Selects 14 Medical Students for Minority Medical Student Award Program
(WASHINGTON – June 23, 2016) The American Society of Hematology (ASH) today announced the names of 14 medical students selected to take part in the 2016 Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP), an eight- to 12-week research experience for first- and second-year students from the United States and Canada.
The MMSAP program encourages minority medical students’ interest in hematology by providing the opportunity to create and implement a hematology-related research project over the course of the summer. Participants will be paired with two ASH mentors: an MMSAP research mentor who will oversee the participant's work and progress during the summer project, and a career-development mentor who will guide the participant throughout their training.
Participants will receive a total support amount of $7,000, which will help cover their research projects and travel expenses to the 58th ASH Annual Meeting in early December, where they will present their research projects during a special session. They will also receive complimentary subscriptions to Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology, as well as to The Hematologist, the Society's newsletter, during their medical school and residency years.
Based on the success of the program and ASH’s commitment to attracting underrepresented minorities to the field, the Society will expand MMSAP in 2017 with two new options for recipients. Students will be able to either complete a research project over a flexible 12-month period or commit to a full-time, 12-month research project.
The MMSAP is one of three programs under ASH’s Minority Recruitment Initiative, a series of programs committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minorities training in hematology-related fields and the number of minority hematologists with academic and research appointments.
“The ASH Minority Medical Student Award Program is a wonderful way to expose young and ambitious medical students to hematology and provide them with a support system to ensure their success,” said ASH President Charles S. Abrams, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania. “By facilitating connections between talented students with ASH mentors and providing these trainees with financial support and research opportunities, ASH hopes to foster their continued advancement toward a career in the field.”
The 2016 MMSAP participants and their research topics include:
Recipient | Project Title | Research Mentor | Career-Development Mentor |
Tokunbo Adeniyi |
Life beyond sickle cell disease post-transplant: adults with SCD who had an AlloHSCT and their health-related quality of life |
Lewis Hsu, MD, PhD |
Alexis Thompson, MD |
Moriyike Akinosun |
The exercise genomics study |
Robert Liem, MD |
Toyosi Odenike, MD |
Kelsey Chatman |
Evaluation of combination epigenetic therapeutics in mantle cell lymphoma |
Robert Baiocchi, MD, PhD |
Leslie Andritsos, MD |
Austin Ikechi |
Post pain symptoms in transplant patients with sickle cell disease |
Swee Lay Thein, MB, BS, FRCPath, DSc. |
Deepika Darbari, MD |
Ramanjot Kang |
The development of autoimmune diseases following HPA-1a alloimmunization in fetal-neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) |
James Bussel, MD |
Mukund Dole, MD |
Serina Lewis |
Utilizing pathology informatics for subtyping diffuse large B-cell lymphoma |
Christopher Flowers, MD |
Bruce Cheson, MD |
Heardley Murdock |
Investigating DNA methylation to predict outcome in secondary acute myeloid leukemia |
Martin Carroll, MD |
Mortimer Poncz, MD |
Arinze Nwokeji |
Identifying NuRD subunit protein domains Necessary for γ-globin Silencing |
Maeda Takahiro, MD, PhD |
Sumithira Vasu, MD |
Israel Orta |
The role of red blood cell (RBC) endogenous nitric oxide production as a link between sickle cell RBC and vascular disease |
Thomas Coates, MD |
Henny Billett, MD |
Violeta Osegueda |
Effectiveness of tier platelet protocol implementation for critical intracranial hemorrhage |
Alyssa Ziman, MD |
Susan O'Brien, MD |
Yasmin Rawlins |
Racial and ethnic differences in toxicities of childhood ALL therapy |
Deepa Bhojwani, MD |
Suzanne Lentzsch, MD, PhD |
Gabriel Washington |
Analysis of red blood cells after in vitro differentiation of HBB edited hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells |
Matthew Porteus, MD, PhD |
Arturo Molina, MD |
Monica Williams |
Elucidation of immune evasion by acute myeloid leukemia |
Michael Caligiuri, MD |
Alison Walker, MD |
Carolyn Wright |
Defining the optimal approach for discontinuing plasma exchange in patients with acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura |
Adam Cuker, MD |
J. Eric Russell, MD |
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