The American Society of Hematology announces awards honoring abstracts at 2011 Annual Meeting

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recognizes the following abstract presenters at the 53^rd ASH annual meeting in San Diego, CA, with the highest scoring abstracts in the categories of undergraduate student, medical student, graduate student, resident physician, and postdoctoral fellow. Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award (formerly Merit Award) winners receive a $500 honorarium plus annual meeting travel reimbursement.

The 2011 Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award recipients are:

Undergraduate Student
Kathryn Luk

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Association of Mu Opioid Receptor with Neurogenic Inflammation in Sickle Mice
Abstract #895

Medical Student
Morgan Jones

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

The Trithorax Group Protein Ash1l Is An Essential Epigenetic Regulator of Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Maintenance
Abstract #387

Alison Schram

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

Genetic and Functional Investigation of Germline JAK2 Alleles That Predispose to Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Abstract #124

Graduate Student
Jin Yuan

Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

Lethal Myelofibrosis Induced by Bmi1-Deficient Hematopoietic Cells Unveils a Tumor Suppressor Function of the Polycomb Group Genes
Abstract #390

Resident Physician
Christian Braun, MD

University Children's Hospital, Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital, Munich, Germany

Efficacy of Gene Therapy for Wiskott-Aldrich-Syndrome
Abstract #165

Postdoctoral Fellow
Kathryn Roberts, PhD

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Nashville, TN

Novel Chromosomal Rearrangements and Sequence Mutations in High-Risk Ph-Like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Abstract #67

Mary Rodes Gibson Memorial Award in Hemostasis and Thrombosis
This award was established to recognize the trainee (undergraduate student, medical student, graduate student, resident physician, or postdoctoral fellow) who is the first author and presenter of the highest scoring abstract submitted in the field of hemostasis and thrombosis. This annual award is made possible by the Mary Rodes Gibson Hemostasis-Thrombosis Foundation to continue the legacy of Mary Rodes Gibson, who suffered from severe, type 3 von Willebrand disease.

The 2011 recipient is:

Sou Nakamura

Center for IPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Platelet Production System Using An Immortalized Megakaryocyte Cell Line Derived From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Abstract #2

Minority Graduate Student Abstract Achievement Award
The Minority Graduate Student Abstract Achievement Award was established in 2011 with the goal of attracting and/or retaining minority PhD students to the field of hematology through the ASH annual meeting.

The inaugural recipients of this award are:

Patrice Capers

Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

What's Your Tanner? An Analysis of the Impact of Sickle Cell Disease Phenotype on Pubertal Development and Body Mass
Abstract #2123

Nyasha Chambwe

Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY

Epigenetic Profiling of Primary DLBCLs Reveals Novel DNA Methylation-Based Clusters and New Underlying Mechanisms of Lymphomagenesis
Abstract #556

Grace I. Aldana Masangkay

University of California, Los Angeles, CA

A Small Molecule Inhibitor Targeting CREB and CBP Inhibits Proliferation of AML Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Abstract #3607

Marthe-Sandrine Eiymo Mwa Mpollo

University of Cincinnati, Cincinatti, OH

Sickle Cell Disease Is Associated with Reduced Adenosine Deaminase Catalytic Activity, Resulting in Altered Adenosine Metabolism

Abstract #1078

Muithi Mwanthi

Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN

PAK1 Regulates Eotaxin-Mediated Murine Eosinophil Migration in Vitro and In Vivo
Abstract #18

D'Andra Parker

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Characterization of the Binding Between the Polymeric Platelet Adhesive Proteins, Multimerin 1 and Von Willebrand Factor
Abstract #1144

Colles Orrin Joseph Price

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

MLL-Rearrangements Result in Upregulation of Mir-9 and Subsequent Inhibition of the Tumor Suppressor TGFBI

Abstract #2453

National Marrow Donor Program Award for Best Abstracts
To commemorate the National Marrow Donor Program's (NMDP) 25^th anniversary and to honor the program's facilitation of 50,000 transplants, ASH and NMDP have partnered in 2011 to provide ten $2,500 awards to the highest scoring abstract in the following categories:

Provided by American Society of Hematology