WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2025 – Thanks to an array of scientific advances, more people who are diagnosed with blood cancer today will be cured than ever before.
And among those who cannot be cured, growing numbers will live their normal life spans thanks to treatments that keep the cancer at bay with few side effects.
Last night, Blood Cancer United®, formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, honored five scientists whose work helped get to this point and who today are digging even deeper into the science to save and improve more lives.
“Cancer research is a long, rigorous and expensive process,” said E. Anders Kolb, M.D., Blood Cancer United President and Chief Executive Officer. “Because cancer is startlingly complex, this type of research requires collaboration and consistent, long-term funding.”
For over 75 years, Blood Cancer United has led the way, providing more than $2 billion in funding for blood cancer research. The funding is vital to accelerating progress for patients, but only when it is matched to scientists with the expertise to move research ahead.
“Tonight, we honor five individuals who represent the very best of a deep and dedicated pool of scientists working all over the world to improve the lives of blood cancer patients and their families,” said Dr. Kolb.
The recipients were honored at the Blood Cancer United Research Awards & Networking Event on Sunday, December 7, in Orlando, where they together with more than 30,000 others gathered for the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition.
Honoring emerging and established research leaders
The Blood Cancer United Career Development Program Achievement awards recognize early- to mid-stage career researchers who have received CDP research grants and whose innovative work has already added significantly to the scientific understanding of blood cancer.
The awards were presented by Gwen Nichols, M.D., Blood Cancer United Chief Medical Officer.
“Each of these scientists is working on a different aspect of what drives blood cancer,” said Dr. Nichols. “I have no doubt that each of them will continue to uncover key information that will translate into better outcomes for patients.”
CDP Scholar Achievement Award: Michael R. Green, Ph.D. Dr. Michael Green is professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His work focuses on understanding how changes in genes and in the environment around the genes can give rise to B-cell lymphomas and myeloma.
“I’m excited about the state of the lymphoma research field, despite current challenges, and our collective potential to make continued and significant advances that will improve the outcomes for lymphoma patients,” he said. “I’m happy to be part of it, and I thank Blood Cancer United for their important contributions to funding this research.”
CDP Scholar Achievement Award: Jennifer Trowbridge, Ph.D. Dr. Jennifer Trowbridge is a professor and the Dattels Family Endowed Chair at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Dr. Trowbridge is researching the internal and external processes and forces that regulate stems cells in the blood and why some of them develop normally while others become cancerous.
“This award came at a pivotal moment in my career, providing both the confidence and the resources to pursue bold, high-risk ideas with the potential for transformative impact,” she said. “Support from Blood Cancer United’s career development program not only validated my vision as an emerging scientist but also empowered me to take creative, innovative approaches to understanding basic biology underlying blood cancers. This recognition represents more than funding—it’s an investment in discovery, in future scientific leaders, and in patients whose lives depend on these breakthroughs.”
CDP Special Fellow Achievement Award: Eugenio Morelli, M.D. Dr. Eugenio Morelli is an assistant professor at the Candiolo Cancer Institute at the University of Torino in Italy. His research focuses on understanding how to harness RNA, a genetic messenger that is vital for the functioning of our cells, as a way to treat blood cancers, particularly multiple myeloma.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Blood Cancer United CDP Achievement Award,” he said. “This recognition reinforces my lab’s commitment to uncover how RNA shapes cancer biology and to turn these discoveries into new therapies for patients with blood cancers.”
Honoring scientists whose dedication and service inspire us
The Blood Cancer United Excellence in Scientific Service award recognizes scientists who have a profound impact on blood cancer not just in their research, but also through their commitment to Blood Cancer United and their dedication to all the patients we serve.
The awards were presented by Blood Cancer United Chief Scientific Officer Lore Gruenbaum, Ph.D. “We are proud to honor world-class scientists John Byrd and Ravi Bhatia for their incredible commitment to blood cancer research and for volunteering their time to help Blood Cancer United find and fund innovative science that is paving the way to more cures and a better quality of life for patients and families.”
Excellence in Scientific Service Award: John C. Byrd, M.D. Dr. John Byrd is director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and associate vice chancellor for cancer affairs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His groundbreaking work helped develop life-changing targeted therapies for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, replacing harsh chemotherapy regimens that had been used for decades.
As one of his many commitments to Blood Cancer United, Dr. Byrd is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Blood Cancer United Beat AML® Master Clinical Trial. He has volunteered with Beat AML for over ten years and has been CMO since its inception. He also sits on the Advisory Council for the Therapy Acceleration Program, Blood Cancer United’s unique strategic venture philanthropy initiative.
“I have seen Blood Cancer United contribute to so many different treatment approaches that have changed patients’ lives in a meaningful way,” he said. “To have been included allowed me to contribute in some of these impactful efforts including support of my own research that developed life changing therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and also Beat AML, a precision medicine study that moved the field from treating everyone the same versus for the specific type of AML, has been truly so special to me.”
Excellence in Scientific Service Award: Ravi Bhatia, M.D. Dr. Ravi Bhatia is director of the Division of Hematopoietic Stem Cell and Leukemia Research and co-Director of the Hematological Malignancies Program of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Among his scientific contributions was a breakthrough in understanding how some cancer cells persist in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who appear to be in deep remission after treatment.
Dr. Bhatia is a member of the Medical and Scientific Affairs Committee, which advises the Blood Cancer United Board of Directors and research leadership on a range of issues, including recommending funding for research grant awards. He also tirelessly volunteers his time and expertise to the Research Grants Program, including as long-time grant proposal chair for prestigious Blood Cancer United grants.
“I have had a long association with Blood Cancer United through my patients, grant reviews, but especially through the support I have received for my research over more than 25 years,” she said. “I am privileged to have been able to give back and am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award.”
For more information, please contact [email protected].
About Blood Cancer United®
Blood Cancer United® (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) is the largest global nonprofit focused on blood cancer patient support, research, and advocacy. The organization’s mission is to cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of all patients and their families. To achieve it, Blood Cancer United brings together a community of people—patients and their families, volunteers, healthcare providers, scientists, staff, partners, fundraisers, and philanthropists—who believe all blood cancer patients deserve longer, fuller lives.
Since the organization’s founding in 1949, it has consistently evolved to better serve people affected by all 100-plus types of blood cancers—including leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Blood Cancer United offers free, trustworthy resources, personalized support, and community for anyone affected by blood cancer. The organization has invested more than $2 billion in research, which continues to increase survival rates. Blood Cancer United advocates nationally and locally for more accessible and affordable healthcare for all patients.
For support and to learn more, visit www.BloodCancerUnited.org. Patients can contact blood cancer information specialists at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Connect with the organization on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.