This award was initiated in 1954 as the Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award and Lectureship, honoring Karl Landsteiner, MD, whose lifetime research laid the foundation for modern blood transfusion therapy. It was renamed the Landsteiner-Alter Award in 2021 to also honor Harvey Alter, MD, longtime AABB member and leader in transfusion medicine, who received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research leading to the identification of the Hepatitis C virus. The Landsteiner-Alter Award recognizes a scientist whose original research has resulted in an important contribution to the body of scientific knowledge. The scientist who receives the award should have an international reputation in transfusion medicine or biotherapies. Recipient is selected by AABB’s Board of Directors.
Recipients:
Jeffrey L Carson, MD, MACP
Paul Hébert, MD, MA, MHSc, FRCPC, FCAHS
Nancy Heddle, MSc, FCSMLS(D)
Ian Roberts, MD
Citation:
The Landsteiner-Alter Award for 2022 recognizes four outstanding scientists: Jeffrey L. Carson, MD, MACP; Paul C. Hébert, MD, MA, MHSc, FRCPC, FCAHS; Nancy Heddle, MSc, FCSMLS(D); and Ian Roberts, MD, whose careers
have advanced novel methodologies and execution of large-scale clinical trials of the efficacy, safety, and complications of transfusion therapies.
This award honors Tibor Greenwalt, MD, who was the first registrant at the first AABB Annual Meeting and founding editor of TRANSFUSION. The award recognizes an individual who has made major scientific or clinical contributions to hematology, transfusion medicine or biotherapies, and succinctly communicated these advances. Recipient is selected by a joint committee composed of leaders from the Cellular Therapies Section Coordinating Committee and the Transfusion Medicine Section Coordinating Committee with formal approval by AABB’s Board of Directors.
Recipient:
D. Robert Sutherland, BSc, MSc
Citation:
For his scientific and clinical contributions to cellular therapies and hematology through both his leadership on flow cytometry analysis and characterization of CD34-positive cells for stem cell transplantation, PNH (Paroxysmal
Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria), ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), and more. Dr. Sutherland has been a pioneer in the development of the ISHAGE (International Society of Hemotherapy and Graft Engineering) guidelines for CD34 enumeration, now used worldwide.
This award began as a lectureship in 1963 and was designated as a Memorial Award in 1983. The Emily Cooley Memorial Award and Lectureship recognizes an individual who has demonstrated teaching ability and has made a major contribution to the field of transfusion medicine or biotherapies. Recipient is selected by a joint committee composed of leaders from the Cellular Therapies Section Coordinating Committee and the Transfusion Medicine Section Coordinating Committee with formal approval by AABB’s Board of Directors.
Recipient:
Thomas R. Spitzer, MD
Citation:
For his selfless mentorship of students, fellows, residents and interns, as well as his extensive supervision of younger professionals in clinical, laboratory and research settings during his career at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Spitzer has also been integrally involved with the Solid Organ Transplant Program at the MGH and worked on the development of novel bone marrow and kidney transplant protocols for the induction of immune tolerance.
The Sally Frank Memorial Award and Lectureship was established in 1982 in memory of Sally Frank and her dedication to red cell serology and education. This award recognizes an individual who is, or has been, a medical technologist involved with these fields and has demonstrated quality research, teaching and/or service abilities in the technical aspects of immunohematology. Recipient is selected by AABB’s Transfusion Medicine Section Coordinating Committee with formal approval by AABB’s Board of Directors.
Recipient:
Margaret Keller, PhD
Citation:
For her inspiring work as both educator and scientist, and for her tireless efforts to advance the field of immunohematology through active involvement in teaching and crafting educational experiences for blood bank/transfusion medicine fellows, and SBB and MLT students. In her scientific role, Dr. Keller provides state-of-the-art molecular testing for patients with complex serology, through which she supports the American Rare Donor Program.
This award, renamed in 2005 after Bernice Hemphill, W. Quinn Jordan, and Joel Solomon, honors leaders from the transfusion medicine and cellular therapy community. The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in the areas of administration, quality programs, law and/or government affairs. The individual has demonstrated leadership qualities and a consistent willingness to lend his/her expertise to his/her peers. The award may recognize one particular act or an accumulation of contributions throughout many years. Recipient is selected by a joint committee composed of leaders from the Cellular Therapies Section Coordinating Committee and the Transfusion Medicine Section Coordinating Committee with formal approval by AABB’s Board of Directors.
