2009-11-01

Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize

The Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize, named for the late Dr. Ernest Beutler, past ASH president, physician-scientist for more than 50 years, and first recipient of the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology, is a new two-part lectureship intended to recognize major translational advances related to a single topic. It honors two individuals, one who has enabled advances in basic science and the other for achievements in clinical science or translational research.

Dr. Maniatis	Dr. Kan

The inaugural recipients of the Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize are Thomas Maniatis, PhD, the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University, and Yuet Wai Kan, MD, the Louis K. Diamond Professor of Hematology at the University of California - San Francisco. Drs. Maniatis and Kan have made revolutionary contributions to the understanding of the biology and diagnosis of thalassemia, with specific attention to the impact of molecular genetic studies of globin genes on the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Dr. Kan will discuss the development of prenatal and DNA diagnosis for thalassemia, reviewing current and experimental treatments, and the impact of stem cell technology on future therapy. Dr. Maniatis will discuss the development of gene cloning methods and their application to studies of globin gene organization and expression. See Drs. Kan and Maniatis present “The Impact of Molecular Genetic Studies of Globin Genes on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Thalassemia” on Monday, December 7, at 1:30 p.m.

Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology

This prize is named for Wallace H. Coulter, inventor of the Coulter Principle — the reference method for counting and sizing cells or particles as they flow through an aperture. The Coulter Principle led to major breakthroughs in science, medicine, and industry, and the Coulter counter revolutionized the practice of hematology and laboratory medicine and launched the field of flow cytometry.

Dr. Bunn

First awarded in 2007, the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Society’s highest honor, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a lasting commitment to the field of hematology through outstanding contributions and significant impact on education, research, and/or practice. This year’s award goes to past ASH President H. Franklin Bunn, MD, of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, for his leadership in advancing the field of hematology and hematology research over the last four decades. In addition to his ongoing research, Dr. Bunn has served on many National Institutes of Health advisory groups and councils, served as Associate Editor of Blood, served as a reviewer and editor of publications about hemoglobin and hemoglobin disorders, and authored two textbooks. Additionally, he has been an inspiring teacher to medical students and a mentor to fellows and junior faculty. Dr. Bunn will receive his award on Sunday, December 6, at 1:30 p.m.

E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize

Created in 1992 and named after the Nobel Prize laureate and past ASH president, the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize serves to recognize pioneering research achievements in hematology.

Dr. Dick

The 2009 Thomas Lecture will be given by John Dick, PhD, of University HealthNetwork in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Dick is receiving this prize for his groundbreakingresearch into the development of human leukemia. His research has focused on understandingthe mechanisms that regulate the developmental program of normal and leukemichuman stem cells and has transformed the notion of how leukemia progresses. Dr.Dick’s lecture, “Stem Cell Biology Meets Research,” is scheduled for Monday, December7, at 9:00 a.m.

Henry M. Stratton Medal

Formerly the Henry M. Stratton Lecture, this award honors an individual whose contributions to the field of hematology are well recognized and have taken place over several years. The prize is named after the late Henry Maurice Stratton, who made significant contributions to ASH and co-founded the medical publishing house of Grune and Stratton.

Dr. Eaves

The 2009 Henry M. Stratton Medal goes to Connie Eaves, PhD, of BC Cancer Agency at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, for her remarkable achievements in the area of stem cell biology over the last two decades. She has been on the cutting edge of adapting or introducing technologies related to stem cell biology, especially her innovative techniques of using the long-term culture system as a means of understanding the proliferative and renewal properties of normal and malignant primitive human hematopoietic stem cells. Dr. Eaves will receive her award on Tuesday, December 8, at 9:30 a.m.

William Dameshek Prize

This prize is named for the late William Dameshek, MD, a past president of ASH, who made major contributions to the Society and was the first editor of Blood. It is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to hematology during the preceding years.

Dr. Staudt

This year’s William Dameshek Prize goes to Louis M. Staudt, MD, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda, MD, for his landmark contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of lymphomas. Dr. Staudt pioneered the use of gene-expression profiling to delineate clinically distinct lymphoma subtypes and molecular predictors of survival. His work has established a new paradigm for understanding the pathways of lymphomagenesis and the interactions of the malignant cell with its environment. See Dr. Staudt receive this award on Tuesday, December 8, at 9:30 a.m.

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