Hematologists from Developing Countries Participate in 2016 ASH Visitor Training Program
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) today announced the 20 hematologists and medical professionals from developing countries selected to participate in the 2016 ASH Visitor Training Program (VTP). Participants receive up to 12 weeks of specialized hematology training at host institutions in many different parts of the world. After the program, participants return home to implement their newly acquired skills and knowledge to address a specific need, helping to build hematology capacity and expertise at their respective institutions.
This year’s program includes participants from 15 countries who are training at top institutions in North America, Africa, Europe, and Australia. Their areas of study vary from bone marrow transplantation to hematologic malignancies and the management of sickle cell disease. VTP participants will carry out their training in the clinic or laboratory of an ASH member mentor. Additionally, participants will be assigned a counselor from the International Members Committee of ASH who will assist them with understanding the rigorous scientific community of ASH and evaluate the progress of both of the participant and the host mentor.
“ASH is proud of its continuous expansion of international training opportunities for hematologists around the globe, such as the Visitor Training Program,” said 2016 ASH President Charles S. Abrams, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania. “Program participants return home with new technical skills and ideas, and they share their knowledge with their colleagues, building strong hematology programs that lead to improved patient care in their home countries.”
The 2016 Visitor Training Participants are:
| Participant & Home Country |
Training Topic | Mentor & Host Institution |
|
Bewketu Abebe Alemu, MD |
Training in interpretation of bone marrow aspirates and trephine biopsies | Brigitte Cantinieaux, MD, PhD CHU St. Pierre & Institut Bordet Brussels, Belgium |
|
Mohammad Ali, MBBS, FCPS |
Autologous stem cell transplantation | Edmund K. Waller, MD, PhD, FACP Emory Universit Atlanta, GA |
| Popa Codruta, MD, PhD Fundeni Clinical Institute Bucharest, Romania |
Flow cytometry for detection of MRD in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) | Michael Borowitz, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins Universit Baltimore, MD |
| Chinedu Ezekekwu, MBBS University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria |
Therapeutic apheresis in the management of sickle cell disease | Marilyn Telen, MD Duke University Durham, NC |
| Marcelo Luide Goncalves, MD, MSc Hospital das Clínicas. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
Coagulation tests for thrombosis and hemostasis | Flora Peyvandi, MD, PhD Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center Milan, Italy |
| Rodney Itaki, MBBS, BSc.Med University of Papua New Guinea Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
Interpretation of peripheral smears, bone marrow aspirates, flow cytometry |
Zeba Singh, MD |
| Anu Korula, MBBS, MD, DM Christian Medical College Vellore, India |
Genetic diagnosis, allogeneic transplantation for immunodeficienies | Parinda Mehta, MD Cincinnati Children's Hospital Cincinnati, OH |
| Misganaw Mengesha, MSc Hawassa University Teaching Referral Hospital Hawassa, Ethiopia |
Flow cytometry for diagnosis & classification of leukemias | Sung Choi, MD, MS University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI |
| Dereen Mohammed, MD Hiwa Cancer Hospital Sulaymaniyah, Iraq |
Training in the CD34 assay for stem cell monitoring; molecular biology for diagnosis of malignant hematology diseases | Angelo Palmas, MD Ospedale San Francesco Nuoro, Italy |
| Zola Musimar, MD Princess Marina Hospital Gaborone, Botswana |
Diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma subtypes | Jeremy Abramson, MD, MMSc Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA |
| Adebola Olu-Taiwo, MBBS, MPH, FMCPath Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria |
Diagnosis & management of sickle cell disease | Abdullah Kutlar, MD GRU Medical College of Georgia Augusta, GA |
| Anand Prakash, MD, FNB St. John’s Medical College Hospital Bengaluru, India |
Diagnosis and treatment of pediatric hematolymphoid malignancy | Carlos Alvarado, MD Emory University Children's Center Atlanta, GA |
| Don Rohan Pullaperuma, MBBS, MD Hambantota General Hospital Hambantota, Sri Lanka |
Management of patients with hemaglobinopathies, especially sickle cell disease | Enrico Novelli, MD, MS University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tatiana Saldarriaga, MD Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja Lima, Peru |
Bone marrow transplantation for malignant & non-malignant hematologic disorders | Monica Thakar, MD Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI |
| Christine Sekaggya-Wiltshire, MBChB, MMed Mulago National Referral Hospital Kampala, Uganda |
Interpretation of peripheral films, bone marrow aspirates & biopsies | Julianne Qualtieri, MD University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH |
| Buddhika Somawardana, MBBS, MD The National Cancer Institute Maharagama, Sri Lanka |
Clinical applications of flow cytometry for the management of hematological malignancies | Michael Andreeff, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX |
| Jennifer Thame, BSc, MBBS, DM National Public Health Laboratory Kingston, Jamaica |
Immunophenotyping using flow cytometry for diagnosis of leukemias & lymphomas; adult and pediatric | Michael Linden, MD, PhD University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN |
| Chi-kadibia Ukoma, MBBS Federal Medical Centre Keffi, Nigeria |
Diagnosis of sickle cell disease using High Performance Liquid Chromatography for newborn screening program | Julie Makani, MD, PhD, FRCP Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| Ernie Yap Sze Wei, MD National University of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Clinical and laboratory aspects of allogeneic stem cell transplantation | Mary Ann Anderson, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA Royal Melbourne Hospital Melbourne, Australia |
| Yasar Yousafzai, MBBS, PhD Khyber Medical University Peshawar, Pakistan |
Diagnosis of hematological malignancies using flow cytometry | Mhairi Copland, BSc, MBChB, FRCP, FRCPath, PhD University of Glasgow Glasgow, United Kingdom |
The American Society of Hematology (www.hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. The official journal of ASH is Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online.
CONTACT:
Sara Khalaf, American Society of Hematology
[email protected]; 202-552-4925
