Minority medical students receive support to increase diversity in ...( (WASHINGTON May 6 2008) The America...),Health

(WASHINGTON, May 6, 2008) The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is proud to announce the selection of 15 participants for its 2008 Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP), which encourages minority medical students to purse an interest in hematology research. Under the program, each award recipient will receive the support of a research mentor and a career development mentor, travel stipends to attend medical meetings, and a subscription to the scientific journal Blood, the official journal of ASH.

"Since the MMSAP's beginning in 2004, ASH has been strong supporter of this pioneering award," said ASH President Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, of the University of California - San Diego School of Medicine. "I'm pleased to announce that this year's program has the largest number of participants yet, including three returning students. This program is an important tool in encouraging our brightest students from traditionally underrepresented groups to enter careers in hematology research."

For an eight- to 12-week period, MMSAP participants will work closely with their mentors on a hematology-related research project. The subjects investigated by this year's students include lymphoma, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and stem cells. The awardees will also have the opportunity to present the results of their research at ASH's annual meeting in December, one of the largest medical meetings in the country with more than 20,000 attendees.

The 2008 MMSAP winners are:

• Awet Abraha
  Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI

• Olabunmi Agboola
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL

• Nnenaya Agochukwu
  Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Shreveport, LA

• Alana Biggers
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL

• Jaime Brewer
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of M
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