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Researchers honored by ACS, IASLC
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is naming the Translational Research Lectureship Award after Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, of the Tisch Cancer Institute and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.
Dr. Hirsch was a longtime member of the IASLC and served as chief executive officer of the association from 2013 through October 2018. During this time, Dr. Hirsch grew the IASLC staff from 5 to 23 people and doubled the organization’s membership. The IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer became an annual meeting under Dr. Hirsch’s direction and reported record attendance, according to their website.
The recipient of the Fred R. Hirsch Lectureship Award for Translational Research will be recognized at the IASLC 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer, which is set to take place in Singapore on August 9-12, 2020.
In other news, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced that it has awarded the 2020 Medal of Honor to three researchers. The recipients will be recognized at a black-tie ceremony in New York on Nov. 11, 2020.
Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, won the Medal of Honor for Basic Research. This award honors researchers whose work will have a “lasting impact on the cancer field” or who have made important discoveries or inventions within the field, according to the ACS.
Dr. Cantley won the award for research that has improved our understanding of cancer metabolism. He is known for his contributions to the discovery and study of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, which plays a role in many cancers and has become a target for therapies.
Leslie Bernstein, PhD, of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., has won the Medal of Honor in Cancer Control. This award honors individuals who have made strides in public health, public communication, or public policy that have had an impact on cancer control.
Dr. Bernstein won the award for her work linking physical activity to a reduced risk of breast cancer. She is currently investigating links between hormone exposures, physical activity, obesity, and cancer, as well as examining how breast cancer impacts patients’ lives after treatment.
Ching-Hon Pui, MD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., has won the Medal of Honor in Clinical Research. This award honors researchers whose work has significantly improved cancer patients’ outcomes.
Dr. Pui won the award for his work in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dr. Pui’s work has led to increased global treatment access, improved survival rates, and better quality of life for patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is naming the Translational Research Lectureship Award after Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, of the Tisch Cancer Institute and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.
Dr. Hirsch was a longtime member of the IASLC and served as chief executive officer of the association from 2013 through October 2018. During this time, Dr. Hirsch grew the IASLC staff from 5 to 23 people and doubled the organization’s membership. The IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer became an annual meeting under Dr. Hirsch’s direction and reported record attendance, according to their website.
The recipient of the Fred R. Hirsch Lectureship Award for Translational Research will be recognized at the IASLC 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer, which is set to take place in Singapore on August 9-12, 2020.
In other news, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced that it has awarded the 2020 Medal of Honor to three researchers. The recipients will be recognized at a black-tie ceremony in New York on Nov. 11, 2020.
Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, won the Medal of Honor for Basic Research. This award honors researchers whose work will have a “lasting impact on the cancer field” or who have made important discoveries or inventions within the field, according to the ACS.
Dr. Cantley won the award for research that has improved our understanding of cancer metabolism. He is known for his contributions to the discovery and study of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, which plays a role in many cancers and has become a target for therapies.
Leslie Bernstein, PhD, of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., has won the Medal of Honor in Cancer Control. This award honors individuals who have made strides in public health, public communication, or public policy that have had an impact on cancer control.
Dr. Bernstein won the award for her work linking physical activity to a reduced risk of breast cancer. She is currently investigating links between hormone exposures, physical activity, obesity, and cancer, as well as examining how breast cancer impacts patients’ lives after treatment.
Ching-Hon Pui, MD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., has won the Medal of Honor in Clinical Research. This award honors researchers whose work has significantly improved cancer patients’ outcomes.
Dr. Pui won the award for his work in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dr. Pui’s work has led to increased global treatment access, improved survival rates, and better quality of life for patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is naming the Translational Research Lectureship Award after Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, of the Tisch Cancer Institute and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.
Dr. Hirsch was a longtime member of the IASLC and served as chief executive officer of the association from 2013 through October 2018. During this time, Dr. Hirsch grew the IASLC staff from 5 to 23 people and doubled the organization’s membership. The IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer became an annual meeting under Dr. Hirsch’s direction and reported record attendance, according to their website.
The recipient of the Fred R. Hirsch Lectureship Award for Translational Research will be recognized at the IASLC 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer, which is set to take place in Singapore on August 9-12, 2020.
In other news, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced that it has awarded the 2020 Medal of Honor to three researchers. The recipients will be recognized at a black-tie ceremony in New York on Nov. 11, 2020.
Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, won the Medal of Honor for Basic Research. This award honors researchers whose work will have a “lasting impact on the cancer field” or who have made important discoveries or inventions within the field, according to the ACS.
Dr. Cantley won the award for research that has improved our understanding of cancer metabolism. He is known for his contributions to the discovery and study of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, which plays a role in many cancers and has become a target for therapies.
Leslie Bernstein, PhD, of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., has won the Medal of Honor in Cancer Control. This award honors individuals who have made strides in public health, public communication, or public policy that have had an impact on cancer control.
Dr. Bernstein won the award for her work linking physical activity to a reduced risk of breast cancer. She is currently investigating links between hormone exposures, physical activity, obesity, and cancer, as well as examining how breast cancer impacts patients’ lives after treatment.
Ching-Hon Pui, MD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., has won the Medal of Honor in Clinical Research. This award honors researchers whose work has significantly improved cancer patients’ outcomes.
Dr. Pui won the award for his work in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dr. Pui’s work has led to increased global treatment access, improved survival rates, and better quality of life for patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
New leaders at SKCC, Mount Sinai, NHF
The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health (SKCC) has a new director of bone marrow transplant and cell-based therapy, Mount Sinai has a new head of clinical cancer research, and the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) has a new president and CEO.
Usama Gergis, MD, has joined SKCC in Philadelphia as director of the bone marrow transplant and immune cellular therapy program and as a professor in the department of medical oncology, division of hematological malignancies.
