AABB Congratulates 2024 Award Recipients

AABB is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of the Association’s prestigious awards. The awards, bestowed annually, are presented to distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to AABB and the field of transfusion medicine and biotherapies.

“The recipients of this year’s AABB awards represent some of the most important leaders in the field of transfusion medicine and biotherapies,” said Aaron A. R. Tobian, MD, PhD, AABB president. “This extraordinary group of women and men have helped to advance the field, expand treatment options and improve health outcomes for countless patients. AABB is proud to honor them and celebrate their distinguished careers.”

This year’s recipients are as follows:

Bernard Fantus Lifetime Achievement Medal:
Marion Elizabeth Reid, FIMBS, PhD, DSc(Hon.)
In recognition of her critical scientific achievements, influence, and unwavering commitment to the field of transfusion medicine during her extraordinary career. Among her many accomplishments, her seminal research and publications elucidated many blood group antigens and systems. Her fulfillment of the need for a textbook to further education, The Blood Group Antigen FactsBook, is a legacy for current and future generations. Her work also led to a greater understanding of the molecular basis of blood groups, which spurred novel developments in the field and influenced subsequent generations of transfusion medicine scientists.

Landsteiner-Alter Award:
Michael P. Busch, MD, PhD
In recognition of his critical, field-advancing research throughout his extraordinary career. Among Dr. Busch’s many accomplishments, his work has been vital in improving our understanding of viral and serological markers, as well as the infectivity of blood transfusions. His research played a significant role in helping the field to further develop strategies to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections, thus improving the safety of blood transfusion and biotherapies worldwide.

Emily Cooley Memorial Award:
Cassandra D. Josephson, MD 
In recognition of her scientific achievements and her unwavering support and efforts in mentoring the next generation of transfusion medicine leaders. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Josephson’s work led to critical advancements in pediatric care. Her research was instrumental in discovering that necrotizing enterocolitis is associated with anemia, which provided critical evidence that RBC transfusion is safe in most instances for preterm infants.

Tibor Greenwalt Memorial Award:
James C. Zimring, MD, PhD 
In recognition of his vast influence on the field and his scientific achievements. Dr. Zimring was among the first to use murine models extensively to study transfusion-based alloimmunization to red blood cells, hemolytic transfusion reactions and mechanisms of immunoprophylaxis of anti-D. These models have since been used throughout the field and have been indispensable in spurring further developments and leading to improvements in blood safety worldwide.

Hemphill-Jordan Leadership Award:
Yvette Marie Miller, MD, ABIHM
For her unwavering commitment to advancing health equity, for her strong leadership in the field, and for her work in pursuing access to optimal health care for all patients. Dr. Miller has been an essential leader in the blood and biotherapies community and has, throughout her distinguished career, shared her expertise and knowledge with colleagues in pursuit of advancing care and ensuring a more equitable field for both providers and patients. Among her wide-ranging influence on our Association, her voice was essential in the establishment of AABB’s DEIA Committee.

Sally Frank Memorial Award:
LeeAnn Walker, Med, MLS(ASCP)SBB
In grateful recognition for her strong leadership and influence on the field of blood banking. LeeAnn Walker has dedicated her career to advancing the field and has been a vital leader in providing education to younger generations. She has passionately shared her expertise and enthusiasm with hundreds of students, passing on knowledge and ensuring the future success of the field; many of her students have gone on to have influential careers as well.

Dale Smith Memorial Award:
James Earl Crowe, Jr., MD  
For his innovative and field-advancing research on human antibodies. Dr. Crowe’s work has been instrumental in the development of human monoclonal antibodies and represents a significant expansion of antibody-mediated immune interventions to prevent and treat infectious diseases.

AABB Foundation Award for Innovative Research:
Vijay Bhoj, MD, PhD
For his 2018 AABB Foundation-funded research project, titled “Dissecting the Humoral Response to FVIII for Therapeutic Applications.” Dr. Bhoj’s research led to a deeper understanding of CAR T therapies for patients with cancer that set the stage for purposeful development of such therapies for antibody-mediated diseases and later led to the development of a potential CAR T cell therapy for autoimmune pemphigus vulgaris. These therapies may extend to other conditions with the hopes of finding curative solutions for diseases that are currently managed with long term immunosuppressive therapies and often prone to relapse. Since the completion of his AABB Foundation grant in 2020, Dr. Bhoj has co-authored 17 scientific papers, of which he is senior author on six.

Transfusion Research Innovation in Scientific Excellence (RISE) Award:
Article: “Plasma transfusion–transmission of Zika virus in mice and macaques”
Authors: Sonia Bakkour, Michael P. Busch, Lark L. Coffey, Marion C. Lanteri, Kai Lu, Felicia Santa Maria, Marcus O. Muench, Graham Simmons, Anil Singapuri, Inderdeep Singh, Mars Stone, Jackson Stuart, Koen K. A. Van Rompay, Phillip C. Williamson, JoAnn L. Yee


AABB congratulates this year’s award recipients and looks forward to honoring them in-person at the upcoming 2024 AABB Annual Meeting, to be held Oct. 19-22 in Houston, Texas. The Bernard Fantus Lifetime Achievement Medal and the Research Innovation in Scientific Excellence (RISE) Award will be bestowed during the General Session of the Annual Meeting, which begins at 3 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Additional awards will be presented – and will include lectureships by the recipients – during the following sessions:

Landsteiner-Alter Award: Donor and Recipient Safety and Transfusion Efficacy Research: Past, Present and Future (presented by Michael Busch, Landsteiner-Alter Award recipient), taking place on Monday, Oct. 21, from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m.

Emily Cooley Memorial Award: Pediatric Transfusion Medicine: A Coming-of-Age Journey (presented by Cassandra Josephson, Emily Cooley Memorial Award recipient), taking place on Monday, Oct. 21, from 2 to 3 p.m.

Tibor Greenwalt Memorial Award: Alloimmunization to RBC Transfusion: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Future Directions (presented by James Zimring, Tibor Greenwalt Memorial Award recipient), taking place on Monday, Oct. 21, from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.

Hemphill-Jordan Leadership Award: Cross-Cultural Conversations: Advancing Equity Through Interprofessional Education: A Template For Organizational Change (presented by Yvette Miller, Hemphill-Jordan Leadership Award recipient), taking place on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m.

Sally Frank Memorial Award: The Importance of Mentors... or The Long and Winding Road (presented by LeeAnn Walker, Sally Frank Memorial Award recipient), taking place on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m.