, particularly in
hemostasis.
The National Academy of Medicine
(NAM) announced the election of 75
regular members and 10 international
members during its annual meeting,
increasing the Academy’s total active
membership to 2,178 and the number
of international members to 159. The
Academy recognizes individuals who
have demonstrated outstanding profes-
sional achievement and commitment
to service in the fields of health and
medicine.
“This distinguished and diverse
class of new members is a truly remark-
able set of scholars and leaders whose
impressive work has advanced science,
improved health, and made the world
a better place for everyone,” said NAM
President Victor J. Dzau, MD.
The following hematology/oncology
clinicians are among the newly inducted
NAM members:
• Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, president
and Deana and Steve Campbell
Physician-in-Chief Distinguished
Chair at City of Hope National
Medical Center in Duarte, California
• Elias Campo, MD, PhD, research
director and professor of anatomic
pathology at the Hospital Clinic of
Barcelona at the University of Bar-
celona and director of the August
Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research
Institute
• Susan M. Domchek, MD, Basser
Professor in Oncology at Abramson
Cancer Center and division of Hema-
tology and Oncology at the University
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
Benjamin Levine Ebert, MD, PhD,
chair of medical oncology at Dana-
Farber Cancer Institute and George
P. Canellos MD and Jean Y. Canellos
Professor of Medicine at Harvard
Medical School in Boston
• John Kuriyan, PhD, professor in
the departments of molecular and
cell biology and chemistry at the
University of California, Berkeley
• Sean J. Morrison, PhD, professor
and Kathryne and Gene Bishop
Distinguished Chair in Pediatric
Research at the Children’s Re-
search Institute at the University
of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center in Dallas and president of
the International Society for Stem
Cell Research
Source: National Academy of Medicine press release, October 15, 2018.
Fred Hutch Names Marie Bleakley
Endowed Chair for Leukemia Research
Marie Bleakley, MD, PhD, MMSc, a
pediatric leukemia specialist, has been
chosen as the first Gerdin Family En-
dowed Chair for Leukemia Research at
the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center in Seattle. The chair was es-
tablished by the Gerdin family, whose
Marie Bleakley, MD,
PhD, MMSc
son was diagnosed with an aggressive
leukemia and treated with a bone
marrow transplantation at Fred Hutch, where Dr. Bleakley
is director of the Transplantation Pediatric Leukemia
program. She also is developing genetically engineered
cell therapies to redirect the immune system to attack
leukemia cells, including the unique forms of leukemia
found only in children and young adults.
Source: Fred Hutch News Service, August 30, 2018
FDA Awards Amy DeZern Funding for
T-Cell Research
The U.S. Food and Drug Administra-
tion (FDA) awarded Amy DeZern,
MD, MHS, associate professor of
oncology at Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore, a grant to support her
phase I/II study of CD8-reduced T
Amy DeZern, MD, MHS cells for the treatment of myelodys-
plastic syndromes or acute myeloid
leukemia. The award provides her with $750,000 in
funding over three years.
Dr. DeZern’s project received one of 12 clinical trial re-
search grants awarded through the FDA’s Orphan Products
Clinical Trials Grants Program. The grants are intended for
clinical studies evaluating the safety and effectiveness
of products that could either result in or substantially
contribute to the FDA approval of products targeted to
the treatment of rare diseases. The total funding includes
more than $18 million over the next four years.
“Developing a treatment for a rare disease can be
especially challenging. Given the often small number
of patients affected by certain very rare diseases,
there can be limited markets for new treatments, and
as a result fewer resources devoted to researching
these opportunities,” said FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb, MD. “By providing seed capital, these FDA-
administered grants enable researchers to prove out
important concepts.”
Source: FDA news release, September 24, 2018.
Robert Eisenman Receives NCI
Outstanding Investigator Award
Robert Eisenman, PhD, a molecular
biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center in Seattle, has received
a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Out-
standing Investigator Award to support
his research about a specific family
Robert Eisenman, PhD of molecules that “turn on” cellular
growth genes.
The award, which provides $7 million over seven
years, will provide Dr. Eisenman with more opportuni-
ties to seek out tumor cells’ hidden weaknesses and halt
cancer growth. He plans to focus his attention on under-
standing changes in the DNA sequence of the Myc gene,
interactions between the Mga protein and Myc gene, and
the relationship between Myc and the MondoA protein.
Source: Fred Hutch News Service, August 31, 2018.
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