ASH News Daily 2017 - Issue 1 - C-26

ASH News Daily

Page C-26

Saturday, December 9, 2017

MRHAP

«« From Page C-1

respective journeys, below.
Elisa K. Quiroz, MD
William Beaumont Hospital
Research Title/Focus: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the Hispanic
population
Research Mentor: Dan Douer, MD,
The Keck School of Medicine of the
University of Southern California
Career Development Mentor: Ivan
Maillard, MD, PhD, The University
of Michigan
Tell Us About Your Research Project: "Southern California has a large
Latino population and a high in-

cidence of certain acute leukemias
that are more common in this group.
Dr. Dan Douer has been one of the
main players in the understanding
of acute promyelocytic leukemia
[APL] in Latinos through his work
at the University of Southern California. When I found out about the
work that he was doing, it immediately sparked my interest. Higher
incidence rates have been found not
only in APL but also in acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL] in the
Latino population. I have focused
my work on better understanding
the molecular mechanism behind
the high incidence rates and poor
prognosis of ALL in Latinos. The future of my research career is both ex-

citing and without limits. Throughout my life I have sought out ways
to build a better future for Latinos
and other underserved populations.
I could not have imagined a better
research focus as a physician-scientist, and am excited to see what the
next chapter has in store for me."
"Dr. Dan Douer and I are at opposite ends of the career spectrum in
hematology. While I am preparing
myself for fellowship applications
at the end of this academic year, Dr.
Douer is a leader in the research of
ALL. While he serves as an educator, I am just beginning to learn the
basics of disease mechanisms and
treatment of hematologic malignancies. What I have learned and

We've crossed
the line.
All too often, barriers - like where and how
people live - separate patients from the
world-class cancer care they need. Our mission?
To tear those barriers down.
Here's how we're doing it:
With our unique hybrid academic
and community care model, we're
pioneering world-class medicine,
then bringing it directly to patients
at more than 25 locations across
the Carolinas.

Selected as part of the elite Bone
and Marrow Transplant Clinical
Trials Network, we're offering
patients unprecedented access to
cutting-edge clinical trials for
blood cancers.

Supported by two grants totaling
$14.1 million, we're leading a team
to improve access to high quality,
evidence-based care for sickle
cell patients in the Southeast.

As the world's first cancer network
to earn Planetree designation,
the highest distinction recognizing
patient-centered care, we never
stop putting patients first.

continue to learn from Dr. Douer,
through our conversations about
research, academic life, working as
a clinician, and even work-life balance, have far exceeded my expectations of a research mentor. I have extraordinary gratitude for Dr. Douer,
my career mentor Dr. Ivan Maillard,
and ASH's MMSAP and MRHAP
programs. I can only hope to someday fill the enormous shoes of my
ASH mentors and be a mentor to a
young aspiring hematologist."
Samuel Wilson, MD
University of Michigan
Health System
Research Title/Focus: Impact of
Duffy antigen phenotype on hydroxyurea dosing amongst individuals with sickle cell disease
Research Mentor: Andrew Campbell, MD, Children's National Medical Center
Career Development Mentor: Scott
Gitlin, MD, University of Michigan
Health System
Tell Us About Your Research Project: "I have had a keen interest in
studying sickle cell disease [SCD]
for many years, especially therapyrelated complications. Currently, the
only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for
SCD is hydroxyurea, which is often
titrated to therapeutic dose while
minimizing side effects. Unfortunately, many of these patients are
unable to tolerate hydroxyurea due
to cytopenias or other side effects.
These side effects can have a negative impact on outcomes because
there are very few alternative therapies. Currently, there is no reliable
way to predict which patients will
encounter difficulty with tolerating
appropriate doses of hydroxyurea.
Thus, I wanted to investigate if the
Duffy antigen, which is known to be
associated with benign neutropenia,
a common cause of neutropenia in
black patients, could also be associated with hydroxyurea intolerance.
This knowledge could potentially be
used to predict which patients are at
risk for having neutropenia or other
cytopenias as a risk of hydroxyurea
therapy.
"I have had the opportunity to
work with my research mentor Dr.
Campbell for many years, prior to
this project. He is an excellent physician with an interest in patients
with sickle cell disease. In addition
to taking care of patients with sickle
cell disease, he has conducted both
basic science and clinical research to
better understand this disease and
its complications. By working with
him on this project, I became more
familiar with writing research and
IRB proposals. Additionally, I was
able to appreciate how secondary
analysis could be utilized to answer
a different research question."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASH News Daily 2017 - Issue 1