Dr . Anderson with his wife and three children . |
On a typical day , what is your rose , and what is your thorn ? The best part of my day is the time spent helping patients and working with my laboratory researchers . The worst is the ever-increasing administrative load ( which is amplified by electronic medical records ) and dealing with anything that can get in the way of taking good care of patients . |
When you have off-hours , how do you like to spend them ? I enjoy sports , music , traveling , and spending time with my family on Cape Cod . My long walks on the beach are great therapy , no matter the weather or season .
What is one thing most people don ’ t know about you ? People might be surprised to learn that I have a close , cherished , and decades-long
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friendship with Robert Kraft , owner of the New England Patriots .
Years ago , Robert and I helped to develop the Blood Component Laboratory at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute . This has helped innumerable patients and children with cancer who need transfusions and directly facilitated development of novel cellular therapies .
Over several decades , Robert and I have worked on many projects to help
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Myeloma isn ’ t the only hematologic malignancy where we are seeing such progress . The entire field of hematology is experiencing this type of momentum . |
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What career accomplishment are you most proud of ? I am proud and grateful to have played a leadership role in improving the outcome of patients with myeloma .
When I began my career , there were few effective treatments for this disease , and few patients benefitted from them . I take pride that my laboratory and clinical group have contributed to advances in highdose therapy and hematopoietic cell transplantation . Most importantly , we have developed laboratory and animal models of myeloma in the bone marrow microenvironment ; this has enabled us to identify novel therapeutic targets , validate targeted and immune therapies , and translate these studies to clinical trials leading to their regulatory approval . As a direct result , patients ’ expected survival has been extended three- to four-fold .
I am also proud and most grateful to have helped train the next generation of myeloma leaders in basic , clinical , and translational research internationally . It really doesn ’ t get any better than that !
I have had the privilege of serving as ASH President this year . During my time as president , the Society launched multiple new initiatives , including implementing new patient registries , defining an educational roadmap , and prioritizing research and efforts in sickle cell disease , immune therapies , personalized medicine , and hematologist recruitment and retention .
We have initiated new donor events to increase funding for the ASH Foundation , and have expanded our international programs to improve awareness , clinical training , and patient access to drugs . These efforts highlight the important role ASH plays in improving outcomes for patients , caregivers , and researchers around the world .
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