Dr. Gergis came to SKCC from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where he helped expand the use of umbilical cord blood transplant and established an immune cellular therapy program. He also established and led one of the largest oncology international medicine programs in the United States.
Dr. Gergis earned his medical degree from Cairo (Egypt) University. He completed an internal medicine residency and a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Brooklyn Hospital of Weill Cornell. He also completed a bone marrow transplant fellowship at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
Karyn Aalami Goodman, MD, has been hired to lead clinical cancer research at Mount Sinai, New York. She is now the associate director for clinical research at the Tisch Cancer Institute and a professor and vice-chair for research and quality in the department of radiation oncology. In these roles, she will develop the infrastructure and resources to support clinical trials of cancer patients.
Dr. Goodman’s own research is focused on improving outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. She has helped develop protocols combining radiation, chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy.
Dr. Goodman earned her medical degree from Stanford (Calif.) University. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Stanford and residency training in radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She was previously associate director of clinical research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Aurora.
Leonard A. Valentino, MD, has assumed the role of president and CEO of the National Hemophilia Foundation in New York. In this role, Dr. Valentino will “work to advance the foundation’s mission of education, advocacy, and research,” according to the NHF.
Dr. Valentino previously held leadership roles at Spark Therapeutics, Shire, Baxalta, and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Prior to that, he founded and led the Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Valentino earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He completed his residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles .
The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health (SKCC) has a new director of bone marrow transplant and cell-based therapy, Mount Sinai has a new head of clinical cancer research, and the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) has a new president and CEO.
Usama Gergis, MD, has joined SKCC in Philadelphia as director of the bone marrow transplant and immune cellular therapy program and as a professor in the department of medical oncology, division of hematological malignancies.
Dr. Gergis came to SKCC from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where he helped expand the use of umbilical cord blood transplant and established an immune cellular therapy program. He also established and led one of the largest oncology international medicine programs in the United States.
Dr. Gergis earned his medical degree from Cairo (Egypt) University. He completed an internal medicine residency and a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Brooklyn Hospital of Weill Cornell. He also completed a bone marrow transplant fellowship at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
Karyn Aalami Goodman, MD, has been hired to lead clinical cancer research at Mount Sinai, New York. She is now the associate director for clinical research at the Tisch Cancer Institute and a professor and vice-chair for research and quality in the department of radiation oncology. In these roles, she will develop the infrastructure and resources to support clinical trials of cancer patients.
Dr. Goodman’s own research is focused on improving outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. She has helped develop protocols combining radiation, chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy.
Dr. Goodman earned her medical degree from Stanford (Calif.) University. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Stanford and residency training in radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She was previously associate director of clinical research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Aurora.
Leonard A. Valentino, MD, has assumed the role of president and CEO of the National Hemophilia Foundation in New York. In this role, Dr. Valentino will “work to advance the foundation’s mission of education, advocacy, and research,” according to the NHF.
Dr. Valentino previously held leadership roles at Spark Therapeutics, Shire, Baxalta, and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Prior to that, he founded and led the Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Valentino earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He completed his residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles .
The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health (SKCC) has a new director of bone marrow transplant and cell-based therapy, Mount Sinai has a new head of clinical cancer research, and the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) has a new president and CEO.
Usama Gergis, MD, has joined SKCC in Philadelphia as director of the bone marrow transplant and immune cellular therapy program and as a professor in the department of medical oncology, division of hematological malignancies.
Dr. Gergis came to SKCC from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where he helped expand the use of umbilical cord blood transplant and established an immune cellular therapy program. He also established and led one of the largest oncology international medicine programs in the United States.
Dr. Gergis earned his medical degree from Cairo (Egypt) University. He completed an internal medicine residency and a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Brooklyn Hospital of Weill Cornell. He also completed a bone marrow transplant fellowship at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
Karyn Aalami Goodman, MD, has been hired to lead clinical cancer research at Mount Sinai, New York. She is now the associate director for clinical research at the Tisch Cancer Institute and a professor and vice-chair for research and quality in the department of radiation oncology. In these roles, she will develop the infrastructure and resources to support clinical trials of cancer patients.
Dr. Goodman’s own research is focused on improving outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. She has helped develop protocols combining radiation, chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy.
Dr. Goodman earned her medical degree from Stanford (Calif.) University. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Stanford and residency training in radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She was previously associate director of clinical research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Aurora.
Leonard A. Valentino, MD, has assumed the role of president and CEO of the National Hemophilia Foundation in New York. In this role, Dr. Valentino will “work to advance the foundation’s mission of education, advocacy, and research,” according to the NHF.
Dr. Valentino previously held leadership roles at Spark Therapeutics, Shire, Baxalta, and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Prior to that, he founded and led the Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Valentino earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He completed his residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles .
Cancer research foundation awards ‘breakthrough scientists’
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has awarded $100,000 each to six “breakthrough scientists.”
The Damon Runyon–Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists provides additional funding to scientists completing a Damon Runyon Fellowship Award who “are most likely to make paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that transform the way we prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer,” according to the foundation announcement.
Lindsay B. Case, PhD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, received the award for her research investigating the molecular interactions that contribute to integrin signaling and focal adhesion function. This work could reveal new strategies for disrupting integrin signaling in cancer.
Ivana Gasic, DrSc, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for her research on tubulin autoregulation and the microtubule integrity response. Her research could provide insight into the workings of microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic drugs and reveal new pathways to target cancer cells.
Natasha M. O’Brown, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for her research using CRISPR technology and zebrafish to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate the blood-brain barrier. This work could reveal new approaches to drug delivery for patients with brain tumors.
