ASH Unveils an Agenda for Hematology Research
Andrew Schafer, MD
Dr. Schafer is the President-Elect of ASH.
The allure, and even glamour, of hematology research that attracted so many of
us to the field over the generations has been its extraordinary legacy of pioneering
entire new fields of biomedical inquiry. Breakthroughs initially made in hematology
research have been repeatedly translated into improved diagnostic, therapeutic,
and preventive strategies not only for blood disorders, but ultimately also for
a wide spectrum of other human diseases. For example, hemoglobin research led
the way to our current understanding of human gene structure and function, opening
the era of "molecular medicine." The entire field of stem cell biology, including
its promise of regenerative medicine, originated with the discovery of stem cells
of the blood-forming system. Basic hematology research in hemostasis and thrombosis
revolutionized our understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease. There
are countless other examples of fundamental research in hematology that have been
applied to advances in other fields and have even spawned entire new "disciplines."
It is in this spirit that ASH undertook its first strategic plan for hematology
research. The resulting document, the ASH Agenda for Hematology Research:
2006, was posted on the ASH Web site in April and was published
in brochure form in June. The document is the result of an exceptional team effort,
beginning with extensive input from all members of the Society's 14 Scientific
Committees. Drafts of the Agenda were developed and revised following meetings
of the Scientific Committee Chairs and the ASH Executive Committee in December
2005 and January 2006. The final version emerged from the April Executive Committee
Retreat with yet further input from the Scientific Committees and their scientific
consultants.
The ASH Agenda for Hematology Research: 2006 is organized
into six overarching "highest-priority scientific themes." These themes include:
hematopoietic stem cells, normal and pathological hematopoiesis, hematologic malignancies,
targeted and gene therapies, immunobiology, and thrombosis and vascular biology.
In this way, the themes do not follow traditional divisions in hematology research
(e.g., red cells, platelets, leukocytes, coagulation factors, etc.) or specific
hematologic disorders (e.g., thrombocytopenias, megaloblastic anemias, myelodysplasia,
etc.). They represent wide-ranging, comprehensive, and generic areas of research
that encompass what we considered to currently be the most promising and exciting
lines of hematology research. In addition to the highest-priority scientific themes,
the Agenda includes ASH recommendations for critical research infrastructure development
to facilitate all areas of hematology research, particularly focusing on needs
for training and core facilities.
It is anticipated that the ASH Agenda for Hematology Research: 2006
will be an important mechanism for our research community to articulate the vitality
and central importance of hematology research to funding agencies, political and
legislative bodies, philanthropic organizations, our patients and their advocacy
groups, and the American public.
The reason we attached "2006" to the title of this strategic plan is to emphasize
the need to comprehensively reassess our research priorities at regular and frequent
intervals in the future, dictated by fundamental new discoveries and inevitably
rapid progress in translating advances in basic hematology research into clinical
practice.
The ASH Agenda for Hematology Research: 2006 can be
accessed online at the ASH Web site.
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The EHA-ASH International Fellowship Award: An Outcome of the Growing Collaboration
with EHA
James George, MD
Dr. George is George Lynn Cross Professor in the Hematology-Oncology section of
the Department of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
and was the 2005 ASH President.
ASH, together with the European Hematology Association (EHA), has created a
research award that begins this year — the EHA-ASH International Fellowship
Award. The goal of this new program is to give both clinical and laboratory-based
researchers who are in training or early in their careers an opportunity to
experience research in a different environment and to establish new collaborations.
Many of our established scientists have these international collaborations and
networks, and it is important for EHA and ASH to provide the opportunity for
scientists to establish these valuable international resources at a time when
their careers are beginning. For the award, applicants from the U.S. and Canada
will identify a host institution as the site for research in Europe, and applicants
from Europe will identify a host institution in the U.S. or Canada. The term
of the award is two years, with a minimum of ten months to be spent at the host
institution. Up to two awards of $75,000 will be given each year.
A broader goal for the award is to further the collaborations between ASH and
EHA. During the past several years, the leaders of our two organizations have
shared many plans and ideas while meeting twice yearly at the ASH and EHA annual
meetings. From these meetings new ideas have arisen for our annual meeting programs,
such as our joint Plenary Policy Forum at the 2005 ASH Annual Meeting. That
presentation emphasized the very different opportunities and obstacles in North
America and Europe for successful clinical trials. Building on this theme, a
joint forum held at the 2006 EHA Annual Meeting in Amsterdam concerned challenges
to clinical trials registration faced by our journals.
Other mutual benefits from the collaboration of ASH and EHA have been the sharing
of simple perspectives on issues of membership and office organization. ASH
is affected because we are increasingly an international organization and we
can benefit from this international perspective. Approximately 45 percent of
the attendees at our 2005 annual meeting were from outside North America. EHA
benefits because they are a younger and smaller organization. EHA had their
first annual meeting in 1995 and has a membership of about 2,000, compared to
our membership of over 14,500. We feel that the new EHA-ASH International Fellowship
Award will bring our organizations closer together. More importantly, this award
will bring our science and scientists closer together, providing the synergy
of different perspectives.
The ASH and EHA leadership are excited to see the response to this unique award
opportunity. The potential outcomes of this award program will benefit not only
the individuals, but also the host and home institutions participating in the
program — opening doors for greater collaboration and understanding of
the differences in the research communities in North America and Europe.
If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, visit the ASH
Web site for more information. Please note that a letter of intent is required
and that the deadline is September 1, 2006.
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Online Early-Bird Registration and Housing for the 48th ASH Annual Meeting
ASH members who have paid their dues for 2006 are eligible for online early-bird
registration from July 18–August 7. This member benefit allows ASH members
in good standing to register for the 2006 annual meeting and make hotel reservations
online via the ASH Web site before the
general public. Please note that one must register for the annual meeting before
making a hotel reservation.
Online Early-Bird Registration Fees
ASH Members (Active and International): $195
ASH Associate Members : $90
Honorary/Emeritus: No charge
On-Site Registration Fees
ASH Members (Active and International): $275
ASH Associate Members : $90
Honorary/Emeritus: No charge
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2006 ASH Abstract Submission Deadline
Abstracts for the 2006 ASH Annual Meeting are being accepted through August
8. To review the submission rules and submit your abstract, visit the ASH
Web site and use the electronic submission program. All abstracts submitted
by Tuesday, August 8, will be considered for presentation at the meeting, to
be held December 9-12, 2006, in Orlando.
Visit the ASH Web site for the most up-to-date information on the 48th ASH Annual
Meeting and Exposition.
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Leadership Election Ballots to Mail in August
Active members in good standing should look to receive election
materials by mail in late August for this year's ASH leadership election for
Vice President, Treasurer, and two Councillors. Ballots are due by September
30, and the results of the election will be announced in the November/December
issue of The Hematologist.
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Online Donations Support Hematology Trainees
ASH has launched a three-year campaign to endow the Clinical Research Training
Institute (CRTI) by December of 2008 — ASH's 50th Anniversary. Endowing
this program is of the utmost importance to the future of hematology, and to
do this while maintaining its independence from industry support ASH needs all
members to participate. To reflect our commitment to this goal, the Donors page
on the ASH Web site has been updated to focus solely on the CRTI. We encourage
you to visit this page to find
out more about ASH's three-year campaign and for information on how to donate
to the endowment fund.
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ASH Members Awarded Membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National
Academies
Robert L. Coffman, PhD
Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Dynavax Technologies, Berkeley,
CA
Jeffrey V. Ravetch, MD, PhD
Theresa and Eugene M. Lang Professor, and Head, Laboratory of Genetics and Immunology,
Rockefeller University,
New York, NY
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