- Correction
- ASH Recognized on U.S. House of Representatives Floor for Accomplishments in the Area of Stem Cell Research
- Blood Now Accepts Electronic CTAs and COI Forms
- NHLBI Realigns Sickle Cell Disease Research Program
- ASH Hosts Thrombosis Surveillance Workshop
- Election Ballots to Mail in August
- Trainee Research Award Recipients Announced
- Important Annual Meeting Dates
- Honors
- Attention Trainees: This One's for You
Correction
It was brought to our attention that Dr. Ernst Jaffé did not take over editorship of Blood from William Dameshek in 1974, as mentioned in the May/June 2008 memorial article on Dr. Jaffé. Dr. Dameshek died in 1969. The editor of Blood who preceded Dr. Jaffé was Dr. Frederick Stohlman, Jr.
ASH Recognized on U.S. House of Representatives Floor for Accomplishments in the Area of Stem Cell Research
On Wednesday, April 23, 2008, Representative Michael N. Castle (R-DE) congratulated ASH on its 50th anniversary during a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative Castle recognized the many accomplishments of hematologists in the area of stem cell research, an area in which he has led efforts to expand federal funding through his sponsorship of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 3). Below is the text of his speech as published in the Congressional Record.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to the American Society of Hematology (ASH) on its 50th anniversary and to recognize some of the many contributions made by hematology researchers.
I have had the opportunity to work closely with ASH researchers over the past several years while seeking to expand federally funded stem cell research. Highlighting the significance of embryonic stem cell research will remain one of my top issues as millions of Americans continue to suffer from debilitating diseases that could potentially be helped through this life-saving research.
Hematologists have pioneered the field of stem cell research for over 40 years with innovative discoveries about adult bone marrow stem cells and how they could be used to cure human diseases. Today, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an important approach for treating blood and bone marrow disorders as well as certain types of cancer. The earliest work with HSCT began in the 1950s. By the 1960s, this treatment was successfully used in patients with end-stage leukemia. Subsequent research in this area has led to improved transplantation techniques and improved survival rates for a number of diseases.
ASH was one of the first professional medical or scientific organizations to issue a statement in support of all avenues of stem cell research. Today, ASH members are poised to contribute to research on embryonic stem cells that has the potential to lead to the next generation of important therapies for a broad range of diseases.
I look forward to continuing to work with ASH and its members in the future and congratulate the Society again on its 50 years of research contributions.
Blood Now Accepts Electronic CTAs and COI Forms
In March 2008, Blood started accepting electronic copyright transfer agreements (CTAs) from authors of papers published in the journal. By implementing electronic CTAs, Blood has eliminated paper processing and fax transmission of forms and documents. The Blood submission and peer-review process is now entirely electronic.
How the Process Works
The process works as follows:
- The corresponding author is required to provide valid e-mail addresses for all authors upon submission. Authors are notified of submission.
- Each author is required to double-click (i.e., confirm) their acceptance of the transfer. An "I agree" response is equivalent to signature and copyright transfer to ASH.
- Staff can track the progress or upload a PDF of a hard copy of the form. Otherwise, the staff is not able to fill out or alter the form on behalf of an author.
The Advantages
Although this new process may slightly extend the time from acceptance to prepublication in First Edition for authors who are nonresponsive, electronic CTA submission offers these advantages:
- Preempts possible authorship disputes by informing all authors via an automatic e-mail message at submission and at acceptance that a submission to Blood with their name has been made. It notifies all authors of the authorship order.
- Eliminates sending the CTA and COI form via fax and the need to maintain the paper records in perpetuity.
- Keeps all records in electronic format. Paper forms can be scanned and added to the system.
- Potentially speeds up the process of receiving the signed forms.
- For more information, see the Blood Author Guide.