Benjamin M. Stinson, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for his work investigating the mechanisms of two main DNA double-strand break repair pathways. This research could shed light on the causes of cancers and have applications for cancer treatment.
Iva A. Tchasovnikarova, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, was awarded for epigenetics research that may reveal targets for cancer therapy. She developed a method to identify cell-based reporters of any epigenetic process inside the nucleus and aims to use this method to better understand the biology underlying epigenetic mechanisms.
Yi Yin, PhD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, was awarded for work that may help inform the treatment of many cancers. Dr. Yin developed single-cell assays that she will combine with statistical modeling to better understand homologous recombination.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has awarded $100,000 each to six “breakthrough scientists.”
The Damon Runyon–Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists provides additional funding to scientists completing a Damon Runyon Fellowship Award who “are most likely to make paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that transform the way we prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer,” according to the foundation announcement.
Lindsay B. Case, PhD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, received the award for her research investigating the molecular interactions that contribute to integrin signaling and focal adhesion function. This work could reveal new strategies for disrupting integrin signaling in cancer.
Ivana Gasic, DrSc, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for her research on tubulin autoregulation and the microtubule integrity response. Her research could provide insight into the workings of microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic drugs and reveal new pathways to target cancer cells.
Natasha M. O’Brown, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for her research using CRISPR technology and zebrafish to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate the blood-brain barrier. This work could reveal new approaches to drug delivery for patients with brain tumors.
Benjamin M. Stinson, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for his work investigating the mechanisms of two main DNA double-strand break repair pathways. This research could shed light on the causes of cancers and have applications for cancer treatment.
Iva A. Tchasovnikarova, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, was awarded for epigenetics research that may reveal targets for cancer therapy. She developed a method to identify cell-based reporters of any epigenetic process inside the nucleus and aims to use this method to better understand the biology underlying epigenetic mechanisms.
Yi Yin, PhD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, was awarded for work that may help inform the treatment of many cancers. Dr. Yin developed single-cell assays that she will combine with statistical modeling to better understand homologous recombination.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has awarded $100,000 each to six “breakthrough scientists.”
The Damon Runyon–Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists provides additional funding to scientists completing a Damon Runyon Fellowship Award who “are most likely to make paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that transform the way we prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer,” according to the foundation announcement.
Lindsay B. Case, PhD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, received the award for her research investigating the molecular interactions that contribute to integrin signaling and focal adhesion function. This work could reveal new strategies for disrupting integrin signaling in cancer.
Ivana Gasic, DrSc, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for her research on tubulin autoregulation and the microtubule integrity response. Her research could provide insight into the workings of microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic drugs and reveal new pathways to target cancer cells.
Natasha M. O’Brown, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for her research using CRISPR technology and zebrafish to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate the blood-brain barrier. This work could reveal new approaches to drug delivery for patients with brain tumors.
Benjamin M. Stinson, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, was awarded for his work investigating the mechanisms of two main DNA double-strand break repair pathways. This research could shed light on the causes of cancers and have applications for cancer treatment.
Iva A. Tchasovnikarova, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, was awarded for epigenetics research that may reveal targets for cancer therapy. She developed a method to identify cell-based reporters of any epigenetic process inside the nucleus and aims to use this method to better understand the biology underlying epigenetic mechanisms.
Yi Yin, PhD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, was awarded for work that may help inform the treatment of many cancers. Dr. Yin developed single-cell assays that she will combine with statistical modeling to better understand homologous recombination.
New appointments at Cleveland Clinic, Fox Chase
Melissa Walt, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, recently joined the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic. In this role, Dr. Walt focuses on the psychological treatment of cancer patients, helping them adjust to their diagnosis and navigate life with cancer.
Dr. Walt was previously a staff psychologist at the outpatient behavioral health/mental health clinic at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in North Las Vegas. She obtained her doctorate degree from Adler University in Chicago, completed a residency at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, and completed a fellowship at Memphis VA Medical Center.
Sheela Ahmed, MD, has joined Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and works in the department of medicine as an associate clinical professor in the division of pulmonary, sleep, and critical care medicine. She is board certified in internal, pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.
Dr. Ahmed was previously a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physician at WellSpan Health in York, Pa. She received her medical degree from Patna (India) Medical College and Hospital. Dr. Ahmed completed a residency at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, and a fellowship at St. Thomas Hospital in London and North Manchester (England) General Hospital. She also completed a residency and fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Usman Ali, MD, has joined Fox Chase as an assistant professor in the division of hospital medicine within the department of medicine. Dr. Ali is board certified to practice medicine in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and he is certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Dr. Ali previously worked as a contracted hospitalist at Fox Chase. He obtained his medical degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh, India, and completed a residency at the Institute of Ophthalmology in Aligarh. Dr. Ali also completed a residency at Capital Health System in Pennington, N.J., and a fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
Dylan R. Sherry, MD, has joined the pain and palliative care program in the department of hematology/oncology at Fox Chase as an assistant professor on the academic clinician track. Dr. Sherry is board certified in internal medicine and board eligible in hospice and palliative medicine.
Dr. Sherry was previously a hospitalist at Abington Memorial Hospital, now Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health, in Abington Township, Pa. He received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed his residency and fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Melissa Walt, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, recently joined the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic. In this role, Dr. Walt focuses on the psychological treatment of cancer patients, helping them adjust to their diagnosis and navigate life with cancer.
Dr. Walt was previously a staff psychologist at the outpatient behavioral health/mental health clinic at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in North Las Vegas. She obtained her doctorate degree from Adler University in Chicago, completed a residency at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, and completed a fellowship at Memphis VA Medical Center.
