Janet Rowley Basic Science Medal

The Janet Rowley Basic Science Medal (formerly the Henry M. Stratton Medal) honors a senior investigator with a years-long and well-recognized history of contributions to basic hematology research. This award was named after Janet Rowley, MD, a pioneer in leukemia research and recipient of both the National Medal of Science and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The medal honors an individual who is recognized as being among the very top investigators in the field of interest, with at least 20 years of sustained research contributions. Both the nominee and nominator for this award must be ASH members. Nominees should be 51 years or older at the nomination deadline.

If you know someone who meets the criteria for this award, please complete and submit a nomination form.

Key Dates

Nomination DeadlineJuly 15, 2026
Award Notification for RecipientsMarch 2027
Presentation of AwardDecember 2027

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Both nominees and nominators must be members of ASH. Not an ASH member? Apply today.
  • Nominees of all nationalities and all countries of residence are eligible; however, all nomination materials must be submitted in English.
  • Nominees should be 51 years or older at the nomination deadline.

Exclusion

  • Self-nominations and posthumous nominations will not be accepted.
  • Past recipients are not eligible for the same award.
  • Recipients may only receive one honorific award per year.
  • Voting members of the ASH Executive Committee and the ASH Awards Committee are ineligible for an honorific award during their tenure.

Additional Guidance

Before getting started, please review the Honorific Award Nomination Guidance document, which provides detailed information about each award and guidance on crafting an effective nomination letter.

The following documents are required in order to submit a nomination package:

  • A completed nomination form
  • A copy of the nominee's current CV or a copy of the nominee's NIH biosketch (preferred) annotated with “Contributions to Science,” if available
  • A two-page letter of nomination summarizing the nominee's contributions to hematology, explaining how those contributions have advanced the field, and describing why the nominee deserves the specific honorific award (please refer to the Honorific Award Nomination Guidance document for recommendations on writing an effective nomination letter)
  • Optional: One additional two-page letter of support will be accepted but is not required; multiple people are allowed to sign one letter. 

The Pioneer Behind the Award Name

Janet Rowley

In the early 1970s, Janet Rowley, MD, (1925-2013) became the first scientist to discover recurrent chromosomal translocations in leukemia, a finding that definitively demonstrated a genetic basis for leukemia and other cancers. She identified the first reciprocal chromosomal translocation associated with cancer: the t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation in chronic myeloid leukemia, now widely known as the Philadelphia chromosome.

 

Dr. Rowley spent much of her academic and research career at the Department of Hematology at the University of Chicago. She received numerous honors in biomedical science, including the Lasker Award and the National Medal of Science in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Within ASH, Dr. Rowley was awarded the William Dameshek Prize, the Henry M. Stratton Medal, and the Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize.

 

To learn more about Dr. Rowley, please read her obituary from The University of Chicago.

Award Recipients

Janet Rowley Medal Recipients (Formerly the Henry M. Stratton Medal)

Questions?

For assistance or more information about the Janet Rowley Medal, please contact the Awards Department at awards@hematology.org.