Leon C. Kautz, PhD: 2013 & 2014 ASH Scholar

Researcher CRI Inserm Toulouse, France

On Receiving the Scholar Award

For a French fellow in the United States, it’s pretty difficult to get a grant. There are very few funding sources we can have, and one is ASH. When I got the grant I was very happy because it recognized the value of the work we had done. Most importantly, it gave me the security of two years of salary to perform my research.

It may sound silly, but providing two years of salary to be able to perform your research without worrying about things like, “Am I going to lose my job?” or “Am I going to have to stop where I am at?” It’s huge for a fellow nowadays.

Career Impact

The Scholar Award gave me the opportunity to present my work in front of a large community of hematologists. It gave me the opportunity to work for two years on my project. It [gave] me the chance to attend the meeting that I probably wouldn’t have gone to without the award. It’s really a combination of things; it’s more than just a moment. If I have my job right now, it’s because ASH paid me for two years to conduct my research…My current research follows what I was doing when I was financed by the Scholar Award.