Roy L. Silverstein, MD

2011-11-01

The Linda and John Mellowes Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin 

With this issue of The Hematologist, my tenure as editor-in-chief comes to an end. On behalf of the entire editorial and production staff, I am proud of our accomplishments. I am especially

grateful to have been involved with The Hematologist since its inception as a new communication tool for ASH in 2004 under the visionary leadership of founding Editor Andrew Schafer. What began as an “experiment” to be published quarterly, this newsletter quickly evolved into a mainstay ASH “product” that is now produced bi-monthly. It is a reflection of the vibrant nature of our growing Society to realize that more than 40 percent of our current ASH members joined the Society after The Hematologist published its first issue. For this group that is now approaching a majority of our membership, The Hematologist is not an experiment it has always been a part of ASH.

The unique feature that distinguishes The Hematologist from newsletters published by other societies is the six or more pages per issue devoted to Diffusion articles. These brief but sophisticated reviews of recent research papers are written by our exemplary team of 13 contributing editors and are an easy way for members to keep abreast of “hot” topics across the broad field of hematology. While the Diffusion articles remain the firm foundation of this publication, we continue to develop and add new features, including regular columns devoted to trainees’ issues, clinical problems, profiles of individual hematologists, including the emerging stars in our field, and mini-reviews of important scientific and clinical topics.

In my travels around the country and in my communication with other hematologists around the world, I am struck by how widely The Hematologist is read, distributed, and displayed in offices and waiting rooms. It is a publication that truly reaches out and remains relevant to all hematologists — MDs, PhDs, clinicians, educators, trainees, laboratory researchers, clinical and health services researchers, pediatricians, pathologists, transfusion medicine specialists, and “adult” hematologists.

The most recent addition to the regular lineup of features in The Hematologist is the Clinical Trials Corner in which two active clinical trials are critically described each issue. This exciting feature was developed in part by Charles J. Parker, MD, who served a term as contributing editor before taking over as coordinating editor of this section. I am, therefore, pleased that at the recommendation of the Editor Search Committee, Dr. Parker has been named the new editor-in-chief of The Hematologist. He will take over in January 2012 and his term will extend through 2014. Dr. Parker is professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the University of Utah School of Medicine and attending physician at the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and his research interests include paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, bone marrow failure syndromes, and myeloproliferative disorders. He is a highly regarded clinician, educator, and researcher whose research program is supported by grants from the Myeloproliferative Disorders Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He has served on numerous editorial boards and has published or co-published 73 original publications. His lucid and engaging writing style and keen eye for new developments across all aspects of ASH activity position him as an ideal candidate for this position. I am confident that I am leaving The Hematologist in good hands.

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