2008-12-06

ASH and the Association of Specialty Professors (ASP) have partnered to introduce the ASP-ASH Geriatric Hematology Research Award as part of the ASH Scholar Awards program. The intent of this Scholar Award is to support junior faculty who are interested in hematology aging research.

The inaugural recipient of this award is Heidi Klepin, MD, of Wake Forest University, NC. Dr. Klepin has completed specialty training in hematology, oncology, and geriatrics, as well as a master’s degree in health sciences research. Her academic career goal is to become an independent clinician researcher integrating the fields of hematology/oncology and geriatrics. Her current research focuses on acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) as the model of a disease for which optimal therapy for older adults remains unclear partly due to increased toxicity with standard treatments. Dr. Klepin said, "I find it particularly rewarding to care for older adults with acute leukemia who not only require comprehensive medical care, but also need attention to emotional, social, and psychological needs. I am struck by how little research there is specific to older adults to help us tailor treatments to this complex and heterogeneous population."

According to Dr. Klepin, this field of research is extremely important because older adults represent the majority of patients with cancer and yet represent a minority of patients enrolled in clinical trials. Outcomes for older cancer patients remain inferior to their younger counterparts, and there is a paucity of clinical trial evidence to help guide treatment decisions.

Supported by the ASP-ASH Geriatric Hematology Research Award, Dr. Klepin aims to prospectively explore the predictive value of pretreatment, self-reported physical function, and objective physical performance assessment on treatment-related mortality and overall survival, as well as the relationship between cytogenetic risk group and measures of physical function.

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