The Society Pages
AACC Announces Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council Educational Initiative
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry has announced the Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council program , which provides educational resources for laboratory medicine trainees preparing for board examinations in the United States and the United Kingdom .
The free program offers a variety of educational materials , including presentations , podcasts , case studies , articles , and more . The newly developed question bank features approximately 3,000 peerreviewed questions , and the Pearls of Laboratory Medicine provide 10- to 15-minute lectures about a diagnosis or analyses . The program , which is available in eight languages , is open to the public .
Register at aacc . org / clinical-chemistry-traineecouncil .
Source : American Association for Clinical Chemistry .
Jason Chesney Appointed Director of James Graham Brown Cancer Center
Jason Chesney , MD , PhD , was named director of the University of Louisville ’ s James Graham Brown Cancer Center , pending approval by the board of trustees . Dr . Chesney will succeed Donald Miller , MD , PhD , who has served as director since 1999 and is returning to the faculty .
In addition to serving as director of the cancer center , Dr . Chesney will be an associate vice president for health affairs and will continue to hold the Brinkley Endowed Chair in Lung Cancer Research .
“ At the James Graham Brown Cancer Center , we have the chance to have a major impact on the welfare of our region ’ s population through an expansion in our clinical enterprise , outreach program , basic and clinical research , and education programs ,” said Dr . Chesney .
Source : University of Louisville press release , April 27 , 2017 .
Remembering Neil Abramson , MD ( 1937-2017 )
Neil Abramson , MD , a hematologist / oncologist who served as a Blood Special Section Editor from 2008-2012 , passed away at the age of 79 . His death on May 18 , 2017 , was mourned by family , friends , colleagues , and countless patients touched by his intellect , generosity , and warmth .
After graduating from Allegheny College in Meadville , Pennsylvania , Dr . Abramson earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City , continuing his training at University of Pittsburgh and as a captain in the U . S . Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory . His professional dedication to hematology / oncology was solidified through clinical and research fellowships at Harvard Medical School and a position as Chief of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville , Florida , from 1973-2001 . He held several additional faculty appointments during his tenure , and published more than 100 manuscripts and abstracts . He was an international authority on topics ranging from chemotherapy to medical ethics .
Dr . Abramson is survived by his wife of 57 years , Ellen Abramson , son Simeon , daughters Laura and Judith , two brothers , and eight grandchildren .
Jason Chesney , MD , PhD
Ahmad Samer Al-Homsi to Lead New Transplant Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center
Ahmad Samer Al-Homsi , MD , MBA
Ahmad Samer Al-Homsi , MD , MBA , will lead a new bone marrow transplantation ( BMT ) program at New York University ( NYU ) Langone Medical Center ’ s Perlmutter Cancer Center . The program will focus on treating hematologic malignancies and will also explore the use of BMT as an adjunct to immunotherapy in the treatment of solid tumors .
“ We are defeating leukemia , lymphoma , and myeloma at increasing rates ,” said Dr . Al-Homsi . “ At the same time , we must continue to discover ways to ameliorate problems that sometimes come with treatment . I am confident we can make important strides .”
Dr . Al-Homsi will examine ways to reduce graft-versus-host disease – a focus of his previous research – and methods to minimize the need for extended treatment with traditional prophylactic agents .
Dr . Al-Homsi will also facilitate NYU Langone ’ s collaboration with the The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to institute haploidentical transplantation at Perlmutter Cancer Center .
Source : New York University Langone Medical Center press release , May 4 , 2017 .
The Sidney Kimmel Foundation Announces New Kimmel Scholars
The Sidney Kimmel Foundation has selected the final 15 recipients of its 2-year , $ 200,000 Kimmel Scholars Program grants . For 20 years , the foundation has committed more than $ 65 million toward its goal to jumpstart careers of researchers and physician-scientists in oncology .
Several of the 2017 recipients are conducting research in hematologic malignancies and cancer biology :
• Sean Collins , PhD , University of California , Davis
“ Rewiring leukocyte chemotaxis signaling for therapeutic application ”
• Meelad Dawlaty , PhD , Albert Einstein College of Medicine
“ Epigenetic regulation of hematopoietic malignancies by TET [ Ten-Eleven Translocation ] enzymes ”
• Ralph Kleiner , PhD , Princeton University
“ Chemical approaches to investigate RNA modifications in cancer progression and therapy ”
• Neville Sanjana , PhD , New York Genome Center
“ Essential genes for cancer immunotherapy ”
• Arvind Subramaniam , PhD , Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
“ Quantitative profiling of synonymous mutation effects in cancer cells ”
• Eric Tran , PhD , Earle A . Chiles Research Institute , Providence Cancer Center
“ Investigating and harnessing the T-cell response against mutated neoantigens in patients with epithelial cancers ”
Source : Sidney Kimmel Foundation press release , April 19 , 2017 .
Daniel Von Hoff Awarded Gold Medal for Excellence in Clinical Medicine from Columbia University
Daniel Von Hoff , MD , distinguished professor , physician-inchief , and director of molecular medicine at the Translational Genomics Research Institute , was recognized by his alma mater , Columbia University , with a gold
Daniel Von Hoff , MD medal for excellence in clinical medicine .
“ This medal represents the highest honor [ that ] the alumni association can bestow in recognition of [ Dr . Von Hoff ’ s ] outstanding accomplishments ,” said Kenneth A . Forde , MD , chair of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Alumni Association Honors and Awards Committee .
Alongside his colleagues , Dr . Von Hoff has conducted early clinical investigations of many new cancer agents for patients with leukemia , as well as breast , ovarian , prostate , colon , advanced basal cell , and pancreatic cancers , throughout his career . ●
Source : Translational Genomics Research Institute press release , May 8 , 2017 .
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6 ASH Clinical News July 2017