2024 ASH News Daily Editorial Board

Deputy Editor

Joselle Cook, MBBS, (@JoselleCookMD), is an assistant professor of medicine and senior associate consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, specializing in plasma cell disorders and precursor conditions. The thing she loves most about working in hematology is that her research in determining the biologic drivers of precursor plasma cell disorders is “so connected with community engagement, awareness, and patient care.” In her leisure time, she enjoys walking for hours while listening to psychological thriller audiobooks. An avid workout enthusiast, Dr. Cook shares that her alternate career aspiration would have been to become a professional athlete.

• One thing people might be surprised to learn about me: Karaoke! Me! … Say no more.  

Authors

Manisha Bhutani, MD, (@manisha_bhutani), is an associate professor in the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders at the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Charlotte, NC, specializing in multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, cellular therapies, and health care disparities. Despite the challenges associated with her work, she remains emboldened by “the dynamic pace of new discoveries.” An empty nester now that her two sons have “flown the coop to chase their dreams,” she lives in Charlotte with her husband, Anil, and their cat, Mia, “the new co-ruler of the roost.” Her annual meeting advice: “Schedule your sessions strategically, then sit by yourself with panoramic sunset views of San Diego Bay — it's like balancing science with a splash of serenity.”

• If I hadn't become a hematologist, I would be a: writer of bloody good “sciency” papers about hemoglobin mysteries and clotting drama.  

Charlotte Brierley, MD, PhD, (@CKBrierley), an academic clinical lecturer in hematology at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford, specializes in myeloid malignancy and bone marrow transplantation. “Entirely powered by caffeine,” Dr. Brierley is passionate about guiding patients through diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care in a field marked by a “breathtaking pace of change in our understanding.” When not on call or peering down a microscope, she spends her time careening around Oxford on a cargo bike with her daughters and reading as many books as she can (“usually not at the same time”). To get the most out of ASH’s annual meeting, she encourages attendees to “pick a must-go session for each day, attend at least one session outside of your field, give yourself time to read and select your favorite abstracts — and then go speak to the authors!”

• If I hadn't become a hematologist, I would be a: jazz violinist in a Manhattan dive bar.  

Andrés Gómez-De León, MD, (@GomezDLeonMD), a generalist with a focused research interest in hematopoietic cell transplantation and acute leukemia in adults, serves as associate professor of hematology at the Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González” of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. He feels most rewarded professionally by mixing his care for patients with challenging diseases with “healthy doses of clinical research and teaching.” A father of two young boys (Andrés, Jr., 4, and Adrian, 2) with his wife Pam, Dr. Gómez De León thrives on staying active and exploring many diverse interests, including sports, playing various musical instruments, drawing, and cooking. He advises annual meeting attendees to plan their days ahead while setting aside sufficient time to “connect with friends and colleagues.”

• One thing people might be surprised to learn about me: During my adolescence, I wanted to be a film director, but this was at a time before Mexicans had won Oscars.  

Akshat Jain, MD, MPH, (@akshatdoctor), medical director of the pediatric and young adult program for hemostasis/thrombosis and sickle cell disease (SCD) at the Loma Linda University Schools of Medicine and Public Health in Loma Linda, California, specializes in classic and global hematology, pediatric/neonatal hemostasis and thrombosis, SCD, and inherited bleeding disorders. A native of India who attended medical school in Africa, Dr. Jain has been practicing in North America for the past 18 years, maintaining his license and helping run hematology programs in each place he has lived. His advice to those attending ASH’s annual meeting: “Pack your Hoka [sneakers], get out your daily planner, participate in ASH-a-Palooza, and take a moment to engage with some foreign attendees to exchange notes on how diseases are treated in their country.”

• When I'm not working, I enjoy: writing (genres: medical fiction and metaphysics); community engagement and leadership in the Indian American community; and traveling.  

Jason N. Payne, MD, MSPH, (@JasonPayneMD), is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and medical director of the sickle cell program at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Hughes Spalding Hospital. Early in his career, he was excited to witness two new drugs receive FDA approval for the treatment of sickle cell disease, and he is thrilled to now be able to offer gene therapy as an option for his patients. Married, with one chihuahua and two cats, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his husband, trying new restaurants, and attending Braves and Atlanta United games. If he hadn’t become a hematologist, Dr. Payne says he would have likely tried his hand at culinary school or maybe even pursued his dream of playing a doctor in a medical drama.

• One thing people might be surprised to learn about me: I studied trombone in college and performed in China with the University of Georgia’s Redcoat Marching Band.  

Junior Authors

Gray Magee, MD, (@GrayMageeMD), a second-year hematology/oncology fellow at the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, NC, focused on myeloma, chronic lymphocytic lymphoma, and acute myeloid leukemia, says few things get him more excited than “reviewing a peripheral smear or a bone marrow specimen with our amazing hematopathologists.” He credits a job working as a barista prior to medical school as being “the single best experience for how to develop rapport with people in a short interaction, which I still use to this day!” Dr. Magee lives in Charlotte with his wife, Claire, (“the secret to any success I have”) and their 5-year-old Australian Shepherd, Marlow. In his free time, he enjoys running, watching movies, spending time with family, traveling, and sitting on the beach with a good book.

• If I hadn't become a hematologist, I would be a: a history or English professor.  

Michelle Morcos-Sandino, MD, (@morcossandino), is a second-year hematology fellow at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico, where her research focuses on bispecific antibodies for multiple myeloma. She remains excited by hematology’s constant challenge to stay current with advances in molecular biology, immunology, and genetics and how to apply them to patient care. She is inspired by how research questions foster creativity and problem solving. Dr. Morcos-Sandino lives in Monterrey with her four dogs (Bamboo, Matilda, Bruno, and Django) and says she probably would have studied literature and philosophy if she hadn’t become a hematologist. Her advice to annual meeting attendees: “Plan ahead — and use breaks and post-conference events to connect with peers and experts in your field.”

• When I'm not working, I enjoy: weightlifting; spending time with my family, friends, and pets; exploring new places; and reading poetry (particularly Mario Benedetti).