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(WASHINGTON, June 23, 2026) — The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is recognizing 11 distinguished hematologists with its most prestigious awards and named lectures, honoring transformative contributions that have advanced research, patient care, and education in blood diseases. These leaders will be celebrated during the 2026 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, to be held December 12-15 in New Orleans.
“ASH is proud to honor hematologists whose vision, leadership, and commitment to patients have driven substantial progress in the field,” said Robert Negrin, MD, ASH President. “Their work has improved the lives of individuals worldwide living with blood diseases by advancing treatment options, improving outcomes, and raising the standard of care.”
The 2026 recipients are:
Elliott Vichinsky, MD, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology
Dr. Vichinsky, a physician-scientist, is being recognized for his work transforming the care, understanding, and treatment of hemoglobin disorders, including sickle cell disease and thalassemia. He has been a pioneer in the field for more than 40 years, and his contributions have fundamentally altered clinical practice and public health policy to improve patient outcomes worldwide.
Dr. Vichinsky’s commitment to sickle cell disease began during his training in the late 1970s, when he witnessed the profound disparities in care faced by individuals living with the disease. Determined to improve outcomes, he established one of the nation’s earliest comprehensive lifespan sickle cell disease programs. His dedication to improving care continued at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland, California, where he and his colleagues developed the Hemoglobinopathy Reference Laboratory, which has become one of the largest and most comprehensive newborn screening and diagnostic programs for hemoglobin disorders. Dr. Vichinsky played a key role in establishing California’s universal newborn screening program for sickle cell disease and the nation’s first statewide universal screening program for alpha thalassemia.
Dr. Vichinsky has an extensive research portfolio and has made many significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of sickle cell disease and alpha thalassemia. Among these accomplishments, he demonstrated progressive neurocognitive decline in asymptomatic individuals living with sickle cell disease; played a leading role in the development of disease-modifying therapies, including L-glutamine and voxelotor for sickle cell disease and pyruvate kinase activators for alpha thalassemia; and developed prenatal and fetal therapeutic approaches to alpha thalassemia major.
One of his most notable scientific contributions is defining the causes, natural history, and clinical outcomes for acute chest syndrome, a leading cause of mortality in sickle cell disease. He built much of the clinical and research infrastructure that supports modern hemoglobinopathy investigation.
Throughout his career, Dr. Vichinsky has been a fierce advocate for patients with hemoglobin disorders and health equity, as well as a dedicated mentor to the next generation of hematologists. He remains actively engaged in research, including studies of long-term outcomes associated with sickle cell trait, iron overload and chelation therapy in alpha thalassemia major, and novel approaches to improve bone health in sickle cell disease.
Leon Bernal-Mizrachi, MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Roland B. Scott-Charles Drew Excellence in Equity Award
Dr. Bernal-Mizrachi, a physician-scientist, is being celebrated for his longstanding dedication to recruiting and supporting the next generation of hematologists from historically disadvantaged groups and improving access to high-quality care in underserved patient communities. For nearly a decade, he served as an integral member of ASH’s Committee on Advancing Excellence and Population Health, where he founded and chaired the ASH Ambassador Program, which seeks to spark medical students’ interest in hematology. Dr. Bernal-Mizrachi has contributed extensively to initiatives focused on strengthening inclusion in medicine, including efforts to improve clinical trial diversity in lymphoma and myeloma research. He brings a global perspective to his work and believes that a medical community reflecting different backgrounds and experiences is essential to driving novel, transformative thinking and innovation that improve outcomes for all patients.
Roy Silverstein, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin and Versiti Blood Research Institute
J. Evan Sadler Award for Mentorship
Dr. Silverstein, 2019 ASH President and a classical hematologist focused on platelet biology and vascular disease, is being recognized for the profound impact his mentorship has had in preparing emerging hematologists for success. Throughout his career, he has guided trainees at various career stages — including undergraduates, PhD candidates, and fellows — with mentorship marked by generosity, accessibility, and teaching by example. Dr. Silverstein believes that every opportunity to connect with mentees matters, even if it is just 15 minutes shared over a cup of coffee between meetings. Because of his support, his mentees have gone on to secure competitive awards and appointments, provide exceptional care to their patients, produce groundbreaking research, and contribute to the advancement of the field through leadership roles in academia, community practices, and industry.