(WASHINGTON, October 7, 2010) - The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will honor Harvey F. Lodish, PhD, and Mary M. Horowitz, MD, MS, with the ASH Mentor Award in recognition of the significant impact they have made in the training and career development of many physicians and scientists in the field of hematology. The prominent hematologists will receive their awards during the 52nd ASH Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Lodish, the Mentor Award winner for Basic Science, is a founding member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and professor of biology and professor of bioengineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A leader in the field of membrane biology, Dr. Lodish isolated key genes involved in formation and function of red blood cells and hematopoietic stem cells, and for glucose and fatty acid metabolism, discoveries that have had important implications for the treatment of diabetes, anemia, leukemia, and obesity. Since joining the MIT faculty in 1968, Dr. Lodish has provided guidance and support to more than 150 students and postdoctoral fellows. Many of his former trainees have attained successful academic careers, leadership roles in their fields, and prestigious awards, including a Nobel Prize and two Lasker Awards.
Dr. Horowitz is professor of medicine, the Robert A. Uihlein Jr. Chair in Hematologic Research, and Interim Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), where she is also an active blood and marrow transplant physician. She is the chief scientific director of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) and heads the Coordinating Center of the U.S. Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network. She is an expert on the subject of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, specifically focusing her research on the analysis of transplant outcomes. The recipient of the Mentor Award for Clinical Investigation, Dr. Horowitz has been the primary mentor for many successful individuals who have passed through her institution, and her mentoring has had a global reach through the CIBMTR. Dr. Horowitz has always made time for junior investigators, championed their projects and involvement with CIBMTR, and created ways for them to mingle as equals with leaders in the field.
"Mentorship is critical to ensuring the future of hematology, as we need outstanding role models to excite and inspire the next generation of scientific and clinical investigators who will continue to drive advances in the treatment of blood diseases," said Hal E. Broxmeyer, PhD, President of ASH and Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "The American Society of Hematology is proud to recognize Drs. Lodish and Horowitz for the exemplary support and guidance they provided to their trainees, as evidenced by their mentees' extraordinary success."
Drs. Lodish and Horowitz will be formally presented with their awards prior to the Plenary Scientific Session on Sunday, December 5, at 1:30 p.m. in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
The ASH Mentor Award was established in 2006 to recognize hematologists who have excelled at mentoring trainees and colleagues. Those selected to receive the award are chosen because they have shown a sustained commitment to mentoring, have made a significant, positive impact on their trainees' careers, and have advanced research and patient care in the field of hematology through their trainees and their trainees' trainees. Two awards are given each year, one in basic science and one in clinical investigation and training. Awardees are selected from a group of candidates nominated by individuals whose careers they have helped shape.
The American Society of Hematology 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, a credible online resource addressing bleeding and clotting disorders, anemia, and cancer. The official journal of ASH is Blood, the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online.