Deerfield
names two healthcare leaders as latest recipients of the ASH Peter
Steelman Scholar Award
NEW
YORK, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Deerfield
Management and the Deerfield Foundation announced today they will
honor the 2023-2024 recipients of the American Society of
Hematology (ASH) Peter Steelman Scholar Award at the second annual
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Summit. The AML Summit convenes
industry experts, leaders, and partners across healthcare to
further advance research on this cancer of the bone marrow and
blood.
The AML Summit will recognize Emily
Heikamp, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., and Sascha Haubner, M.D., as the 2023-2024
recipients of the ASH Peter Steelman Scholar Award for their
academic achievements and contributions to AML research:
- Dr. Heikamp, a physician-scientist at
Harvard Medical School, Boston
Children's Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, specializes
in epigenetic chromatin regulators in a rare, often fatal type of
AML. Her research has identified novel molecular dependencies in
this AML subtype, contributing to the development of targeted
epigenetic drugs that are in early-phase clinical trials.
- Dr. Haubner is a physician-scientist specializing in
chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapies for safe and efficient
targeting of AML. As a senior research scientist at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), he developed a novel combinatorial
CAR T cell therapy (termed ADCLEC.syn1) which is currently
undergoing clinical testing for AML patients at MSKCC.
"Congratulations to Dr. Heikamp and Dr. Haubner, whose
outstanding work embodies the legacy of the award itself, which
honors former friend and Deerfield
colleague, Peter Steelman, and his
shared commitment to advancing healthcare," said Ross L. Levine, M.D., Senior Vice President,
Memorial Hospital Translational Research at MSKCC, and Chair of The
AML Summit. "We are thrilled to offer this award in partnership
with ASH, which we hope will help support and pave the way for
improved therapies for those affected by AML."
As keynote speakers at this year's summit, Dr. Heikamp and Dr.
Haubner will share more about their ongoing research efforts.
Attendees will also hear from Simone
Riedel, Ph.D., a Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
(Oncology) at the University of
Pennsylvania and the 2022 recipient of the ASH Peter
Steelman Scholar Award.
"Receiving this award as the inaugural recipient has been
instrumental in further shaping and developing my research on
epigenetic gene regulation over the past year. It has not only
provided crucial financial support but also opened doors to
invaluable relationships and resources within the research
community," said Dr. Riedel. "I offer my heartfelt congratulations
to both Dr. Heikamp and Dr. Haubner, as well as future recipients –
I'm excited and optimistic about the future of our work and its
potential to make a profound difference in the field."
The AML Summit will be held on Tuesday, June 18 at Cure®, a
healthcare innovation campus in New York
City, and will showcase innovative clinical initiatives and
cutting-edge research in AML. Additional featured guest speakers
will include:
- Ross Levine, M.D.,
Leukemia Specialist & Physician-Scientist at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center; Chair of the AML Summit
- Simone Riedel, Ph.D.,
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Oncology) at Perelman
School of Medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania
- Emily Heikamp, M.D. Ph.D.,
M.Sc., Instructor in Pediatric Hematology – Oncology and Stem
Cell Transplantation at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Sascha Hubner, M.D.,
Senior Research Scientist | CAR Therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center
- Scott Armstrong, M.D.,
Ph.D., President,
Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center;
Chairman, Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute; Associate Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology at
Boston Children's Hospital; and David G. Nathan Professor of
Pediatrics at Harvard Medical
School
- Kamal Menghrajani,
M.D., M.Sc., White House Fellow
- Manuel Aivado, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Stelexis
- Julian Adams, Ph.D.,
President and CEO of Stand Up To
Cancer
- Jeff Spear,
LLP
About AML
Adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer that occurs when
bone marrow generates immature white blood cells that do not
develop normally. Types of AML are defined by the maturity of
the cancer cells at diagnosis, and the degree of their
abnormalities. AML is the most common acute leukemia in
adults. About 20,000 new AML diagnoses and 11,220 AML-related
deaths, mostly in adults, will occur in the United States during 2024, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates. Annually, about
75,266 people are living with AML in the
United States, according to the CDC, and their five-year
survival rate is 31.9 percent.
About the ASH Peter Steelman Scholar Award
Designed by Deerfield Management and Deerfield Foundation in
partnership with ASH, the ASH-Peter Steelman Scholar Award supports
exceptional academic research efforts focused on AML, and is part
of ASH's Scholar Award program. For many researchers, the period
between the completion of training and the establishment of an
independent career can be a perilous and uncertain time. Since
1985, the ASH Scholar Award program has helped ease this difficult
transition by providing support during that critical period
required for the completion of training and achievement of status
as an independent investigator.
Recipients of the award will receive an extensive benefits
package from the Deerfield Foundation, including: full funding for
participation in the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual
Meeting; an annual invitation, stipend, and research presentation
opportunity at the AML Summit; biannual meetings with Deerfield
Management's Oncology Working Group and ongoing collaboration with
Deerfield Management; and ongoing access to Deerfield and Advancium Health Network's
Science to the Street.
Named in honor of former Deerfield Management Partner Peter
Steelman, the award commemorates his lasting impact as a dedicated
team member and a compassionate individual who embraced everyone
with acceptance and kindness. In his tenure at Deerfield, Peter was instrumental in the
creation of Deerfield's academic
network, which today spans nearly 30 of the country's most
prestigious institutions. Peter will always be missed and forever
remembered.
About Deerfield Foundation
An affiliate of Deerfield Management, the Deerfield Foundation
is a New York City-based
not-for-profit organization whose mission is to strive to improve
health, accelerate innovation and promote human equity. Since its
inception in 2007, the Foundation has formed numerous partnerships
and invested in the advancement of children's health, from clinics
in the South Bronx to Nepal. Funds are provided through employee
contributions and directly from Deerfield's profits.
About Deerfield Management
Deerfield is an investment
management firm committed to advancing healthcare through
investment, information and philanthropy. The Firm works across the
healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas and
technology in bold, collaborative and inclusive ways. For more
information, please visit www.deerfield.com.
Deerfield
contact:
Rachel Pelletier
rpelletier@apcoworldwide.com
(440) 409-6274
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