NHLBI Realigns Sickle Cell Disease Research Program
By Susan B. Shurin, MD
Dr. Shurin is Deputy Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
On May 16, 1972, Congress passed the National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act (PL 92-294). This Act called for a national diagnosis, control, treatment, and research program to be implemented by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now known as the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]). Its implementation was assigned to the National Heart and Lung Institute, which established Centers to conduct research and provide education and services to people with sickle cell disease (SCD). At the time, many people born with SCD died in childhood and many more in young adulthood.
Biomedical research and health-care delivery has been transformed over the past 36 years. The costs of health-care delivery have increased exponentially. Health-care disparities remain, and in some areas have increased. Most people born with SCD now live well into middle age and older, with substantial burden of disease experienced by them and their families, who often have serious problems accessing quality health care. The findings of a recent NIH Consensus Development Conference on Hydroxyurea Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease 1 underscores the problems of ensuring that all who may benefit have access to research advances.
In this setting, NHLBI felt that it was appropriate to analyze its portfolio in SCD to assess the effectiveness of its investment in achieving its goals and identify areas in which adjustments should be made to funding mechanisms. We examined the history of investments and advances, solicited comments and suggestions from multiple constituencies, including ASH,2 and asked a subcommittee of our Advisory Council to provide an objective summary with recommendations. The report of the committee3 was adopted by the full Advisory Council at its February 13, 2008, meeting.4
In response to the findings and the wisdom of the community, we have implemented significant changes in our approach to SCD research.5 We have reconfigured the Centers to form a Basic and Translational Research Program in SCD, which will undergo further modifications as the full research agenda evolves. We expect to address an aggressive basic science agenda, designed to bring investigators in disciplines who have not previously been involved in SCD research into the field, to ensure that scientific approaches not yet brought to bear can enhance the research agenda, and to create the "Manhattan project" for SCD research recommended by the ASH workshop. We plan to create new mechanisms for translational clinical research, which will require that the investigator community rigorously establish priorities, and we will invite all capable investigators and patients who wish to participate in research to do so. We will enhance our support of training and career development, including broadening the specialties involved in such activities. We will collaborate with the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium to both conduct clinical research and support training of investigators. We will involve multiple constituencies in the development of practice guidelines and educational materials for professionals, advocacy groups, patients, and families.
We are now actively engaged in discussions across HHS to support the missions of our sister agencies, including surveillance and assessment of public health needs by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Resources and Services Administration's goal of ensuring access to care for the medically vulnerable and those affected by health disparities. The NIH missions are research and education. The Institute is not positioned to implement changes in medical practice, and is thus heavily dependent upon partnerships with payors and providers to address these issues. We will both repurpose existing funds and partner extensively to achieve our ultimate goals, which are to realize the promise of intervention in the prototypical molecular disease and to prolong and enhance the quality of life for patients with SCD. ASH members and leadership are an integral part of implementation; we all have a lot of work to do!
References
- National Institutes of Health. Panel Finds Hydroxyurea Treatment Is Underutilized for Sickle Cell Disease. Accessed May 21, 2008.
- American Society of Hematology. Toward a New Research Paradigm: Building A New Sickle Cell Disease Research Agenda. Accessed May 21, 2008.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council Subcommittee Review of the NHLBI Sickle Cell Disease Program.Accessed May 21, 2008.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Brief summary of the February 13, 2008, meeting of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. Accessed May 21, 2008.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. NHLBI Announcement: Institute to Realign its Sickle Cell Disease Research Program. Accessed May 21, 2008.
ASH Hosts Thrombosis Surveillance Workshop
By Roy Silverstein, MD, and Gary Edward Raskob, PhD
Dr. Silverstein is Professor of Molecular Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology at the Lerner Research Institute. He is also Chair of the ASH Committee on Government Affairs.
Dr. Raskob is Dean of the College of Public Health, Professor of Epidemiology, and Professor of Medicine at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He consults for and receives honoraria from Bayer, BMS, Daiichi-Sankyo, GSK, Johnson & Johnson/Scios, Pfizer, Sanofi-aventis, and ThromboGenics.
