ASH Names Next Editor-In-Chief of Blood Advances
Catherine Bollard, MD, MBChB, will serve as editor-in-chief beginning in 2021
(WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2020) — The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has selected Catherine Bollard, MD, MBChB, the Director of the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at the Children’s National Research Institute and Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, as the next editor-in-chief of its journal Blood Advances.
Blood Advances is a peer-reviewed online open access journal published by ASH that covers the latest developments in basic, translational, and clinical hematology. Dr. Bollard’s term as editor-in-chief will begin in September 2021. She was selected by the ASH Executive Committee after a competitive international search.
“Blood Advances has a broad presence, a large and growing number of manuscript submissions, and an engaged readership,” said Dr. Bollard. “I am so looking forward to continuing to build and strengthen the journal as its editor-in-chief.”
Since its launch in 2016, Blood Advances has taken advantage of its digital, open-access publication model to emphasize multimedia and a rapid, continuous publication format. Under the leadership of founding editor-in-chief Robert Negrin, MD, of Stanford University, the peer-reviewed journal has pioneered new means of interactive, collaborative discussion and achieved an impact factor of 4.910.
“As editor-in-chief I will aim to capture new developments in the hematology field, including immunology, immunotherapy, cell therapy, gene and cell therapy, and transplant,” said Dr. Bollard. Her vision for the future of Blood Advances also includes further expansion of the journal’s global reach as well as continued efforts to recruit an editorial team representing geographic, ethnic, and gender diversity. “We have tremendous opportunities for growth, and I think in order to grow we must consider what readers want, how we can provide quality service for authors and reviewers, and how we can establish our own identity as a journal.”
Dr. Bollard is a hematologist whose research interests include developing cell and gene therapies for patients with cancer and underlying immune deficiencies. Recognized as a national and international leader in the bone marrow transplant, immunology and immunotherapy space, Dr. Bollard has an expansive understanding of cancer, immune deficiencies, and viral infections in pediatric and adult patients.
Dr. Bollard received her medical degrees from the University of Otago Medical School in New Zealand. Early in her career she joined Texas Children’s Hospital as a postdoctoral fellow and quickly rose through the ranks to become a tenured professor in the department of pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She later joined the Children’s National Research Institute at Children’s National Hospital, where in her present role as Director of the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, she works to establish clinical and research programs focused on developing and bringing novel cell therapies from bench to bedside.
She is no stranger to the Blood journals family, having served as an associate editor of ASH’s flagship journal, Blood, for the past six years.
“Blood Advances is an important hub for hypothesis-generating papers, pilot studies and case reports, commentaries, and other educational materials of interest to hematologists everywhere,” said ASH President Stephanie Lee, MD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “I am confident that Dr. Bollard will continue leveraging the journal’s unique digital platform to maintain its tradition of excellence as she executes her vision as editor-in-chief. I look forward to seeing how the Journal evolves under her leadership.”
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (www.hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For more than 60 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. ASH publishes Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, and Blood Advances (www.bloodadvances.org), an online, peer-reviewed open-access journal.
Contact:
Leah Enser, American Society of Hematology
lenser@hematology.org; 202-552-4927