European blood researchers receive award to pursue research opportuni...( (WASHINGTON February 7 2008) The Eu...),Health

(WASHINGTON, February 7, 2008) The European Hematology Association (EHA) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) have selected Lapo Alinari, MD, and Serena Kimi Perna, MD, as the recipients of the second annual EHA-ASH International Fellowship Award, which was established to help strengthen ties between American and European scientific communities.

The EHA-ASH International Fellowship Award provides hematologists in training or in the early phase of their careers with the opportunity to pursue research in a new environment, gaining invaluable experience. Awardees from North America and Europe receive $75,000 to fund their research at the institution of their choice. The fellowship, which encourages increased collaboration between scientists, also grants recipients additional travel stipends to attend both the EHA and ASH annual meetings.

Dr. Alinari, of the Sragnoli Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology in Italy, will pursue his research project, Role of the Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) in B Cell Transformation at The Ohio State University. This experience will enhance my ability to share and discuss my research with colleagues, which will strengthen my communication skills, challenge my original research ideas, and spark new insight into potential treatment approaches, said Dr. Alinari, who earned his degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Florence.

In July, Dr. Perna will travel to Baylor College of Medicine to continue her work in gene therapy and lymphoproliferative disorders. I am strongly convinced that an EHA-ASH International Fellowship Award would be of tremendous help in supporting the early stage of my career as a physician-scientist, stated Dr. Perna, who is currently a hematology resident at the San Raffaele Hospital, also in Italy.

'/>"/>