Sheela Ahmed, MD, has joined Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and works in the department of medicine as an associate clinical professor in the division of pulmonary, sleep, and critical care medicine. She is board certified in internal, pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.
Dr. Ahmed was previously a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physician at WellSpan Health in York, Pa. She received her medical degree from Patna (India) Medical College and Hospital. Dr. Ahmed completed a residency at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, and a fellowship at St. Thomas Hospital in London and North Manchester (England) General Hospital. She also completed a residency and fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Usman Ali, MD, has joined Fox Chase as an assistant professor in the division of hospital medicine within the department of medicine. Dr. Ali is board certified to practice medicine in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and he is certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Dr. Ali previously worked as a contracted hospitalist at Fox Chase. He obtained his medical degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh, India, and completed a residency at the Institute of Ophthalmology in Aligarh. Dr. Ali also completed a residency at Capital Health System in Pennington, N.J., and a fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
Dylan R. Sherry, MD, has joined the pain and palliative care program in the department of hematology/oncology at Fox Chase as an assistant professor on the academic clinician track. Dr. Sherry is board certified in internal medicine and board eligible in hospice and palliative medicine.
Dr. Sherry was previously a hospitalist at Abington Memorial Hospital, now Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health, in Abington Township, Pa. He received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed his residency and fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Melissa Walt, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, recently joined the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic. In this role, Dr. Walt focuses on the psychological treatment of cancer patients, helping them adjust to their diagnosis and navigate life with cancer.
Dr. Walt was previously a staff psychologist at the outpatient behavioral health/mental health clinic at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in North Las Vegas. She obtained her doctorate degree from Adler University in Chicago, completed a residency at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, and completed a fellowship at Memphis VA Medical Center.
Sheela Ahmed, MD, has joined Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and works in the department of medicine as an associate clinical professor in the division of pulmonary, sleep, and critical care medicine. She is board certified in internal, pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.
Dr. Ahmed was previously a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physician at WellSpan Health in York, Pa. She received her medical degree from Patna (India) Medical College and Hospital. Dr. Ahmed completed a residency at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, and a fellowship at St. Thomas Hospital in London and North Manchester (England) General Hospital. She also completed a residency and fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Usman Ali, MD, has joined Fox Chase as an assistant professor in the division of hospital medicine within the department of medicine. Dr. Ali is board certified to practice medicine in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and he is certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Dr. Ali previously worked as a contracted hospitalist at Fox Chase. He obtained his medical degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh, India, and completed a residency at the Institute of Ophthalmology in Aligarh. Dr. Ali also completed a residency at Capital Health System in Pennington, N.J., and a fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
Dylan R. Sherry, MD, has joined the pain and palliative care program in the department of hematology/oncology at Fox Chase as an assistant professor on the academic clinician track. Dr. Sherry is board certified in internal medicine and board eligible in hospice and palliative medicine.
Dr. Sherry was previously a hospitalist at Abington Memorial Hospital, now Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health, in Abington Township, Pa. He received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed his residency and fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Researchers win funding for breast cancer studies
Five breast cancer researchers have won 3 years of funding from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program and Pfizer Global Medical Grants. The researchers will receive up to $1.4 million.
Allison Lipitz-Snyderman, PhD, and Erin Gillespie, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, have won funding for a project entitled, “Leveraging an academic-community partnership model to improve the quality of radiation treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients.”
Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Lipitz-Snyderman plan to use an existing partnership between Memorial Sloan Kettering and three community-based institutions to test a system for implementing best practices in radiation treatment. The system includes a web-based platform that disseminates expert recommendations as well as weekly conferences during which community radiation oncologists can consult with specialists on complex cases.
Aki Morikawa, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, won funding for a project entitled, “Personalized multi-care: A tailored approach to multidisciplinary care coordination delivery for metastatic breast cancer patients with central nervous system metastases.”
The goals of Dr. Morikawa’s project are to educate patients and providers on managing central nervous system metastases in the breast cancer setting, tailor care coordination and planning to patient and provider needs, and increase patient participation in studies.
Karen Lisa Smith, MD, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, won funding for a project entitled, “The Johns Hopkins Metastatic Breast Cancer Partners Program: Collaborating to improve metastatic breast cancer care.”
The goal of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Partners Program is for Johns Hopkins and mid-Atlantic regional practices to fight metastatic breast cancer together. To that end, Dr. Smith plans to create a multidisciplinary clinic that offers supportive care and treatment recommendations, a database for patient tracking and trial screening, educational resources, and new opportunities for provider collaboration.
Laura Spring, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston, won funding for a project entitled, “Expanding precision medicine for patients with metastatic breast cancer in the community: Leveraging academic strength and community partnership.”
The goal of Dr. Spring’s project is to extend academic resources to affiliated network sites. This will involve increasing access to tissue-based and blood-based tumor genotyping for patients with metastatic breast cancer, creating a virtual molecular and precision medicine clinic that provides interpretation of genomic data and treatment recommendations, and offering clinical trial matching to metastatic breast cancer patients treated at network sites.
Five breast cancer researchers have won 3 years of funding from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program and Pfizer Global Medical Grants. The researchers will receive up to $1.4 million.
Allison Lipitz-Snyderman, PhD, and Erin Gillespie, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, have won funding for a project entitled, “Leveraging an academic-community partnership model to improve the quality of radiation treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients.”
Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Lipitz-Snyderman plan to use an existing partnership between Memorial Sloan Kettering and three community-based institutions to test a system for implementing best practices in radiation treatment. The system includes a web-based platform that disseminates expert recommendations as well as weekly conferences during which community radiation oncologists can consult with specialists on complex cases.
Aki Morikawa, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, won funding for a project entitled, “Personalized multi-care: A tailored approach to multidisciplinary care coordination delivery for metastatic breast cancer patients with central nervous system metastases.”
