Alexis A. Thompson, MD, MPH
Alexis A. Thompson, MD, MPH, an expert in sickle cell disease and thalassemia, will serve as President of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for a 1-year term through December 2018.
Dr. Thompson is Head of the Hematology Section of the Division of Hematology Oncology Transplantation and Director of the Comprehensive Thalassemia Program at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where she also serves as the A. Watson and Sarah Armour Endowed Chair for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. In addition, Dr. Thompson is Associate Director of Equity and Minority Health at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Northwestern University in Chicago.
As the Society’s new President, Dr. Thompson is interested in enhancing the trainee pipeline in hematology, particularly in nonmalignant hematology. She also seeks to focus on ASH’s global strategy to promote the best science and patient care throughout the world and to foster international collaborations in hematology, including expansion into regions with unmet scientific and medical needs such as Latin America and Africa.
During her more than 20 years of involvement with ASH, Dr. Thompson has served in a variety of volunteer roles, including a 4-year term as ASH Councillor from 2010 to 2014, Co-Chair of the ASH Annual Meeting Education Program, and a mentor for the Society’s Minority Medical Student Award Program for more than 10 years. Dr. Thompson is currently a member of the ASH Sickle Cell Task Force and a reviewer for ASH’s journal, Blood. ■
