Margaret A. Goodell, PhD

2009-11-01

2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the ASH Scholar Award program. Since 1985, the American Society of Hematology has supported many great researchers through this program. The ASH Scholar Awards are designed to support hematologists who have chosen a career in research by providing partial salary or other support during that critical period required for completion of training and achievement of status as an independent investigator. In recognition of this anniversary,The Hematologist has been highlighting past and present award winners throughout 2009.

About two years into my first faculty position at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), I received the ASH Scholar Award; it was 1999. I had a small lab, and start-up funds were dwindling. The ASH Scholar Award gave me a much-needed injection of support to sustain my initial studies on hematopoietic stem cells. That year, our work was selected for presentation at the plenary session at the ASH annual meeting, and I had the terrifying and exciting experience of speaking to the several thousand-strong ASH audience. I was six months pregnant with my first child. Our first major paper followed shortly thereafter, and a few months later, I had my first R01, aided in no small part by the boost in experience and recognition ASH had given me.

In the intervening 10 years, I have witnessed eight students graduate from my laboratory, the first of whom received her own ASH Scholar Award recently. I also have had the opportunity to train a number of basic science or clinical post-doctoral fellows, one of whom has also received an ASH Scholar Award. Several of my former trainees are now assistant professors, and they, too, participate in ASH activities. The most thrilling moment has been seeing the pride and unbridled excitement of two of my undergraduate research students when they received ASH Trainee Research Awards to support their research and a trip to the annual meeting. One’s first ASH annual meeting is an extraordinary experience, undoubtedly highly influential for undergraduates. Both are currently pursuing careers in biomedical research.

While I have enjoyed facilitating the development of my own trainees, I have simply followed spectacular examples. As a postdoctoral fellow, I worked at MIT and Harvard with Richard Mulligan, the epitome of an independent thinker, who enthusiastically supported me. I was recruited to Baylor by Malcolm Brenner, a leader who assiduously cultivates his junior investigators, yet is somehow always available for sage advice. He created a large center for cell therapy with a team mentality, encouraging members to collaborate on many levels. This has enabled me to benefit from advice and scientific interactions with many colleagues, such as Helen Heslop and Catherine Bollard. BCM, as a whole, also provided a highly supportive environment rich with eager collaborators.

When I was hired, stem cell biology was relegated to a small backwater of hematology. A confluence of diverse findings propelled the field to its current orbit, and I have been fortunate to ride along. In 2006, we established a stem cell center at Baylor, giving me the opportunity to recruit and mentor junior faculty working in adult, embryonic, and cancer stem cell biology.

Many in our BCM centers have served as role models for balancing the rigors of scientific life with having a family. (I now have three children between the ages of 4 and 9.) My own “boss,” (Brenner) has four children with his wife, also a successful scientist. Connie Eaves, of Vancouver, is my other favorite role model in this respect; she also has four children and a remarkable career.

In summary, the ASH Scholar Award gave me much-needed support at an early stage of my career. I have since been involved in many aspects of the Society, such as serving on the Committee on Educational Affairs and the Blood Editorial Board, which not only has helped me develop my career, but also has allowed me to give something back. I look forward to many more years working in the field, and I hope to see my trainees receive the kind of support that I have from mentors as well as colleagues both inside and outside of their own institutions.

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