ASH Honorific Awards

ASH's most prestigious awards, the Honorific Awards recognize hematologists who have made significant contributions to the field of hematology. Each year, the Society honors outstanding hematologists with the awards listed below.

Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology

Wallace H. Coulter was a prolific inventor, innovator, and entrepreneur. His Coulter Principle made possible automated hematology, thus revolutionizing laboratory medicine, facilitated the development of flow cytometry, and defined particle characterization. The Coulter Counter led to major breakthroughs in science, medicine, and industry.

The Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a lasting commitment to the field of hematology through outstanding contributions to education, research, and practice. Nominees and nominators for this award do not need to be ASH members for a nominee to be considered.

ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity

ASH continues to embrace the values of diversity and inclusion by leading efforts to promote the advancement of underrepresented groups in hematology. In support of this organizational priority, the Awards Committee and the Committee on Promoting Diversity have created a Honorific Award dedicated to the recognition of hematologists who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity will serve as a visible example of the respect that ASH has for those committed to diversity and the inclusion in hematology of those who face barriers to success because of societal disadvantages. The award honors hematologists who have supported the development of an inclusive hematology workforce, who have encouraged the career development of underrepresented minority trainees, who have made the commitment to inclusiveness in contributions to the mission of ASH, or whose work has aimed to eliminate health disparities in the care of hematology patients.

ASH Mentor Award

Mentorship is essential for success in a career in hematology. Many of us have benefited from the support of an exceptional mentor, but often this role goes unrecognized. ASH values and appreciates the influence of a mentor and recognizes ASH members who have made a difference in the hematology community through mentoring. Each year, the ASH Mentor Award honors two outstanding mentors drawn from the areas basic science, clinical investigation, education, or clinical/community care. Both nominees and nominators for this award must be ASH members.

E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize

This lectureship and prize, named after the late Nobel Prize Laureate and past president of ASH E. Donnall Thomas, MD, recognizes pioneering research achievements in hematology that have represented a paradigm shift or significant discovery in the field. Both nominees and nominators for this award must be ASH members.

Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize

The Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize, named for the late Ernest Beutler, MD, a past president of ASH and physician-scientist for more than 50 years, is a two-part lectureship that recognizes major translational advances related to a single topic. This award honors two individuals, one recognized for enabling advances in basic science, and the other recognized for using clinical science or translational research to carry the basic science advances through to tangible improvements in patient care. Nominees and nominators for this award do not need to be ASH members for a nominee to be considered.

Henry M. Stratton Medal

The Henry M. Stratton Medal is named after the late Henry Maurice Stratton, co-founder of Grune and Stratton, the medical publishing house that first published ASH's journal Blood. The prize honors two senior investigators whose contributions to hematology both basic and clinical/translational research are well recognized and have taken place over a period of several years. Both nominees and nominators for this award must be ASH members.

William Dameshek Prize

The William Dameshek Prize, named for the late William Dameshek, MD, a past president of ASH and the original editor of Blood, recognizes an early- or mid-career individual (50 years or younger) who has made recent outstanding contributions leading to a new fundamental understanding of hematology. This included basic, translational, and clinical research dealing with patients, health disparities, and outcomes research. Both nominees and nominators for this award must be ASH members.

Consideration is given to requests for an exception to the age-based eligibility requirement for a nominee who experienced a pause in their career that impacted their ability to meet the requirement.

Honorific Award Recipients

ASH is pleased to announce the scientists who will receive ASH Honorific Awards in 2023 for their significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of hematologic diseases.

• Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology: Blanche P. Alter, MD, MPH
• Henry M. Stratton Medal: Rodger McEver, MD and James B. Bussel, MD
• William Dameshek Prize: Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD
• E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize: Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD
• Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize: Johnny Mahlangu, MBBCh, MMed, and Takehisa Kitazawa, DVM, PhD
• Mentor Awards: Stephen Sallan, MD and Helen Heslop, MD, DSc
• ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity: Alexis A. Thompson, MD, MPH

Learn more about the 2023 recipients.