Throughout our professional lives we rely on “partners.” We collaborate with other researchers in the lab, we consult with colleagues on challenging cases, and we mentor trainees during the early stages of their careers. ASH also has had several critical partners, and I’d like to use this column – my last as ASH president – to focus on our extraordinary collaboration with the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation (WHCF) and its profound impact on our Society.
The ASH-WHCF partnership began in 2003 when the WHCF provided “seed” money to launch the ASH Clinical Research Training Institute (CRTI). Since that time, more than 200 young investigators have received rigorous training on how to conduct patient-based clinical research, resulting in more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications, scores of grants and foundation awards, corporate funding for more than 40 CRTI-developed clinical trials, and many long-term professional and personal relationships.
CRTI’s success inspired the launch of the Translational Research Training in Hematology (TRTH) program in partnership with the European Hematology Association. This program has already taught nearly 80 promising translational investigators how to investigate the pathogenesis of hematologic disorders and design new diagnostic tests and therapies. Now in its fourth year, the TRTH program continues to bring together translational hematologists from around the world and to facilitate significant and lasting scientific collaborations.
Inspired by Mr. Coulter’s desire to improve health-care worldwide, ASH took its Highlights of ASH® (HOA) program to Latin America and Asia. During these HOA events, internationally renowned hematologists highlight the major themes and breakthroughs presented at the antecedent ASH annual meeting. This program allows hematologists abroad – particularly those who are not able to attend the annual meeting – to network, review case studies, and meet one-on-one with leaders in the field. These meetings have created opportunities for international dialogue and have fostered meaningful collaborations between and among the hematology societies in each region – a special unanticipated outcome.
The legacy of Mr. Coulter also lives on within ASH through the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology. Mr. Coulter discovered the Coulter Principle – that electrical charge could be used to determine the size and number of particles in a solution. This discovery led to the Coulter Counter® and then flow cytometry, which revolutionized the practice of hematology by allowing point of care CBC determinations, the classification of leukemias and lymphomas, and the tracking of minimal residual disease. This award is the Society’s highest honor and recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a lasting commitment to the field of hematology through outstanding contributions to education, research, or practice. I hope you will join me in New Orleans when we recognize Professor Sir David Weatherall, MD, the 2013 recipient of this award.
This year, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wallace Coulter’s birth, ASH will also honor Wallace Coulter’s innovativeness with a Special Symposium featuring two outstanding translational scientists, Dr. Stuart Orkin and Dr. Bruce Beutler, who will discuss the novel concepts and technologies that should revolutionize research and practice of hematology in the future.
In addition, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wallace Coulter’s birth, the WHCF will present ASH with a generous endowment that will benefit the field of hematology for years to come. The WHCF is dedicated to honoring the contributions of Wallace Coulter to science and society, including his untiring efforts to help those whose quest for excellence was impeded by financial or geographic challenges.
I am pleased by what we have been able to accomplish with the support and encouragement of the WHCF partnership. This support has been critical to our education, training, and outreach missions, and I look forward to ASH extending its international programs as we advance our mission of conquering blood diseases worldwide. The WHCF gave us the “risk capital” to think creatively, act globally, and support a new generation of hematology scientists and practitioners. We extend our gratitude to the WHCF – clearly this partnership has made a difference!
On a personal note, my year as president has also been characterized by many remarkable partnerships, including partnerships with the talented ASH staff and its executive leadership, Marty Liggett and Matt Gertzog. All are extraordinarily informed, proactive, dedicated, and collaborative. Similarly, the generosity, commitment, and volunteer effort by you, ASH members, is extraordinary. As a society, we are successful because of the quality and extensiveness of our collaborations.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your 2013 president.
See you in New Orleans!
