ASH News Daily 2012 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - (Page B-20)

Page B–20 ® ASH NewS DAily myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Dr. Bejar is now an assistant professor at the Moores Cancer Center at UCSD where he studies the molecular genetic abnormalities responsible for the pathogenesis of MDS and other hematologic malignancies. Dr. Bejar utilized advanced sequencing techniques to characterize tumor samples from several hundred MDS patients. He identified mutations in both known and novel MDS-related genes and characterized their associations with clinical features such as overall survival. His finding that mutations in several genes carry prognostic information not captured by traditional clinical scoring systems has helped fuel the drive to incorporate genetic Monday, December 10, 2012 sis, determine prognosis, and predict response to treatment for MDS patients. Since much of the mortality and morbidity seen in MDS is driven by marrow failure instead of leukemic transformation, Dr. Bejar’s lab also studies how abnormalities that promote the clonal expansion of diseased cells can alter the normal function of their more differentiated progeny. Dr. Bejar is very thankful to all of those who have mentored him throughout his career, particularly Ben Ebert, MD; Nancy Berliner, MD; Donna Neuberg, ScD; and David Steensma, MD, for giving him the opportunity to do the work that he does. Anne Zaiss, PhD Dr. Zaiss was first exposed to the concept of gene therapy during an undergraduate research project while pursuing a degree in biotechnology from the Louis Pasteur U n i v e r s i t y, Strasbourg, France. She subsequently became a Anne Zaiss, PhD graduate student at the University of Calgary to examine the mechanism by which gene therapy vectors, such as adenovirus, induce inflammation – still a major obstacle for clinical application. During her thesis work, Dr. Zaiss observed the profound impact that plasma components have on modulating virus immunity. This observation sparked her interest in the intersection between hematology and infection. In 2008, after completing her PhD, she joined Harvey Herschman, PhD, to begin postdoctoral work at the University of California, Los Angeles, with the goal of extending her research to transduction – the other aspect of adenovirus biology influenced by blood. Adenovirus transduction, known to involve coagulation factors, is well defined in culture; however, the mechanism of adenovirus entry into cells in vivo is still not clear. In collaboration with Jeff Esko, PhD, at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Zaiss began to tackle this problem directly in vivo, by designing an experimental approach using mouse models, which carry mutations in candidate adenovirus receptors. Dr. Zaiss noted that the ASH Scholar Award came at the right »» SCHOLARS Page B-24 career-developmenT awardS Scholars «« From Page B-14 in internal medicine at the University of Chicago, Dr. Bejar completed his residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and later served as a chief medical resident. Remaining in Boston for his fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare program, Dr. Bejar joined the newly formed laboratory of Benjamin Ebert, MD, and focused his research on To find out more about the ASH Scholar Awards program, please visit www.hematology. org/awards. testing into the routine care of patients with MDS. His research focus at UCSD remains on these types of translational activities including improving ways to make the diagno- ASH MOBILE APPS Get your favorite ASH resources right in the palm of your hand. Download ASH’s mobile apps to your tablet or smartphone. Annual Meeting Make the most of your annual meeting experience with this convenient mobile tool. ASH’s annual meeting app includes: • Program information • Full-text abstracts Blood Journal Read hematology’s most cited peer-reviewed journal on-the-go and wherever you are. Get instant access to: • Article abstracts • Full-text search • Download PDFs Clinical Guidelines You can now access ASH’s popular “Quick Reference” clinical guidelines digitally on your smartphone or tablet. The clinical guidelines provide physicians with easy access to evaluation and management information as well as the latest treatment options for hematologic diseases. Download the clinical guidelines app for your iOS or Android device by searching for “ASH Guides” in the App Store or Google Play. • Full-text Hematology 2012 articles • Itinerary builder • Maps • Article and author search • Bookmarking—create your own library • Sharing articles via email and Twitter • Exhibitor information • Messaging capability Download the annual meeting app for your iOS or Android device by searching for “ASH 2012” in the App Store or Google Play. Download the Blood Journal app for your iOS or Android device by searching for “ASH Blood” in the App Store or Google Play. For technical assistance, visit the Mobile Application Help Desk, located in ASH Central in the International Boulevard Concourse between Building A and Building B of the Georgia World Congress Center.  http://www.hematology.org/awards http://www.hematology.org/awards

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASH News Daily 2012 - Monday, December 10, 2012

ASH News Daily 2012 - Monday, December 10, 2012

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