The Society Pages
Remembering Harold R . Roberts , MD
Harold R . Roberts , MD , a leader in the field of thrombosis and hemostasis and two-time American Society of Hematology ( ASH ) award recipient , passed away on September 9 , 2017 , at age 87 . He was formerly the Sarah Graham Keenan Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University
Harold R . Roberts , MD of North Carolina ( UNC ) School of Medicine , where he founded the UNC Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis in 1978 and served as director for 20 years .
Dr . Roberts received multiple honors from ASH , including the Henry Stratton Medal in 2001 for outstanding contributions to hematology and the Mentor Award in 2007 . These awards recognize a long career of basic science research – in 1965 , Dr . Roberts co-developed the first highly purified concentrate of blood clotting factor VIII , which was later commercialized by Baxter-Hyland – and of supporting the development of young scientists interested in hematology .
His other awards include the French International Prize for Research in Hemophilia , the Kenneth Brinkhous Award for Excellence in Clinical Research from the National Hemophilia Foundation , and both the Distinguished Career Award for Contributions to Hemostasis and the Grant Medal from the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis ( ISTH ).
He is survived by two sons and two grandchildren . Dr . Roberts was preceded in death by his wife , Marilyn , earlier this year .
Sources : University of North Carolina School of Medicine news release ; International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis news release , September 12 , 2017 .
Remembering Tessa Holyoake , PhD
Tessa Holyoake , PhD , a world-renowned expert in chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ) and a member of ASH , passed away on August 30 , 2017 , at 54 years old . She was a professor of experimental hematology at the Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow and director of the Paul O ’ Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre .
Tessa Holyoake , PhD
Dr . Holyoake was the first to identify the existence of cancer stem cells in CML in 1999 during a research fellowship in Vancouver , Canada . She later demonstrated the resistance of those stem cells to CML-specific therapies such as imatinib and worked to identify key CML stem cell survival pathways . Her accolades include the Scottish Health Awards Cancer Care Award in 2009 , the Lord Provost of Glasgow Health Award in 2011 , the Scottish Alba Saltire Society Fletcher of Saltoun Award in 2015 , and the Rowley Prize by the International CML Foundation in 2017 . She became a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2013 .
Dr . Holyoake is survived by her husband , mother , sister , and brother .
Source : University of Glasgow news release , August 31 , 2017 .
CDC Awards LSU $ 15 Million to Reduce Cancer Burden in Louisiana
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded a $ 15 million grant to be distributed over five years to the Louisiana State University ( LSU ) Health New Orleans School of Public Health to support its cancer registry , as well as programs in cancer education , early detection , and comprehensive control .
The grant will help fund the LSU Health New Orleans ’ Comprehensive Cancer Control Program , which focuses on preventable cancers . A portion of the grant will support the Louisiana Tumor Registry – a statewide , population-based cancer registry that collects detailed information about patients to guide policies for cancer prevention , early detection , diagnosis , treatment , prognosis , and survivorship with the aim of reducing the state ’ s cancer burden and disparities in cancer care and survival .
“ While Louisiana has one of the highest death rates from cancer in the country , the cancer control programs at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health are
working across the state to help Louisianans prevent cancers ,” said Donna Williams , DrPH , director of Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Programs and associate dean for public health practice and community engagement at the LSU School of Public Health .
Source : Louisiana State University press release , August 8 , 2017 .
PCORI Provides $ 18 Million to Fund Two Studies on Sickle Cell Disease
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute ( PCORI ) Board of Governors announced $ 18 million in funding to support two sickle cell disease ( SCD ) studies being conducted at the Carolinas Medical Center and the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia . Each group of researchers will evaluate ways to manage the transition of patients with SCD from pediatric to adult care .
Researchers at Carolinas Medical Center will receive $ 9.8 million to study whether the use of peer support and educational programming could help improve outcomes related to emergency department visits and hospital admissions for young adults with
SCD . Researchers at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia and Northwell Health Cohen Children ’ s Medical Center will receive $ 8.5 million to compare three approaches for improving quality of life for young patients with SCD as they transition to adulthood : engagement with community health workers , mobile apps to help manage their condition , and enhanced usual care .
“ The good news is that young people with this serious disease are more likely than ever to live well into adulthood ,” said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby , MD , MPH . “ The comparative clinical-effectiveness research that PCORI funds can give these patients , their families , and clinicians the information they need to make better-informed decisions about their care options .”
Source : Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute news release , September 12 , 2017 .
FDA Provides Funding to Support Development of PRTX- 100 for ITP
The U . S . Food and Drug Administration ’ s ( FDA ) Office of Orphan Products Development awarded a $ 403,000 grant to Protalex ,
12 ASH Clinical News November 2017