AABB22: AABB Congratulates 2022 President’s Award Recipients

The 2022 AABB President’s Awards were announced today during the General Session of the virtual AABB Annual Meeting.

The AABB President’s Awards are bestowed annually and the recipients are selected each year by the AABB President. The honor recognizes “extraordinary public service and contributions of an individual or an organization in the health care arena” and recipients are honored for work that “furthers AABB’s goals and missions.”

During today’s General Session, Dana Devine, PhD (AABB President, 2021-22) announced the 13 recipients of this year’s prestigious President’s Awards. Below we recognize each of this year’s awardees, along with their citation. Congratulations to each on this well-deserved recognition.

Asawari Bapat, DPB, PGDHHM

In recognition of your many contributions helping to advance AABB’s work in biotherapies, including service on AABB’s Cellular Therapy Section Coordinating Committee, leadership on the Cord Blood and Asia Pacific Group subsections, and outreach as an AABB international ambassador.

Wanxing Cui, MD, PhD

In recognition of your many contributions helping to advance AABB’s work in biotherapies, including service on AABB’s Cellular Therapy Section Coordinating Committee, education initiatives and the mentoring program, and for your leadership of the Asia Pacific Group.

Mike Halpenny

In recognition of your service on AABB’s Cellular Therapies Section Coordinating Committee and the CT Current and Emerging Topics Subsection, and for your many contributions to the AABB Annual Meeting and education activities that support the mission of the Association.

Maria De Los Angeles Muñiz, MD

In recognition of your service translating AABB materials for a Spanish-speaking audience and for the outstanding success of this initiative, which has helped to bring critical education in transfusion medicine and biotherapies to Spanish-speaking professionals. In addition, this honor recognizes your unwavering dedication to AABB’s Cellular Therapy Section Coordinating Committee and the Spanish Language Subsection.

Federico Rodriguez Quezada SBB, MLSi(ASCP)CM

In recognition of your service translating AABB materials for a Spanish-speaking audience and for the outstanding success of this initiative, which has helped to bring critical education in transfusion medicine and biotherapies to Spanish-speaking professionals. In addition, this honor recognizes your unwavering dedication to AABB’s Cellular Therapy Section Coordinating Committee and the Spanish Language Subsection.

Mary Townsend, MD

In recognition of your exceptional leadership and tireless commitment to AABB’s Donor History Task Force. Your work on the Task Force since its inception 22 years ago has helped to ensure safety and advance the field.

Dan A. Waxman, MD

In recognition of your unprecedented service to the blood and biotherapies community as a co-leader of AABB’s Thursday Forum since 2020. In addition to shouldering responsibilities at your own blood collection facility throughout the pandemic, your work on the Thursday Forum has helped to promote the sharing of scientific knowledge and provided a much-needed connection for the community.

Jed B. Gorlin, MD, MBA

In recognition of your unprecedented service to the blood and biotherapies community as a co-leader of AABB’s Thursday Forum since 2020. In addition to shouldering responsibilities at your own blood collection facility throughout the pandemic, your work on the Thursday Forum has helped to promote the sharing of scientific knowledge and provided a much-needed connection for the community.

Gay Wehrli, MD, MBA, MSEd

In recognition of your tireless commitment to education for the blood and biotherapies field, and for your dedicated leadership of the AABB Annual Meeting Education Committee (2018-2021) and the AABB Annual Meeting Highlights in the Middle East conference (2018-2020). Your work helped to elevate the quality of education at AABB’s Annual Meetings and your leadership was instrumental in ensuring a successful transition to virtual meetings during the pandemic.

Aikaj Jindal, MD, MBA

In recognition of your critical work on AABB’s Transfusion Safety Office and Patient Blood Management Subsection. Your dedication has helped strengthen the subsection as it has expanded globally, helping to fulfill AABB’s mission of making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available and effective worldwide.

Amit Tayal, MD

In recognition of your critical work on AABB’s Transfusion Safety Office and Patient Blood Management Subsection. Your dedication has helped strengthen the subsection as it has expanded globally, helping to fulfill AABB’s mission of making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available and effective worldwide.

Sadhana Mangwana, MD, MBA

In recognition of your critical work on AABB’s Transfusion Safety Office and Patient Blood Management Subsection. Your dedication has helped strengthen the subsection as it has expanded globally, helping to fulfill AABB’s mission of making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available and effective worldwide.

Amita Radhakrishnan Nair, MD

In recognition of your critical work on AABB’s Transfusion Safety Office and Patient Blood Management Subsection. Your dedication has helped strengthen the subsection as it has expanded globally, helping to fulfill AABB’s mission of making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available and effective worldwide.