Peterman-Prosser Professor, Sr. Associate Dean, Tulane University School of Medicine; ASH News Daily 2013 Editor-in-Chief
Gumbo is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana, tracing its roots back to the 1800s when the culinary practices of the French, Spanish, native American tribes, and enslaved Africans were combined to form a hearty dish using readily available ingredients. Gumbo is thought to be based on cuisines found in West Africa or to derive from French bouillabaisse. The name “gumbo” probably derives from the Bantu word for okra that is commonly used as a thickener in preparing the dish. Like a good pot of New Orleans gumbo, the recent annual meeting in New Orleans provided nourishment for its attendees who numbered over 22,000.
For gumbo, you need a large, sturdy pot with the capacity to hold all of the ingredients and with sufficient additional space to allow the dish to simmer throughout the day without boiling over. For the annual meeting, the gumbo pot was the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Measuring over a mile and a half in length, containing more than 4 million square feet of space, and constructed in a manner sturdy enough to survive the wind forces of Hurricane Katrina, the convention center provided an excellent vessel in which to mix and stir together the meeting sessions, the attendees, and the exhibitors.
Step one in creating the perfect gumbo is to make a roux: a flour, butter, and water combination that forms the stock that holds the dish together. A roux cannot be too light or too dark. For the annual meeting, the roux was the Education Program Sessions, and like a good roux, they were not too basic, too complex, or too focused on any one area of hematology. Highlights of the Education Program included a session on the hematologic aspects of trauma patients and a session on sports hematology that featured a fascinating discussion of blood doping practices among competitive cyclists. Like the aromatic herbs and spices added to a good gumbo to make the taste distinctive, the Educational Program Sessions improved the flavor of the entire meeting.
Celery, bell peppers, and onions comprise the triumvirate of Creole cooking. For the annual meeting, the triumvirate consists of the How I Treat, Meet the Scientist, and Scientific Committee sessions and serves as the matrix upon which the meeting takes shape. Smaller and more intimate than the Educational Program, the broad scope of these programs allows for attendees to personalize the annual meeting experience.
A later step in making a good gumbo is to add a thickener, a process that requires either okra or a sassafras-type flour called file. This thickener equates to the Plenary Scientific Session. Highlights included validating lenalidomide in combination with dexamethasone as the standard of care in treating older patients with myeloma, identification and characterization of a long-sought protein, erythroferrone, involved in iron homeostasis, and recognition that platelet factor 4 influences hematopoietic stem cell biology.
“Lagniappe” is a Louisiana term for something extra. In making a gumbo, lagniappe might be the addition of Andouille sausage. The lagniappe of this year’s annual meeting was the introduction of ASH News TV. Television segments featuring the day’s highlights were broadcast at the convention center, on the shuttle buses, in hotel guest rooms, and on the ASH website. ASH News TV is a welcome addition to other communication modalities, including the mobile app and social media connections already incorporated into the annual meeting.
After most of the ingredients are added, the gumbo is left to simmer. Similarly, the information absorbed from the research presented at the meeting simmered in the minds of attendees. The four days of the meeting allowed for networking and for the admixture of knowledge and ideas to percolate. To assist in this process, Hematology MeetUp spaces were provided throughout the convention center so that colleagues could discuss their impressions of a provocative presentation or just catch up with one another in a casual, comfortable setting.
Of course, the best thing about cooking a large pot of gumbo is that there are always some leftovers, and with time to mix and simmer, leftovers are often better than the original batch. The second serving of this year’s annual meeting comes in the form of the 2014 Highlights of ASH® meetings. In North America, the remainder of the meetings will be held January 31 and February 1 (Miami and Seattle). Additionally, Highlights of ASH in Asia will take place March 29 and 30 in Singapore and Highlights of ASH in Latin America will be held April 25 and 26 in Florianopolis, Brazil. Certainly, these meetings will be more flavorful given the advantage of time for topics to simmer and stew in the minds of the presenters.
New Orleanians make a habit of celebration. This characteristic is evident in the tradition of “fais do-do,” an all night dance party made famous by the Cajuns who live in Southern Louisiana. The term fais do-do derives from the Cajun French term for “go to sleep.” As an admonition directed at the children, fais do-do was used by raucous adults so that they could continue to celebrate without being encumbered by the burden of parental responsibility. Although the ASH annual meeting wouldn’t pass for an authentic fais do-do, it was nonetheless a wonderful celebration of education, science, and camaraderie. We happy NOLA denizens wish annual meeting attendees health and good fortune, and we look forward to seeing everyone this year in San Francisco. Of course the Golden Gate is beautiful, but alas, “New Orleans, je t’aime.”