The goals of Dr. Morikawa’s project are to educate patients and providers on managing central nervous system metastases in the breast cancer setting, tailor care coordination and planning to patient and provider needs, and increase patient participation in studies.
Karen Lisa Smith, MD, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, won funding for a project entitled, “The Johns Hopkins Metastatic Breast Cancer Partners Program: Collaborating to improve metastatic breast cancer care.”
The goal of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Partners Program is for Johns Hopkins and mid-Atlantic regional practices to fight metastatic breast cancer together. To that end, Dr. Smith plans to create a multidisciplinary clinic that offers supportive care and treatment recommendations, a database for patient tracking and trial screening, educational resources, and new opportunities for provider collaboration.
Laura Spring, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston, won funding for a project entitled, “Expanding precision medicine for patients with metastatic breast cancer in the community: Leveraging academic strength and community partnership.”
The goal of Dr. Spring’s project is to extend academic resources to affiliated network sites. This will involve increasing access to tissue-based and blood-based tumor genotyping for patients with metastatic breast cancer, creating a virtual molecular and precision medicine clinic that provides interpretation of genomic data and treatment recommendations, and offering clinical trial matching to metastatic breast cancer patients treated at network sites.
Five breast cancer researchers have won 3 years of funding from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program and Pfizer Global Medical Grants. The researchers will receive up to $1.4 million.
Allison Lipitz-Snyderman, PhD, and Erin Gillespie, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, have won funding for a project entitled, “Leveraging an academic-community partnership model to improve the quality of radiation treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients.”
Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Lipitz-Snyderman plan to use an existing partnership between Memorial Sloan Kettering and three community-based institutions to test a system for implementing best practices in radiation treatment. The system includes a web-based platform that disseminates expert recommendations as well as weekly conferences during which community radiation oncologists can consult with specialists on complex cases.
Aki Morikawa, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, won funding for a project entitled, “Personalized multi-care: A tailored approach to multidisciplinary care coordination delivery for metastatic breast cancer patients with central nervous system metastases.”
The goals of Dr. Morikawa’s project are to educate patients and providers on managing central nervous system metastases in the breast cancer setting, tailor care coordination and planning to patient and provider needs, and increase patient participation in studies.
Karen Lisa Smith, MD, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, won funding for a project entitled, “The Johns Hopkins Metastatic Breast Cancer Partners Program: Collaborating to improve metastatic breast cancer care.”
The goal of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Partners Program is for Johns Hopkins and mid-Atlantic regional practices to fight metastatic breast cancer together. To that end, Dr. Smith plans to create a multidisciplinary clinic that offers supportive care and treatment recommendations, a database for patient tracking and trial screening, educational resources, and new opportunities for provider collaboration.
Laura Spring, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston, won funding for a project entitled, “Expanding precision medicine for patients with metastatic breast cancer in the community: Leveraging academic strength and community partnership.”
The goal of Dr. Spring’s project is to extend academic resources to affiliated network sites. This will involve increasing access to tissue-based and blood-based tumor genotyping for patients with metastatic breast cancer, creating a virtual molecular and precision medicine clinic that provides interpretation of genomic data and treatment recommendations, and offering clinical trial matching to metastatic breast cancer patients treated at network sites.
Moffitt announces new chief digital innovation officer
Edmondo Robinson, MD, is the new senior vice president and chief digital innovation officer at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. In this newly created position, Dr. Robinson will “oversee Moffitt’s portfolio of digital innovation, including the development and commercialization of health products, tools, and technology.”
Dr. Robinson is also associate professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia. He was previously the chief transformation officer and senior vice-president of consumerism at ChristianaCare, a health system based in Wilmington, Del. Dr. Robinson’s research is focused on health services, particularly care transitions and how technology impacts care delivery.
In other news, Elizabeth Fox, MD, has been named senior vice president of clinical trials research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She will also serve as the associate director for clinical research in the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Fox will take on these roles in January 2020.
Dr. Fox was previously director of developmental therapeutics in oncology and professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. According to St. Jude, Dr. Fox is an expert in integrating clinical and preclinical pharmacology in clinical trial design.
The International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology has appointed Weijing Sun, MD, as its president-elect. After his 2-year term as president-elect, Dr. Sun will take over as president from Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Dr. Sun is director of the division of medical oncology and associate director for clinical research at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. He is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist with a research focus on the development of new treatments for pancreatic, gastroesophageal, hepatobiliary, and colorectal cancers.
Finally, Elizabeth Plimack, MD, has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s board of directors for a term of 4 years. She will begin this appointment in June 2020.
Dr. Plimack is a professor and chief of the division of genitourinary medical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Plimack’s clinical practice is focused on the treatment of kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancer. Her research is focused on developing new therapies for bladder and kidney cancers.
Edmondo Robinson, MD, is the new senior vice president and chief digital innovation officer at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. In this newly created position, Dr. Robinson will “oversee Moffitt’s portfolio of digital innovation, including the development and commercialization of health products, tools, and technology.”
Dr. Robinson is also associate professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia. He was previously the chief transformation officer and senior vice-president of consumerism at ChristianaCare, a health system based in Wilmington, Del. Dr. Robinson’s research is focused on health services, particularly care transitions and how technology impacts care delivery.
In other news, Elizabeth Fox, MD, has been named senior vice president of clinical trials research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She will also serve as the associate director for clinical research in the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Fox will take on these roles in January 2020.
Dr. Fox was previously director of developmental therapeutics in oncology and professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. According to St. Jude, Dr. Fox is an expert in integrating clinical and preclinical pharmacology in clinical trial design.
