ASH Announces Honorific Awards at 66th Annual Meeting

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recognized exemplary hematologist oncologists at the Announcement of Awards Ceremonies on Sunday, December 8, and Tuesday, December 10, at the 66th Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego. Both sessions were moderated by Mohandas Narla, DSc, President of ASH and a distinguished scientist at the New York Blood Center.

“On the final day of the meeting, it’s appropriate to reflect on the outstanding and inspiring research presented at this meeting, from the bench to the bedside, discoveries that resulted in new treatments and improved the lives of patients with blood disorders,” Dr. Narla said in his introduction.

Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology

Éliane Gluckman, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Hematology at the University of Paris, received the Wallace H. Coulter Award for a lifetime of achievement in cord blood transplantation. According to ASH, Dr. Gluckman performed the world’s first human umbilical cord blood transplant in 1988, demonstrating that cord blood can be used as a successful source of stem cells for patients requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. She also served as Medical Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Service and Head of the Department of Hematology at the Saint-Louis Hospital, leading cord blood research.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive the prestigious Wallace Coulter award,” Dr. Gluckman said. “It underlines not only my personal achievement, but also the progress we are making towards greater representation of women in the field.”

ASH Mentor Awards

Two ASH Mentor Awards were presented, one to Stephen Nimer, MD, for his community-focused mentorship to more than 100 hematology trainees and one to Charles Schiffer, MD, for leading, challenging, and training clinical investigators whose research has advanced leukemia research and patient outcomes.

Specializing in myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, Dr. Nimer currently serves as Director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research interests include the transcriptional regulation of hematopoiesis, according to his faculty profile.

Dr. Schiffer, a retired hematologist and medical oncologist at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, has expertise in platelet transfusion therapy and adult leukemia treatment.

“The mentor award was established to recognize hematologists who have excelled in mentoring trainees and colleagues,” Dr. Narla said. Upon receiving their awards, the two recipients provided advice for younger trainees in the field of hematology oncology.

“Get to know those in your field—as many as you can and profoundly as you can. They are your peers and will be your lifelong friends,” Dr. Nimer advised. “Some last words of advice: never give up what makes you who you are and what brings you joy. What joy you have all given me.”

“Woody Allen is credited with the statement, ‘Half of life is showing up,’” Dr. Schiffer said. “That has been my message to younger people who work with me. I felt it was my obligation to give them good places to show up and demonstrate their intellect, curiosity, and zeal. I can’t imagine a better time in medicine than showing up. The opportunities scientifically and clinically are extraordinary.”

ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity

James George, MD, George Lynn Cross Research Professor at the University of Oklahoma and former President of ASH in 2005, received the ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity. Dr. George is credited for leading a more diverse hematology workforce and supporting the ASH Minority Medical Student Award Program, which has supported more than 300 research opportunities for students who are underrepresented in medicine.

“I’m honored to receive this diversity award. Diversity is at the heart of ASH,” Dr. George said. “From ASH’s beginning 60 years ago, it had laboratory research for the principal activity and was led by White men who were leaders of their own groups. The new programs that were developed at the beginning of the century expanded the research to include clinical research and patient care. They were developed not just by men, but principally by women in addition to men. They were developed by people of all color and all races. This was the beginning of the new ASH. The ASH of our generation.”

William Dameshek Prize

Ami Bhatt, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, received the William Dameshek Prize for her outstanding contributions to the field of hematology. The award is named after the late William Dameshek, former president of ASH and original editor of Blood.

Dr. Bhatt pioneered genomic approaches to studying the microbiome and has explored the microbiome in connection with strategies for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis.

“The Dameshek Prize recognizes our work in studying the microbiome, revealing how these tiny and truly incredible organisms evolve, adapt, and profoundly impact transplant outcomes,” said Dr. Bhatt. “This prize isn’t just a recognition of prior accomplishments, but an invitation to keep exploring.”

References

American Society of Hematology. ASH Announces 2024 Honorific Award Recipients. June 18, 2024. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.hematology.org/newsroom/press-releases/2024/ash-announces-2024-honorific-award-recipients

Miller School of Medicine. Stephen D. Nimer, M.D. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://med.miami.edu/faculty/stephen-d-nimer-md