News Release

Medical professionals from developing nations to pursue hematology training

Grant and Award Announcement

American Society of Hematology

(WASHINGTON) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is proud to announce the participants in the 2009 ASH Visitor Training Program, which builds hematologic capacity in developing countries. Through this program, hematologists and medical professionals from developing countries receive valuable clinical, laboratory, or technological training on a specific topic at a host institution under the mentorship of an ASH member anywhere in the world. Upon completion, participants return to their home countries to implement their training and share their newfound knowledge with their colleagues.

"The Visitor Training Program affords promising physicians from developing countries the opportunity to learn about procedures and techniques that are often unavailable in their local medical facilities," said Dr. Nancy Berliner, ASH President. "Our intention is to foster skills and expertise that participants can bring back to their home institutions. This should have a direct, positive impact on the quality of health care in their communities."

Recipient Training Mentor/Institution
Marianne Calnan, MMed Mbabane, Swaziland Examination of peripheral blood smears and bone marrow samples Theresa L. Coetzer, PhD National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
Noha Mohamed El Husseiny Omar, Msc Cairo, Egypt Applications of human dendritic cells as agents of tumor vaccination Matthew P. Collin, MD, PhD Newscastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
Amma Anima Benneh, MBChB Christianborg Accra, Ghana Flow cytometry to diagnose hematologic malignancies Edem S. Agamah, MD Central Illinois Hematology Oncology Center, Springfield, Illinois
Najibah Aliyu Galadanchi, MBBS Kano, Nigeria Blood banking and transfusion medicine Beth Shaz, MD Emory Center for Transfusion and Cellular Therapies, Atlanta, Georgia
Iryna Dmytrenko, PhD Kiev, Ukraine Real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses Angelo D. Palmas, MD Ospedale San Francesco, Nuoro, Italy
Anil Handoo, MD New Delhi, India Flow cytometry to diagnose hematologic malignancies Kenneth Bradstock, PhD Westmead Hospital, New South Whales, Australia

This program is part of ASH's larger effort to address hematology-related needs in research, practice, and training in developing areas. Participants are given the opportunity to spend up to 12 weeks at their host institution before returning home to apply their training.

Since 2003, the Visitor Training Program has supported more than 30 hematology-related professionals.

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Reporters who wish to arrange an interview with the program participants or their mentors may contact Patrick C. Irelan, ASH Communications Assistant, at 202-776-0544 or pirelan@hematology.org.

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. ASH provides Blood: The Vital Connection (www.bloodthevitalconnection.org), a credible online resource addressing bleeding and clotting disorders, anemia, and cancer. 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.


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