Josef T. Prchal, MD
Sherrill J. Slichter, MD
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY of Hematology (ASH) will recognize Josef T. Prchal, MD, of the University of Utah, and Sherrill J. Slichter, MD, of Bloodworks Northwest and the University of Washington, with the 2017 Henry M. Stratton Medal for their seminal contributions in the areas of basic and clinical/ translational hematology research, respectively.
The Henry M. Stratton Medal is named after the late Henry Maurice Stratton, cofounder of Grune and Stratton, the medical publishing house that first published ASH’s journal Blood. The prize honors two senior investigators whose contributions to both basic and clinical/translational hematology research are well recognized and have taken place over several years. Drs. Prchal and Slichter will accept their awards on Tuesday, December 12, during the 59th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta.
Josef T. Prchal, MD
DR. PRCHAL, the recipient of the 2017 Henry M. Stratton Medal for Basic Science, is Professor of Medicine in Hematology, Pathology, and Genetics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. During the past 40 years, he has made original and lasting scientific contributions to the study of a broad range of red cell disorders. In particular, he is highly regarded for his research on disorders of increased red cell mass, including primary as well as inherited and acquired forms of both secondary erythrocytosis and polycythemia vera.
His laboratory described the VHL mutation in recessive Chuvash familial polycythemia and elaborated on the pathobiology of EPOR mutations in autosomal-dominant familial polycythemia. His genetic investigations of acquired polycythemia vera led to the association of chromosome 9p abnormalities with the disease. More recently, he and his collaborators showed that Tibetans are protected from high-altitude polycythemia as a result of a high-altitude genetic adaptation.
Sherrill J. Slichter, MD
DR. SLICHTER, the recipient of the 2017 Henry M. Stratton Medal for Clinical/Translational Science, is Professor of Medicine/Hematology at the University of Washington and Director of Platelet Transfusion Research at Bloodworks Northwest in Seattle.
Dr. Slichter’s major contributions to the field of transfusion medicine over 45 years have revolutionized platelet transfusion therapy. She has identified methods to significantly prolong the shelf life of platelets, determined approaches to prevent alloimmune platelet refractoriness, identified the minimum number of platelets required to maintain hemostasis, and provided insights into understanding platelet production and viability. These long-term studies have established and improved state-of-the-art practice in transfusion medicine.
“I am honored to present the Henry M. Stratton Medal to Drs. Prchal and Slichter for their exceptional commitment to research and clinical care in the areas of red cell disorders and transfusion medicine,” said ASH President Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, of the Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Myeloma Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. ■
