Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s physician wins prestigious 2017 William Dameshek Prize from the American Society of Hematology

  • Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD, current chair of Medical Oncology, was presented with recognition at annual American Society of Hematology meeting
  • Ebert is notable for his leadership in describing the genomic landscape of adult myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

 Newswise — ATLANTA – Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD, chair of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston has been named the recipient of the 2017 William Dameshek Prize from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for his seminal discoveries in multiple areas of non-malignant and malignant hematology.

The William Dameshek Prize is awarded to an early-or mid-career hematologist who has made a recent outstanding contribution to the field of hematology. This prize is named after the late William Dameshek, MD, a past president of ASH and the original editor of Blood. ASH President Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, a former recipient of this award, presented this award to Ebert on Tuesday, December 12, during the 59th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta.

Ebert is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Prior to being appointed as chair of medical oncology at Dana-Farber, he serves as leader of the Leukemia Program for the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, an Institute Member at the Broad Institute, and an Associate Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Ebert is notable for his leadership in describing the genomic landscape of adult myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including identifying critical new roles for ribosomal dysfunction. Specifically, he identified RPS14 as a key gene for deletion 5q MDS. His laboratory discovered the molecular basis of lenalidomide activity in MDS as well as multiple myeloma. Recent studies have characterized clonal hematopoiesis and its contribution to both hematologic malignancies and cardiovascular disease. Along with human genetic studies, Ebert’s lab has made significant contributions to understanding the biological basis of transformation of hematopoietic cells by somatic mutations. His work has demonstrated creativity, innovative methodology, and direct human relevance.

Before beginning his medical career, Ebert was a Rhodes Scholar, during which time he studied oxygen-regulated expression of the erythropoietin gene at Oxford with Peter Ratcliffe. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1999, completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2001, and went on to complete his clinical fellowship in hematology and oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Ebert completed his postdoctoral research fellowship with Todd Golub at the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University in 2007.

Ebert is an active member of ASH. He is currently co-chair of the ASH Task Force on Precision Medicine, and has served as Scientific Program Co-Chair for the 2014 ASH Annual Meeting and chair of the ASH Committee on Myeloid Biology in 2012. He is currently President of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and a member of the Association of American Physicians. He has served on editorial boards, including Blood. In addition to the William Dameshek Prize, his awards include the Harvard Medical School Young Mentor Award, the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program Thomas A. McMahon Mentoring Award, and the International Society for Experimental Hematopoiesis Till and McCullough Award.

“The Society is honored to recognize Dr. Ebert as one of the leading young investigators in hematology,” said ASH President Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, of the Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Myeloma Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “Dr. Ebert is a rising star who has used innovative scientific approaches to transform our basic understanding of hematopoiesis, which have already translated to novel treatment paradigms in myelodysplasia and bone marrow failure disorders, and will impact a much broader range of diseases in the future.”

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute From achieving the first remissions in childhood cancer with chemotherapy in 1948, to developing the very latest new therapies, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. It is the only center ranked in the top 4 of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for both adult and pediatric cancer care. Dana-Farber sits at the center of a wide range of collaborative efforts to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center provides the latest in cancer care for adults; Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center for children. The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center unites the cancer research efforts of five Harvard academic medical centers and two graduate schools, while Dana-Farber Community Cancer Care provides high quality cancer treatment in communities outside Boston’s Longwood Medical Area.   Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique 50/50 balance between cancer research and care, and much of the Institute’s work is dedicated to translating the results of its discovery into new treatments for patients in Boston, and around the world.

About American Society of Hematology The American Society of Hematology is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For more than 50 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 Blood, the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online. In 2016, ASH launched Blood Advances, an online, peer-reviewed open-access journal.

 

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