ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Hematology (ASH(TM)), the world's largest professional society of blood specialists, is honoring notable cancer geneticist Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD, and Jack Hirsh, MD, an internationally recognized expert in clotting disorders, with its highest honors during the 48th ASH(TM) Annual Meeting.
Dr. Dalla-Favera is receiving the William Dameshek Prize, named for a past president of ASH and awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding and recent contribution to hematology. Dr. Hirsh is receiving the Henry M. Stratton Medal, intended to honor an individual with a long, distinguished career in hematology.
"The discoveries of Dr. Dalla-Favera and Dr. Hirsh have had a fundamental and tangible impact on the field," said ASH President, Kanti R. Rai, MD, of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "It will give me great pleasure to present our most prestigious awards to these remarkable scientists."
Dr. Dalla-Favera was one of the first to illustrate specific genetic abnormalities leading to the development of cancer. In particular, his identification of the MYC and BCL6 oncogenes and their role in B-cell lymphoma provided critical advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease and may lead to new targets for diagnosis and therapy. He is currently the Uris Professor of Pathology and Genetics and Development, and Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University in New York.
Dr. Hirsh's research has improved the diagnosis and treatment of clotting disorders (thrombosis), including setting standards for anticoagulant therapy with heparin and warfarin, developing low-molecular-weight heparin for clinical use, and heralding the use of aspirin for stroke prevention. He has received many national and international awards for his work, including induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor. He is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Drs. Dalla-Favera and Hirsh are being formally presented with their awards at the Presidential Symposium to be held on Tuesday, December 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Halls B3-B4 in the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center.
The American Society of Hematology (http://www.hematology.org) 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.
American Society of HematologyCONTACT: Leslie Humbel of Spectrum Science Communications,+1-202-955-6222, lhumbel@spectrumscience.com, for American Society ofHematology; or Laura Stark of American Society of Hematology,+1-202-776-0544, lstark@hematology.org; On-site (12/8-12/12):+1-407-685-5405
Web site: http://www.hematology.org/