The International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology has appointed Weijing Sun, MD, as its president-elect. After his 2-year term as president-elect, Dr. Sun will take over as president from Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Dr. Sun is director of the division of medical oncology and associate director for clinical research at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. He is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist with a research focus on the development of new treatments for pancreatic, gastroesophageal, hepatobiliary, and colorectal cancers.
Finally, Elizabeth Plimack, MD, has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s board of directors for a term of 4 years. She will begin this appointment in June 2020.
Dr. Plimack is a professor and chief of the division of genitourinary medical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Plimack’s clinical practice is focused on the treatment of kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancer. Her research is focused on developing new therapies for bladder and kidney cancers.
Edmondo Robinson, MD, is the new senior vice president and chief digital innovation officer at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. In this newly created position, Dr. Robinson will “oversee Moffitt’s portfolio of digital innovation, including the development and commercialization of health products, tools, and technology.”
Dr. Robinson is also associate professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia. He was previously the chief transformation officer and senior vice-president of consumerism at ChristianaCare, a health system based in Wilmington, Del. Dr. Robinson’s research is focused on health services, particularly care transitions and how technology impacts care delivery.
In other news, Elizabeth Fox, MD, has been named senior vice president of clinical trials research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She will also serve as the associate director for clinical research in the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Fox will take on these roles in January 2020.
Dr. Fox was previously director of developmental therapeutics in oncology and professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. According to St. Jude, Dr. Fox is an expert in integrating clinical and preclinical pharmacology in clinical trial design.
The International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology has appointed Weijing Sun, MD, as its president-elect. After his 2-year term as president-elect, Dr. Sun will take over as president from Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Dr. Sun is director of the division of medical oncology and associate director for clinical research at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. He is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist with a research focus on the development of new treatments for pancreatic, gastroesophageal, hepatobiliary, and colorectal cancers.
Finally, Elizabeth Plimack, MD, has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s board of directors for a term of 4 years. She will begin this appointment in June 2020.
Dr. Plimack is a professor and chief of the division of genitourinary medical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Plimack’s clinical practice is focused on the treatment of kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancer. Her research is focused on developing new therapies for bladder and kidney cancers.
Cancer researchers win grants from DOD, GO2 Foundation
The GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer has granted the 2019 Young Innovators Team Awards to two groups of investigators studying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Each group received $250,000 to support their work.
Yanxiang (Jessie) Guo, PhD, of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and Shawn Davidson, PhD, of Princeton University in New Jersey, won the award for their research on tumor metabolism and immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
Dr. Guo and Dr. Davidson aim to prove that cancer cell metabolism affects the tumor microenvironment and leads to an impaired antitumor immune response. The pair’s ultimate goal is to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
Matthew Bott, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD, of Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York, won the award for their research on age-related differences in NSCLC.
Dr. Bott and Dr. Tammela aim to characterize differences in natural history and treatment response between younger and older patients with NSCLC. The main goal is to determine if different age groups require different approaches to treatment.
Two other researchers, both from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, received grants from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Jeffrey Peterson, PhD, was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Defense for his research on triple-negative breast cancer. Dr. Peterson will work with postdoctoral research fellows Alexander Beatty, PhD, and Tanu Singh, PhD, to determine if polyunsaturated fatty acids can be used to induce programmed cell death in triple-negative breast cancer.
Dr. Peterson theorizes that metastatic cells may be susceptible to preferential uptake of conjugated linoleic acid, which will trigger ferroptosis and destroy cancer cells without affecting normal cells. His ultimate goal is to set the stage for clinical trials of more effective, less toxic targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer.
Phillip Abbosh, MD, PhD, was awarded a $658,800 grant from the Department of Defense to investigate the role of the immune system and certain bacteria in mediating responses to therapy in bladder cancers.
Dr. Abbosh theorizes that a better understanding of the interaction between the immune system and bladder tumors could aid the development of new targeted therapies, and perhaps bacteria found in cancer patients’ bladders could be used to enhance treatment.
The GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer has granted the 2019 Young Innovators Team Awards to two groups of investigators studying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Each group received $250,000 to support their work.
Yanxiang (Jessie) Guo, PhD, of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and Shawn Davidson, PhD, of Princeton University in New Jersey, won the award for their research on tumor metabolism and immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
Dr. Guo and Dr. Davidson aim to prove that cancer cell metabolism affects the tumor microenvironment and leads to an impaired antitumor immune response. The pair’s ultimate goal is to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
Matthew Bott, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD, of Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York, won the award for their research on age-related differences in NSCLC.
Dr. Bott and Dr. Tammela aim to characterize differences in natural history and treatment response between younger and older patients with NSCLC. The main goal is to determine if different age groups require different approaches to treatment.
Two other researchers, both from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, received grants from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Jeffrey Peterson, PhD, was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Defense for his research on triple-negative breast cancer. Dr. Peterson will work with postdoctoral research fellows Alexander Beatty, PhD, and Tanu Singh, PhD, to determine if polyunsaturated fatty acids can be used to induce programmed cell death in triple-negative breast cancer.
Dr. Peterson theorizes that metastatic cells may be susceptible to preferential uptake of conjugated linoleic acid, which will trigger ferroptosis and destroy cancer cells without affecting normal cells. His ultimate goal is to set the stage for clinical trials of more effective, less toxic targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer.
Phillip Abbosh, MD, PhD, was awarded a $658,800 grant from the Department of Defense to investigate the role of the immune system and certain bacteria in mediating responses to therapy in bladder cancers.
Dr. Abbosh theorizes that a better understanding of the interaction between the immune system and bladder tumors could aid the development of new targeted therapies, and perhaps bacteria found in cancer patients’ bladders could be used to enhance treatment.
The GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer has granted the 2019 Young Innovators Team Awards to two groups of investigators studying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Each group received $250,000 to support their work.
Yanxiang (Jessie) Guo, PhD, of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and Shawn Davidson, PhD, of Princeton University in New Jersey, won the award for their research on tumor metabolism and immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
Dr. Guo and Dr. Davidson aim to prove that cancer cell metabolism affects the tumor microenvironment and leads to an impaired antitumor immune response. The pair’s ultimate goal is to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
Matthew Bott, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD, of Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York, won the award for their research on age-related differences in NSCLC.
Dr. Bott and Dr. Tammela aim to characterize differences in natural history and treatment response between younger and older patients with NSCLC. The main goal is to determine if different age groups require different approaches to treatment.
Two other researchers, both from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, received grants from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Jeffrey Peterson, PhD, was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Defense for his research on triple-negative breast cancer. Dr. Peterson will work with postdoctoral research fellows Alexander Beatty, PhD, and Tanu Singh, PhD, to determine if polyunsaturated fatty acids can be used to induce programmed cell death in triple-negative breast cancer.
Dr. Peterson theorizes that metastatic cells may be susceptible to preferential uptake of conjugated linoleic acid, which will trigger ferroptosis and destroy cancer cells without affecting normal cells. His ultimate goal is to set the stage for clinical trials of more effective, less toxic targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer.
Phillip Abbosh, MD, PhD, was awarded a $658,800 grant from the Department of Defense to investigate the role of the immune system and certain bacteria in mediating responses to therapy in bladder cancers.
Dr. Abbosh theorizes that a better understanding of the interaction between the immune system and bladder tumors could aid the development of new targeted therapies, and perhaps bacteria found in cancer patients’ bladders could be used to enhance treatment.
ASH to recognize researchers at annual meeting
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
Cleveland Clinic grants award, welcomes new talent
Brian Bolwell, MD, chairman of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute in Ohio, has received the 2019 Alfred and Norma Lerner Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Bolwell received the award “in honor of his 32 years of compassionate service as a physician leader and educator, along with his contributions to clinical and translational cancer research throughout the world,” according to a statement from Cleveland Clinic. The award recognizes “Cleveland Clinic physicians whose selfless dedication, boundless compassion, and tireless work have made the most profound and singular contribution to the good of humankind.”
In addition to serving as chairman of Taussig Cancer Institute, Dr. Bolwell is a professor of medicine for Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and deputy director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was director of the Cleveland Clinic bone marrow transplant program for 24 years and chairman of the department of hematologic oncology & blood disorders from 2006 to 2011.
In other Cleveland Clinic news, Halle Moore, MD, has been named director of breast medical oncology and codirector for the comprehensive breast cancer program at the clinic. She will assume this role in January 2020.
Dr. Moore is currently a staff physician at Taussig Cancer Institute and an associate professor of medicine at Lerner College of Medicine. Her clinical expertise is the management of breast cancer, and her research is focused on breast cancer treatment and cancer survivorship.
Cleveland Clinic has also added four new staff physicians to the department of hematology and medical oncology.
Shilpa Gupta, MD, has joined the clinic’s genitourinary cancer program. Dr. Gupta previously worked in the division of hematology, oncology, and transplantation at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she led the interdisciplinary solid tumor phase 1 program .
Khaled Hassan, MD, has joined the thoracic cancer program at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Hassan was previously an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of hematology/oncology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Suneel Kamath, MD, has joined the gastrointestinal cancer program at the clinic. Dr. Kamath was previously the hematology and medical oncology chief fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
Brian Bolwell, MD, chairman of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute in Ohio, has received the 2019 Alfred and Norma Lerner Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Bolwell received the award “in honor of his 32 years of compassionate service as a physician leader and educator, along with his contributions to clinical and translational cancer research throughout the world,” according to a statement from Cleveland Clinic. The award recognizes “Cleveland Clinic physicians whose selfless dedication, boundless compassion, and tireless work have made the most profound and singular contribution to the good of humankind.”
In addition to serving as chairman of Taussig Cancer Institute, Dr. Bolwell is a professor of medicine for Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and deputy director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was director of the Cleveland Clinic bone marrow transplant program for 24 years and chairman of the department of hematologic oncology & blood disorders from 2006 to 2011.
In other Cleveland Clinic news, Halle Moore, MD, has been named director of breast medical oncology and codirector for the comprehensive breast cancer program at the clinic. She will assume this role in January 2020.
Dr. Moore is currently a staff physician at Taussig Cancer Institute and an associate professor of medicine at Lerner College of Medicine. Her clinical expertise is the management of breast cancer, and her research is focused on breast cancer treatment and cancer survivorship.
Cleveland Clinic has also added four new staff physicians to the department of hematology and medical oncology.
Shilpa Gupta, MD, has joined the clinic’s genitourinary cancer program. Dr. Gupta previously worked in the division of hematology, oncology, and transplantation at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she led the interdisciplinary solid tumor phase 1 program .
Khaled Hassan, MD, has joined the thoracic cancer program at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Hassan was previously an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of hematology/oncology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Suneel Kamath, MD, has joined the gastrointestinal cancer program at the clinic. Dr. Kamath was previously the hematology and medical oncology chief fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
Brian Bolwell, MD, chairman of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute in Ohio, has received the 2019 Alfred and Norma Lerner Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Bolwell received the award “in honor of his 32 years of compassionate service as a physician leader and educator, along with his contributions to clinical and translational cancer research throughout the world,” according to a statement from Cleveland Clinic. The award recognizes “Cleveland Clinic physicians whose selfless dedication, boundless compassion, and tireless work have made the most profound and singular contribution to the good of humankind.”
