2007 William Dameshek Prize Winner: William P. Vainchenker, MD, PhD
Dr. Vainchenker is currently INSERM Directeur de Recherche Exceptionnel and Director of the INSERM Unit 790, focusing on hematopoiesis and normal and leukemic stem cells at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France. He is recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of normal and neoplastic hematopoiesis, and particularly for his recent insights into the genetic basis for myeloproliferative diseases. Dr. Vainchenker was among the first investigators to grow megakaryocyte colonies in vitro. He participated in the characterization of the c-Mpl proto-oncogene, contributed to the understanding of the physiology of thrombopoietin and its receptor, and identified the humoral mediators of myelofibrosis. Three years ago, Dr. Vainchenker was the first to identify the Jak2V₆₁₇F mutation in virtually all patients with polycythemia vera and about half of patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia. Dr. Vainchenker has received numerous awards from a number of French and international scientific organizations.

2007 Henry M. Stratton Medal Winner: Carlo Croce, MD
Dr. Croce is currently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics and Director of the Human Cancer Genetics Program at The Ohio State University School of Medicine in Columbus. He is recognized for his seminal contributions to the understanding of the molecular genetics of lymphomas and leukemias. He was among the first to recognize the importance of chromosomal translocations in B-cell neoplasia, opening new avenues of research into genetic mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. Among his many contributions have been the discovery, molecular cloning, and characterization of a number of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and microRNAs, including bcl-1, bcl-2, Tcl-1, and MLL1. Dr. Croce is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has been recognized by numerous prestigious honors and awards, including the Mott Prize from the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation and the Pezcoller International Award for Cancer Research and the Clowes Award from the American Association for Cancer Research.

2007 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize Winner: Hal E. Broxmeyer, PhD
Dr. Broxmeyer is currently Scientific Director of the Walther Oncology Center, and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is honored for showing that cord blood was a source of transplantable hematopoietic stem cells, and for the first processing and cord blood banking effort. He has also won the Karl Landsteiner Award from the American Association of Blood Banks and the Gold Medal of the City of Paris for these contributions. Dr. Broxmeyer has also led studies on negative regulators of hematopoiesis and chemokine-controlled trafficking of hematopoietic stem cells. This latter effort produced novel clinical methods of mobilizing peripheral blood stem cells for transplantation. In all, Dr. Broxmeyer has published more than 620 papers. He has been a Councillor for ASH, Chair of the NIH Hem-2 Study Section, and President of the Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. He also organized the first International Conference on Cord Blood Transplantation.