The Society Pages
Francis Giles Appointed Chief
of Hematology/Oncology at
Feinberg School of Medicine
Francis Giles, MD,
has been appointed
chief of the Division of
Hematology/Oncology
in the Department of
Medicine at Northwestern University
Francis Giles, MD
Feinberg School of
Medicine. Dr. Giles
serves as deputy director of the Robert
H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of
Northwestern University, where he leads
clinical research activities. He has also previously served as director of the Institute
for Drug Development at the University
of Texas Health Science Center in San
Antonio, as well as in other roles at the
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center.
Source: Northwestern University press release, November 10, 2015.
Albert Einstein Researchers
Receive $2-Million Grant to
Develop “Universal Donor”
Blood
Investigators at
Albert Einstein College of Medicine have
received a four-year,
$2-million research
funding grant from
the National InstiEric Bouhassira, PhD
tutes of Health to
develop laboratory
methods to produce red blood cells that
people with rare blood groups who have
difficulty finding compatible donors
(such as patients of Asian and African
backgrounds) can use safely. “Over time,
the difficulty in finding well-matched
donors for these patients causes a
high incidence of alloimmunization, or
unwanted immune response following
transfusion of genetically different blood
cells,” Eric Bouhassira, PhD, professor of
Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
and one of the funding recipients, said
in a press release. The project involves a
panel of six donors with rare blood types.
Researchers will generate induced pluripotent stem cells from skin cells of these
individuals, then generate red cells that
lack the antigens responsible for causing
immune reactions. The goal is to produce
“universally safe” red cells in sufficient
quantity for use in the production of
reagent red blood cells and eventually for
life-saving transfusion therapy.
Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine press release, December 1, 2015.
12
ASH Clinical News
Medical
University of
South Carolina
Wins PCORI
Award to Study
Pulmonary
Embolism
A research team at the
Medical University of
South Carolina has been
approved for a $13.5million funding award
from the PatientCentered Outcomes
Research Institute
(PCORI) to study the
safety and effectiveness
of three blood thinners
to prevent pulmonary
embolism in patients
undergoing hip and knee
replacement. The study
is planned to enroll
25,000 patients from
25 participating centers
nationwide. Vincent
Pellegrini, MD, the John
A. Siegling Professor and
chairman of the Department of Orthopedics
at the MUSC College of
Medicine, is the lead
investigator and was
approved for the project,
titled “Comparative
Effectiveness of Pulmonary Embolism Prevention after Hip and Knee
Replacement (PEPPER):
Balancing Safety and
Effectiveness.” The PEPPER study was selected
for funding through
PCORI’s Pragmatic Clinical Studies Initiative, an
effort to produce results
that are broadly applicable to a diverse range
of patients and care
situations and can be
more quickly taken up in
routine clinical practice.
Source: Medical University of South Carolina press release, January 4, 2016.
Jean-Luc Harousseau Joins
IMF’s Global Team
French myeloma researcher Prof. JeanLuc Harousseau, MD, is joining the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)
to help accelerate the organization’s
global expansion and outreach efforts
in Asia and Europe. In his new role
American Cancer Society
Awards Medals of Honor
The American Cancer Society awarded its Medal of Honor to four individuals for their contributions to ending cancer through basic research, clinical research, and cancer control.
The 2015 recipients are:
James P. Allison, PhD (basic research),
for his work on the regulation of immune
cell activation and defining immune
checkpoint blockade that led to major
advances in immunotherapy for cancer
and the first FDA-approved drug for the
treatment of metastatic melanoma
Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD (basic
research), for his contributions to the
understanding of cancer immunology
and the development of adoptive immunotherapy that resulted in the first
effective immunotherapies for selected
patients with advanced cancer
Jack Cuzick, PhD, (clinical research),
for his work in the field of biostatistics,
epidemiology, and clinical medicine,
including chemoprevention and cancer
treatment
Sidney Jerome Winawer, MD, (cancer
control), in recognition of his dedication
to advancing screening and prevention of
colorectal cancer
with the IMF, Prof.
Harousseau will
help increase access
to treatment for
myeloma patients
globally. Recently
retired from his
Prof. Jean-Luc
position as profesHarousseau, MD
sor of hematology
at the University of Nantes, France
(a position he held since 1980), Prof.
Harousseau serves as chairman of the
French National Authority for Health,
Source: American Cancer Society press release, October 1, 2015.
where he has been since 2011. Prof.
Harousseau was a founding member
and served as president of the Intergroupe Français du Myélome (IFM),
whose clinical trials have contributed
significantly to the major improvements in the prognosis of myeloma.
He has also received many awards
for his work in the field of multiple
myeloma, including Robert A. Kyle
Lifetime Achievement Award. ●
Source: International Myeloma Foundation news release, January 7, 2016.
February 2016