In addition to serving as chairman of Taussig Cancer Institute, Dr. Bolwell is a professor of medicine for Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and deputy director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was director of the Cleveland Clinic bone marrow transplant program for 24 years and chairman of the department of hematologic oncology & blood disorders from 2006 to 2011.
In other Cleveland Clinic news, Halle Moore, MD, has been named director of breast medical oncology and codirector for the comprehensive breast cancer program at the clinic. She will assume this role in January 2020.
Dr. Moore is currently a staff physician at Taussig Cancer Institute and an associate professor of medicine at Lerner College of Medicine. Her clinical expertise is the management of breast cancer, and her research is focused on breast cancer treatment and cancer survivorship.
Cleveland Clinic has also added four new staff physicians to the department of hematology and medical oncology.
Shilpa Gupta, MD, has joined the clinic’s genitourinary cancer program. Dr. Gupta previously worked in the division of hematology, oncology, and transplantation at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she led the interdisciplinary solid tumor phase 1 program .
Khaled Hassan, MD, has joined the thoracic cancer program at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Hassan was previously an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of hematology/oncology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Suneel Kamath, MD, has joined the gastrointestinal cancer program at the clinic. Dr. Kamath was previously the hematology and medical oncology chief fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
Blood banking experts nab leadership positions at AABB
Beth Shaz, MD, has started her term as president of AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks). Dr. Shaz, who will be president for the 2019-2020 term, was inaugurated during the 2019 AABB annual meeting. She succeeds Michael Murphy, MD, as president.
Dr. Shaz is the executive vice president and chief medical and scientific officer at the New York Blood Center in New York. She is a scientific member of Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion, an associate editor of Transfusion, and an editorial board member of Blood. She received her medical degree from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
AABB also has a new president-elect, David Green. Mr. Green is president and chief executive officer of Vitalant, and he is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Mr. Green previously led the Vitalant blood services division. Before that, he was president and chief executive officer of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Davenport, Iowa.
Mr. Green has served as chairman of Blood Centers of America and president of America’s Blood Centers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in Gallesburg, Ill., and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Dana Devine, PhD, is the new vice president of AABB. Dr. Devine is the chief medical and scientific officer at Canadian Blood Services. She is also a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a founding member of the university’s Centre for Blood Research.
Dr. Devine’s research is focused on platelet biology, complement biochemistry, coagulation, and blood product processing and storage. Dr. Devine is the editor in chief of Vox Sanguinis. She earned her PhD from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Steven Sloan, MD, PhD, is the new secretary of AABB. Dr. Sloan is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston and blood bank medical director at Children’s Hospital Boston.
Dr. Sloan’s research is focused on intracellular signaling and transcription regulation in B cells during immune responses. Dr. Sloan attended medical school at New York University in New York, and completed his residency and fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Beth Shaz, MD, has started her term as president of AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks). Dr. Shaz, who will be president for the 2019-2020 term, was inaugurated during the 2019 AABB annual meeting. She succeeds Michael Murphy, MD, as president.
Dr. Shaz is the executive vice president and chief medical and scientific officer at the New York Blood Center in New York. She is a scientific member of Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion, an associate editor of Transfusion, and an editorial board member of Blood. She received her medical degree from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
AABB also has a new president-elect, David Green. Mr. Green is president and chief executive officer of Vitalant, and he is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Mr. Green previously led the Vitalant blood services division. Before that, he was president and chief executive officer of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Davenport, Iowa.
Mr. Green has served as chairman of Blood Centers of America and president of America’s Blood Centers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in Gallesburg, Ill., and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Dana Devine, PhD, is the new vice president of AABB. Dr. Devine is the chief medical and scientific officer at Canadian Blood Services. She is also a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a founding member of the university’s Centre for Blood Research.
Dr. Devine’s research is focused on platelet biology, complement biochemistry, coagulation, and blood product processing and storage. Dr. Devine is the editor in chief of Vox Sanguinis. She earned her PhD from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Steven Sloan, MD, PhD, is the new secretary of AABB. Dr. Sloan is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston and blood bank medical director at Children’s Hospital Boston.
Dr. Sloan’s research is focused on intracellular signaling and transcription regulation in B cells during immune responses. Dr. Sloan attended medical school at New York University in New York, and completed his residency and fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Beth Shaz, MD, has started her term as president of AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks). Dr. Shaz, who will be president for the 2019-2020 term, was inaugurated during the 2019 AABB annual meeting. She succeeds Michael Murphy, MD, as president.
Dr. Shaz is the executive vice president and chief medical and scientific officer at the New York Blood Center in New York. She is a scientific member of Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion, an associate editor of Transfusion, and an editorial board member of Blood. She received her medical degree from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
AABB also has a new president-elect, David Green. Mr. Green is president and chief executive officer of Vitalant, and he is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Mr. Green previously led the Vitalant blood services division. Before that, he was president and chief executive officer of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Davenport, Iowa.
Mr. Green has served as chairman of Blood Centers of America and president of America’s Blood Centers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in Gallesburg, Ill., and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Dana Devine, PhD, is the new vice president of AABB. Dr. Devine is the chief medical and scientific officer at Canadian Blood Services. She is also a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a founding member of the university’s Centre for Blood Research.
Dr. Devine’s research is focused on platelet biology, complement biochemistry, coagulation, and blood product processing and storage. Dr. Devine is the editor in chief of Vox Sanguinis. She earned her PhD from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Steven Sloan, MD, PhD, is the new secretary of AABB. Dr. Sloan is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston and blood bank medical director at Children’s Hospital Boston.
Dr. Sloan’s research is focused on intracellular signaling and transcription regulation in B cells during immune responses. Dr. Sloan attended medical school at New York University in New York, and completed his residency and fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.