Mohandas Narla, DSc, Begins Term as 2024 ASH President
(WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2024) — Mohandas Narla, DSc, distinguished scientist at New York Blood Center Enterprises, will serve as president of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for a year-long term through December 2024.
Dr. Narla is the head of the laboratory of red cell physiology at New York Blood Center Enterprises. His research interests include red cell physiology and pathology, with a special focus on inherited red cell membrane disorders and sickle cell disease – inherited conditions in which red blood cells are either spherical or elliptocytic or sickle shaped. He also studies thalassemia, a condition in which the body doesn’t make enough hemoglobin, and Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a congenital anemia that affects the bone marrow.
“Hematology has always been at the forefront of biomedical research and global research has only grown in the 50 years I’ve been in hematology,” said Dr. Narla. “ASH has always been my professional home, and I am honored to serve as ASH president.”
Dr. Narla hopes to build upon ASH’s work globally, including overseeing the selection of the editor-in-chief of the new Blood Global Hematology; continuing programs like the Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa, a collaboration focused on screening children for sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa; and supporting training programs in Latin America.
“ASH has become a global influence in hematology, both in practice and research. In my 50-year career, I’ve collaborated with people from France, England, Italy, Australia, Japan, Thailand, and West Africa,” said Dr. Narla. “I’m looking forward to showing how ASH can help improve patient care and equity across the world. We at ASH are committed to addressing health care inequalities.”
He also hopes to continue ASH’s work in strengthening the hematology workforce through mentorship and programs like the Hematology-Focused Fellowship Training Program. Through this initiative, ASH invested $19 million into the development of hematology-specific fellowship programs at academic medical centers across the country, with the goal of training 50 new academic hematologists by 2030.
Dr. Narla has been a member of ASH for three decades and has attended every ASH annual meeting since 1976 and has served in various leadership roles. He most recently served on the Nominating Committee; the ASH Research Collaborative; Committee on Scientific Affairs; and Awards Committee. He was an associate editor of Blood, ASH’s flagship journal, for 10 years. In 2020, he received the Society’s highest honor, the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology, for his significant contributions to the field.
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (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’s flagship journal, Blood (bloodjournal.org) is the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, and Blood Advances (bloodadvances.org) is an open-access, online journal that publishes more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journal worldwide. Two new journals will be joining the Blood Journals portfolio in 2024, Blood Neoplasia (bloodneoplasia.org) and Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis (bloodvth.org).
About New York Blood Center Enterprises
Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) provides blood and stem cell products and related medical and consultative services. NYBCe is at the forefront of advancing global public health and humanitarian causes by leading innovative research in hematology, blood banking, transfusion medicine, infectious diseases, and cellular therapies. Through its commitment to research, NYBCe has advanced numerous groundbreaking innovations in clinical care and biotechnology with patented disruptive technologies that are adopted globally.
Contact:
Melissa McGue, American Society of Hematology
mmcgue@hematology.org, (202) 552-4927
Alexa Heller, New York Blood Center Enterprises
alexa@risaheller.com, (914) 441-4102