Venous thrombosis affects up to 1 million Americans each year and has been called by some the "silent killer." Despite the large impact thrombosis has on the population, the United States has not yet developed/implemented a surveillance system for thrombosis. To improve understanding of the scope and scale of the problem and begin to identify key elements in a surveillance system, ASH convened a successful workshop in Washington, DC, on June 12.
ASH worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in planning the workshop with the ultimate goal of identifying key questions that need to be answered through a national surveillance system and scientific approaches that can answer them. ASH scheduled the workshop in the first half of the year because interest about thrombosis within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is growing. The Surgeon General's Office is expected to issue a "Call to Action" this year stating that the United States is facing a major public health crisis regarding venous thrombosis, and leadership at the CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) identified thrombosis as one of its top four priorities in 2008.
We had the privilege of jointly chairing the one-day symposium that assembled a group of 30 participants including representatives from relevant federal agencies, patient groups, and the medical and public health communities. Experts from various subspecialties discussed their "front-line" perspective of dealing with venous thromboembolic disorders (VTE). The subspecialty experts included representatives from the following communities: pediatric and adult hematology, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine and trauma, radiology, and surgery. A hospitalist and intensivist were also present. In addition, experts in epidemiology and health-care policy leaders lent their expertise to the discussion.
A workshop writing committee is developing a summary of the meeting's deliberations and will produce a report identifying recommendations and next steps. Once finalized, the document will be shared with the ASH membership, relevant federal agencies, patient groups, and the medical and public health communities.
Election Ballots to Mail in August
Active members in good standing will receive election materials by mail in late August for this year's ASH leadership election for Vice President, Secretary, and three Councillors. Ballots are due by September 30, and the results of the election will be announced in the November/December issue of The Hematologist.
Trainee Research Award Recipients Announced
ASH is proud to announce the 2008 recipients of its Trainee Research Awards. Forty medical students, undergraduates, and residents will each receive $4,000 to conduct research on blood and blood-related diseases through this program, which is designed to encourage the pursuit of research and spark an interest in hematology.
Important Annual Meeting Dates
June 23:
Abstract submission system opens online.
July 22:
Early-bird registration opens for ASH members.
ASH members who have paid their dues for 2008 are eligible for early-bird registration. Early-bird registration is available online only; registration forms cannot be faxed or mailed. ASH members can register for the annual meeting and make hotel reservations on the ASH Web site. Please note that you must register for the annual meeting in order to make a hotel reservation.
August 5:
Annual meeting advance registration opens to members and non-members.
August 21:
Abstract submission deadline.
Honors
ASH Member Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Medicine, Robert K. Summy and Helen K. Summy Professor, and Chief of the Division of Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine
ASH Members Named Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Jerome Groopman, MD
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Experimental Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Judy Lieberman, PhD, MD
Senior Investigator at the Immune Disease Institute, Professor of Pediatrics, and Director, Division of AIDS, at Harvard Medical School
Samuel I. Rapaport, MD
Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Former Director of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Laboratory at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Leonard I. Zon, MD
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Grousbeck Professor of Pediatric Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston of Harvard Medical School
Attention Trainees: This One's for You
This year's Trainee Day will take place on Friday, December 5, 2008, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. This half-day workshop is designed to support and encourage trainees in the field of academic hematology and to enhance their career development. The program will be presented through didactic and interactive small-group breakout sessions that will provide attendees with time for discussion, questions, and answers.
Didactic sessions will include:
- Defining the Research Hypothesis/Question
- How to Identify and Pursue Appropriate Funding for Your Research
Small-group breakout sessions will include:
- Developing Collaborative Research Teams
- Identifying and Pursuing Post-Training Career Opportunities
Trainee Day is limited to 200 participants; pre-registration is required and will begin in August. E-mail training@hematology.org for more information.