The American Society of Hematology (ASH) plans to honor 10 researchers with awards and lectures at this year’s annual meeting, scheduled to take place Dec. 7-10 in Orlando.
Dr. Richard Aster
Richard Aster, MD, will receive the 2019 Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology. Dr. Aster, of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, “will be honored for his significant contributions to hematology through research, mentorship, and education throughout his 62-year career,” according to ASH.
Dr. Aster is known for his research on immune diseases that affect blood cells, particularly platelets. His work has led to improvements in platelet preparation, storage, and matching. In addition, he and his team developed the standard techniques for diagnosing immune thrombocytopenia and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia-thrombosis.
Dr. William Eaton
Other ASH awardees include William Eaton, MD, PhD, and Richard A. Larson, MD, who will receive the 2019 Henry M. Stratton Medal “for their seminal contributions to basic and clinical/translational hematology research, respectively.”
Dr. Richard A. Larson
Dr. Eaton, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases conducts research on sickle cell disease, and his work contributed to the development of hydroxyurea. Dr. Larson, of the University of Chicago is the namesake of the Larson regimen (CALGB 8811) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and he played a key role in research that led to the U.S. approval of midostaurin.
Dr. Philip Greenberg
Philip Greenberg, MD, will deliver the 2019 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture in recognition of “his outstanding contributions to the field of immunotherapy.” Dr. Greenberg, of theFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in Seattle, is known for contributing to the development of T-cell adoptive immune therapy. His lecture will focus on the engineering of T cells to target acute myeloid leukemia and other malignancies.
Dr. Sriram Krishnaswamy
Sriram Krishnaswamy, PhD, and Jeffrey I. Weitz, MD, will deliver the 2019 Ernest Beutler Lecture in recognition of “their significant research contributions to the understanding and treatment of blood clots.” The researchers will each deliver one part of the lecture at the meeting, and both will discuss research related to novel anticoagulants.
Dr. Jeffrey I. Weitz
Dr. Krishnaswamy, of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is considered an authority on the function of surface-dependent coagulation complexes. Dr. Weitz, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., has conducted research that led to the development of novel anticoagulants.
Dr. Emmanuelle Passegué
Emmanuelle Passegué, PhD, will receive the 2019 William Dameshek Prize “for her outstanding contributions to the understanding of hematopoietic stem cells.” Dr. Passegué, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, conducts research focused on changes to hematopoietic stem cells in the contexts of myeloid malignancies and physiological aging.
Dr. Griffin Rodgers
Griffin Rodgers, MD, will receive the ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity “for his extraordinary commitment to diversity and inclusion in hematology.” As director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Dr. Rodgers has worked to promote diversity in the scientific workforce and in clinical trials.
Dr. Leonard Zon
Leonard Zon, MD, and Michael R. DeBaun, MD, will receive the 2019 ASH Mentor Award “for their sustained, outstanding commitment to the training and career development of early career hematologists.”
Dr. Michael R. DeBaun
Dr. DeBaun, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn., has mentees ranging from high school students with sickle cell disease to tenured faculty members at medical schools. Dr. Zon, of Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital, organizes mentoring events for postdocs, graduate students, and technicians.