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Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the (U of U) announces Ami Patel, MD, has been selected by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to receive a Scholar Award. One of ASH’s most prestigious research award programs, ASH Scholar Awards financially support fellows and junior faculty who have dedicated their careers to advancing the field of hematology research as they transition from training programs to careers as independent investigators. The awards fund promising, high-impact research areas led by the Scholars.

Patel is a physician-scientist at HCI and assistant professor of internal medicine at the U of U. She cares for patients with myeloid leukemias, including chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Her research program focuses on understanding the biology of leukemia in order to identify new drug targets and treat the disease more effectively.

The ASH Scholar Award will help Patel conduct her recently opened clinical trial for CMML patients at HCI. The trial will use the drug cobimetinib in the treatment of CMML patients with specific cancer cell mutations. Patel will collect blood samples from CMML patients treated with cobimetinib on the clinical trial and analyze leukemia cells using sequencing technology to shed light on how cancer cells respond to cobimetinib treatment. "I am honored to be the recipient of an ASH Scholar Award," says Patel. "This award will provide funds to advance scientific knowledge regarding this rare disease. The fact that this is one of the nation’s first molecularly targeted drug trials designed specifically for CMML patients is quite exciting and underscores the critical need for this type of research as we work to improve outcomes for people with CMML."

The Scholar Award funds hematologists in the United States and Canada who conduct basic, translational, and clinical research that furthers the understanding and treatment of blood disorders.

"When you’re beginning your research career, receiving funding from an organization like ASH not only provides the necessary support to pursue your goals, but it also instills confidence that your work is worthwhile," says 2021 ASH President Martin S. Tallman, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "The ASH Scholar Award has been a turning point in the careers of fellows and early career faculty who have gone on to become leaders in our field. We congratulate this year’s recipients and look forward to watching their promising research careers unfold."

ASH Scholar Awards are made possible through support from the ASH Foundation as well as from the corporate community, individual donors, and funds committed by the Society. Patel also acknowledges her mentor, Michael Deininger, MD, PhD, the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah Health Department of Internal Medicine, and Huntsman Cancer Foundation for their generous support of her research efforts.

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About the American Society of Hematology

The (ASH) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For 60 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. ASH publishes , the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online, as well as the newly launched, online, peer-reviewed open-access journal Blood Advances.