Recipient:
Ljiljana V Vasovic, MD
Citation:
For her passionate commitment to the field of laboratory medicine and biotherapies, as well as her gracious approach with her colleagues. Dr. Vasovic has volunteered on AABB’s Quality, Regulatory and Management subcommittee, which has benefited from her extensive knowledge and guidance. Dr. Vasovic’s willingness to share her expertise with colleagues has been vital in helping to advance knowledge across the field.
This award, established in 1956, recognizes an individual who has given outstanding service to AABB by demonstrating a willingness to lend his/her expertise to the association through work on committees, the AABB Board of Directors and other areas. The John Elliott Memorial Award is presented in odd years only.
Recipient:
Susan T. Johnson, MSTM, MT(ASCP)SBBCM
Director of Clinical Education, Versiti
Director of the Transfusion Medicine
Program, Marquette University
Associate Director, Indian Immunohematology Initiative
Citation:
For her extraordinary commitment to involvement on various committees and service through her numerous presentations of AABB programs related to Immunohematology and Reference Laboratories.
This award, created in 2002, honors Dale A. Smith, a long-time Baxter Healthcare executive who was responsible for establishing the Fenwal Division of Baxter. This award recognizes groundbreaking work performed in the application of technology to the practice of transfusion medicine or biotherapies. Recipient is selected by the National Blood Foundation (NBF) Scientific Grants Review Committee with formal approval by the NBF Board of Trustees.
Recipient:
Donald Branch, BS, MT(ASCP)SBB, PhD
Citation:
For his innovative research in developing ZZAP for warm auto adsorptions, which led to the development of the reagent W.A.R.M. This reagent is now used in major hospitals and laboratories worldwide to remove autoantibodies
for investigating underlying alloantibodies, and has been instrumental in helping to promote the safety of blood transfusions.
This award was established in 2016 to recognize a scientist whose original research resulted in an important contribution to the body of scientific knowledge in transfusion medicine or biotherapies. Recipient is selected by the NBF Scientific Grants Review Committee with formal approval by the NBF Board of Trustees.
Recipient:
Moritz Stolla, MD, PhD
Citation:
For his 2019 National Blood Foundation-funded research project, titled “Cold-stored Platelets for the Reversal of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy.” The project’s findings demonstrated that cold-stored platelets were largely equivalent to room temperature-stored platelets in reversing the effect of antiplatelet therapy. All cold-stored platelet units passed quality control analyses, and no platelet aggregates at the end of the storage period were observed. This project reported the first safety and in vivo efficacy data of 5-day cold-stored platelets in plasma. Dr. Stolla’s data could help influence decisions to move to a dual inventory easier and could have a practice-changing impact. Since the completion of his NBF grant in 2019, Dr. Stolla has co-authored 12 scientific papers, of which he is the senior author on six.
This award honors the author(s) of the best original research article published each year in TRANSFUSION. It recognizes impeccable study design, innovation, significance, and effective communication in any area of knowledge covered by the journal.
Selection of recipient(s) is a collaborative effort of the journal’s Associate Editors and the NBF Grants Review Committee. (The RISE Award is presented annually.) Recipient Selected by Associate Editors of TRANSFUSION with formal approval by the NBF Grants Review Committee.
Recipients:
Jessie S. Luken, MD
Claudia C. Folman, PhD
Michaël V. Lukens, PhD, EuSpLM
Johan H. Meekers, MLS(ASCP)
Peter C. Ligthart, MSc
Henk Schonewille, PhD
Jaap Jan Zwaginga, MD, PhD
Mart
P. Janssen, PhD
C. Ellen van der Schoot, MD, PhD
Johanna G. van der Bom, MD
Masja de Haas, MD, PhD
Citation:
For their original research article titled “Reduction of anti-K-mediated hemolytic disease of newborns after the introduction of a matched transfusion policy: A nation-wide policy change evaluation study in the Netherlands”
published in the 2021 volume year of TRANSFUSION.
AABB President’s Awards are given every year to recognize the extraordinary public service and contributions of an individual or an organization in the health care arena. The recipients’ work furthers AABB’s goals and missions.
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