The Society Pages
Remembering Evan Sadler (1951 – 2018)
J. Evan Sadler III, MD, PhD, the Lang Professor of Medicine and chief
of Hematology at Washington University in St. Louis, passed away on
December 13, 2018, after a brief but devastating illness.
Dr. Sadler was born in West Virginia and, after graduating from
Princeton University, he earned his MD/PhD from Duke University in
1978, training in enzymology and protein biochemistry. Dr. Sadler re-
mained at Duke for his internal medicine residency, then completed
J. Evan Sadler III,
MD, PhD
a hematology fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle.
During his fellowship, he became interested in normal and dis-
ordered blood coagulation, successfully cloning von Willebrand factor for his research
fellowship project. Later, he pioneered the study of the proteins von Willebrand factor
and ADAMTS13, and his research led to a more comprehensive understanding, improved
diagnosis, and better treatment of von Willebrand disease, thrombocytopenic purpura,
and other clotting and bleeding disorders.
In 1984, Dr. Sadler joined the faculty of Washington University, where he remained
for his entire career. He was appointed director of the division of hematology in 2009
and named the Ira M. Lang Professor of Medicine in 2014.
Throughout his career, Dr. Sadler received several awards and honors in recogni-
tion of his contributions to the field of hematology. He was granted a Howard Hughes
Medical Institute investigatorship, which he held for 25 years, and he was a member
of the National Academy of Medicine.
Most recently, the American Society of Hematology (ASH), for which he served
as president in 2011, awarded him the 2018 Exemplary Service Award for his years of
service and dedication to the Society. He also received ASH’s Henry M. Stratton Medal
for Basic Science in 2016 and the William Dameshek Prize in 1998.
In The Hematologist, colleagues Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, and David Ginsburg,
MD, remembered Dr. Sadler as an example of “quintessential collegiality”: “It never
mattered to Evan who did something first or got the credit – what really mattered was
solving the scientific problem at hand in the most rigorous fashion. He was a caring
mentor to over 50 trainees in his own lab as well as innumerable trainees and junior
faculty members at his own and other institutions.”
Dr. Sadler is survived by his wife, Linda J. Pike, PhD, the Alumni Endowed Professor
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University; daughter, Brooke
E. Sadler, PhD; son, Evan D. Sadler, PhD; his mother, Clara Rose Sadler; and two grand-
sons, Jasper and Dexter Haller.
“Evan Sadler was a scientific and clinical giant in the field of hemostasis, whose
contributions to biomedical research and to patient care will live long after him,” Drs.
Kaushansky and Ginsburg continued. “He was also a wonderfully kind, generous, and
warm human being who will be profoundly missed by so many.”
Source: The Hematologist; Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Remembering Charles E. Dobbs (1934 – 2018)
Charles E. Dobbs, MD, an Emeritus member of the American Society
of Hematology, passed away on December 16, 2018.
Dr. Dobbs grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, and graduated
from Duke University Medical School. He completed his internship and
residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Hospital, and
his fellowship in hematology at Washington University in St. Louis
and the University of Miami in Florida. He also served two years in the
Charles E. Dobbs, MD
U.S. Navy at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia.
In 1965, he joined the practice of Marion F. Beard, MD, and Ellis
A. Fuller, MD, in Louisville, where he practiced for 38 years, retiring in 2003. During his career, Dr. Dobbs was associated with many hospitals in the Louisville area, establish-
ing the first oncology unit in the state of Kentucky at Highlands Baptist Hospital and
the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baptist Health Louisville.
In addition to membership with ASH, Dr. Dobbs was active in several professional
societies, including serving as president of the Kentucky Division of the American
Cancer Society.
Dr. Dobbs is survived by his wife of 60 years, two sons, a daughter, and four grand-
children.
Emory University Names
New Director of Cardio-
Oncology Program of the pediatric hematology/oncology
division at Rutgers Cancer Institute of
New Jersey and professor of pediatrics at
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School. He also is director of the Rutgers
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Re-
gional Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center.
The award acknowledged his research
into and expertise in childhood Hodgkin
lymphoma and sickle cell disease.
Anant Mandawat, MD,
was appointed director
of the cardio-oncology
program at Winship
Cancer Institute of
Emory University and
Emory University’s Divi-
Anant Mandawat, MD
sion of Cardiology. The
program was estab-
lished in 2011 to address the cardiovas-
cular consequences of cancer and cancer
therapies and to care for the heart health
of cancer survivors.
Dr. Mandawat holds positions as an
assistant professor in the departments
of Hematology and Medical Oncology
and Medicine at Emory University.
In this role, Dr. Mandawat will work
14
ASH Clinical News
collaboratively with colleagues at both
organizations to improve outcomes for
patients undergoing treatment and for
survivors who are being followed in the
Winship Survivorship Program.
Source: Emory University press release, October 17, 2018.
Richard Drachtman Receives
Distinguished Service Award
Source: The Courier-Journal.
Source: Rutgers University press release, November 4, 2018.
The Melvyn H.
Motolinsky Research
Foundation named
Richard Drachtman,
MD, the recipient of its
Distinguished Service
Award, which was
Richard Drachtman,
MD
established to support
research into leukemia
and other hematologic diseases.
Dr. Drachtman is clinical section chief
Temple University Awarded
NCI Grant to Study Cancer
Health Disparities
The National Cancer Institute awarded
a five-year, $13.5-million grant to the
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple
University and Hunter College of the
City University of New York to support
research on cancer health inequity among
minority populations. The award supports
the creation of the Temple University Fox
Chase Cancer Center and Hunter College
Regional Comprehensive Cancer Health
Disparities Partnership.
More than 70 investigators across
both organizations will be involved with
the new partnership. The joint efforts
will focus on three core areas: multidisci-
plinary cancer research; diversifying the
research and medical pipeline by training
and mentoring minority junior faculty and
students; and educating and engaging
the community. Community outreach ini-
tiatives include holding cancer screenings
and overcoming the barriers that contri-
bute to cancer disparities, like proximity
to care, economic issues, health literacy,
stigma, stress, and mental health. ●
Source: Temple University press release, October 30, 2018.
February 2019