2011-09-01
Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology
The Wallace H. Coulter Award, named after the Coulter Principle inventor, recognizes an individual who has dedicated his or her career to the hematologic field, making outstanding contributions through education, research, and/or practice. This year, the Society will bestow its highest honor on David G. Nathan, MD, of the Dana-Farber Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston, for his outstanding contribution and dedication to mentorship over the course of his 50 plus-year career. He and his team developed the first prenatal diagnostic test for thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, were the first to introduce hydroxyurea to prevent certain sickle cell complications, and were the first to develop a successful treatment for patients who produce an excessive amount of iron, subcutaneous deferoxamine, while undergoing chronic transfusion therapy. These accomplishments have had a profound impact on the field of hematology, especially as it relates to inherited, red cell disorders. Dr. Nathan, a past president of ASH, will receive his award on Sunday, December 11, at 1:30 p.m.
E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize
In honor of past ASH president and Nobel Prize laureate, E. Donnall Thomas, MD, this prize and lectureship are intended to recognize research achievements that have led the way to a paradigm shift in hematology. The 2011 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture will be given by George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, of the Children’s Hospital Boston and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA. Dr. Daley receives this prize for research that has advanced the understanding of the role of hematopoietic stem cells in disease initiation and progression. Some of Dr. Daley’s earliest findings demonstrated that a specific oncogene was responsible for chronic myeloid leukemia, findings that served as the impetus for research regarding patients who may become resistant to the highly effective drug imatinib. He also achieved the first successful application of somatic cell nuclear transfer to create customized embryonic stem cells to treat genetic disease in a mouse model of immune deficiency. Consistently at the forefront of the field, Dr. Daley has been an authoritative voice in the political and scientific discussions surrounding stem cell research. He will deliver his lecture, “Hematopoietic, Embryonic, and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Diseases, Myths, and Medicines,” on Monday, December 12, at 9:00 a.m.
Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize
Named after a past ASH president and renowned physician-scientist, the Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize is a dual lectureship that recognizes major translational advances related to a single topic. This year’s Prize recipients are Janet D. Rowley, MD, of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and Brian J. Druker, MD, of the Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR. Dr. Rowley was involved in identifying the molecular nature of the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and in cloning the BCR/ABL oncogene. Dr. Druker led efforts to translate these discoveries to develop an astonishingly effective means of targeted therapy for CML. Their work has contributed significantly to our knowledge of cancer and its treatment. They have completely revolutionized how cancer is understood and treated. During their lecture, Dr. Rowley will discuss the discovery of the chromosome translocations and cloning of the translocation breakpoint, and Dr. Druker will discuss the pre-clinical and clinical development of ABL inhibitors, including the problem of resistance. Plan to attend their lecture, “Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Success Story from Chromosomes to Effective Therapy,” on Monday, December 12, at 1:30 p.m.
Henry M. Stratton Medal
This award honors an individual whose contributions to the field of hematology have been noteworthy over the course of an illustrious career. This year, the Society recognizes Ching-Hon Pui, MD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with the 2011 Henry M. Stratton Medal for using his skill and experience as a translational researcher, pediatrician, and educator to advance the cure rate and understanding of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in children. For 30 years, Dr. Pui has been at the forefront of leukemia research, and, as a result of his findings, St. Jude’s ALL cure rate increased to 90 percent. Further, his work has shown that ALL patients can be spared from the devastating side effects of standard cranial irradiation treatment, improving their quality of life. An ASH member since 1993, Dr. Pui has served as a Scientific Program session chair at the ASH annual meeting and as a member of the Blood editorial board. He has also given numerous presentations at past annual meetings and published approximately 100 articles in Blood. Dr. Pui will receive his award on Tuesday, December 13, at 9:30 a.m.
William Dameshek Prize
Christoph Klein, MD, PhD, of Luwig Maximilian University of Munich, is this year’s William Dameshek Prize winner for his pioneering research into the pathophysiology of rare diseases. Named for the late Dr. William Dameshek, a past president of ASH and the original editor Blood, the William Dameshek Prize is granted to an individual who has made a recent contribution to the field of hematology. Dr. Klein was responsible for the landmark discovery of mutations in HAX1 genes in patients with severe congenital neutropenia (Kostmann disease) and his discovery of human P14/ROBLD3 deficiency and G6PC3 deficiency, genetic defects that can cause Kostmann syndrome. He also carried out the first successful gene therapy study for children in Germany and identified the genetic basis of several diseases of the immune system. His contributions have had a large impact on the understanding of human blood and the immune system. Dr. Klein will receive his award on Tuesday, December 13, at 9:30 a.m.
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