Up Front
The Society Pages
Announcing This Year’s
Top ASH Award Recipients
Each year, the Society recognizes outstanding hematologists who
have made significant contributions to the field with the following awards: Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in
Hematology, Henry M. Stratton Medal, William Dameshek Prize, E.
Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize, and Ernest Beutler Lecture and
Prize. In addition, the ASH Mentor Award is given to two excep-
Wallace H. Coulter Award
for Lifetime Achievement in
Hematology
Kanti R. Rai, MD, of the Hofstra North
Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) School of
Medicine, will be awarded the Society’s
highest honor for his 50-year career
combining landmark clinical research,
steadfast commitment to education
and mentoring, and exceptional patient
care. Dr. Rai has been a leader in the
evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of
chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) for
almost 40 years — including the publication of the “Rai” prognostic categorization of CLL in Blood in 1975, which
continues to be used by physicians and
clinical investigators today.
ASH is Now Accepting
Nominations
Know someone who should
be recognized with one of these
prestigious awards? Here’s what
you need to know about the
nomination process:
Dr. Rai will receive his award at 1:30 p.m.
on Sunday, December 7, at this year’s
annual meeting.
tional mentors to recognize the oft-overlooked role of mentors in
shaping the hematology community.
This year’s prizes were awarded to nine outstanding hematologists who have made valuable contributions to the understanding and treatment of hematologic diseases. Read more
about the winners below.
Henry M. Stratton Medal
ASH Mentor Award
Geraldine P. Schechter, MD, of the
Washington Veterans Affairs Medical
Center and George Washington University, is the recipient of the 2014 Stratton
Medal for Clinical Science. For more than
40 years, Dr. Schechter has been the
cornerstone of hematologic care at the
VA Medical Center, helping to advance
the diagnosis and treatment of chronic
lymphoid malignancies and autoimmune
hematologic disorders.
Grover C. Bagby Jr., MD, of the Oregon
Health & Science University, and John
DiPersio, MD, PhD, of Washington
University School of Medicine, will be
recognized for their outstanding mentorship at this year’s annual meeting. Dr.
Bagby’s mentees cite his selfless leadership and caring dedication as critical elem ents of his successful 46-year career;
his trainees now serve as successful
clinicians, policy makers, and administrators. Dr. DiPersio was selected for his
unwavering service as a role model and
mentor during his nearly 35-year career
that has helped shape the careers of
more than two dozen mentees who hold
prestigious academic positions throughout the world.
Timothy Springer, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, is the recipient of the 2014
Stratton Medal for Basic Science. During
his 35-year career, Dr. Springer has
focused his research efforts on the basic
mechanisms of hemostasis, inflammation, and immunology. Dr. Springer has
published more than 500 works which
have helped pave the way for a number
of new therapeutic agents.
Drs. Bagby and DiPersio will receive their
awards at the Announcement of Awards
session at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, December
7, at this year’s annual meeting.
Drs. Schechter and Springer will accept their
awards at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December
9, during this year’s annual meeting.
• You can submit a nomination
package online or by email.
• Nominations are accepted
throughout the year. Any
nomination submitted
prior to the deadline will be
considered for 2015. Nominations submitted after the
deadlines will be considered
for the following year.
• For the Dameshek Prize,
Stratton Medal, and Thomas
Lecture, both nominee and
nominators must be ASH
members.
For more detailed information about
the nomination process, deadlines,
and to submit your nominee, visit
hematology.org/Awards.
10
ASH Clinical News
E. Donnall Thomas Lecture
Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize
William Dameshek Prize
Tomas Ganz, MD, PhD, of the University
of California-Los Angeles, will be honored with the 2014 E. Donnall Thomas
Lecture for his groundbreaking research
in iron homeostasis — including the
discovery of the iron-regulatory hormone
hepcidin and investigation of its roles in
iron metabolism.
Michael DeBaun, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and
Robert P. Hebbel, MD, of the University
of Minnesota Medical School, will be
honored for their significant research
advances in sickle cell disease (SCD).
Both doctors’ research has allowed
for the translation of basic laboratory
insights to the patient bedside resulting in better care for millions of SCD
patients worldwide.
Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will
be recognized for his exceptional work
in leukemia research and cancer stem
cell biology. Through his pioneering
research in the fields of genomic and
stem cell biology, Dr. Armstrong has
helped fuel new therapies for patients
diagnosed with leukemia.
Dr. Ganz will present his lecture, “Iron,
Erythropoiesis, and Host Defense: A
Ménage à Trois,” at 9:00 a.m. on Monday,
December 8, at this year’s annual meeting.
Drs. DeBaun and Hebbel will present their
lecture, “Sickle Cell Disease: Improved Understanding but Continued Challenges,” at
1:30 p.m. on Monday, December 8, at this
year’s annual meeting.
Dr. Armstrong will accept his award at
9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9, during this year’s annual meeting.
October 2014