We are happy to announce the new Erasmus Hematology Lecture Series! Starting on September 2nd, there will be lectures from excellent researchers covering a wide range of hematological (and related) topics.

Prof Dr Ivo Touw from the Hematology department has received the David Grimwade Award. The European Hematology Association awards this prize annually to a leading researcher in hematology.

Prof Dr Marc Raaijmakers and co-authors have won a HemaSphere award for their article “Azacytidine Treatment for VEXAS Syndrome”, adding very important information to the understanding of the treatment for VEXAS syndrome. The award recognizes the importance of this study for the hematology field and for supporting HemaSphere, the open access journal of the European Hematology Association. Additionally, the publication is in the top 5 of HemaSphere’s highly cited papers from 2021.

On June 10 & 11, the 7th workshop on “Molecular aspects of normal and malignant hematopoiesis” was held. This workshop, organized by the Department of Hematology of the Erasmus MC, is intended for PhD students and postdocs from all hematology groups in Belgium and the Netherlands, so they can present their latest research and meet their colleagues.

From fluffy, elusive protein to a possible target for a drug against an aggressive form of acute leukemia. The research group of Prof Ruud Delwel from Erasmus MC discovered a way to inhibit leukemia cells in a culture container and in laboratory animals with the help of artificial intelligence.

To treat leukemia, patients receive a stem cell transplant. These stem cells are processed and prepared under strict safety conditions, where it is important that this is done in a sterile manner. The patients are very susceptible to infections. That is why the processing of these stem cell transplants takes place in a clean room. The current clean room dates from 1998 and is in serious need of replacement.

Internist-hematologist Professor Marc Raaijmakers has been awarded nearly € 400,000 by the KWF for his study on acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

During the annual symposium of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Trombose en Hemostase (NVTH) in Koudekerke, the department of Hematology of the Erasmus MC swept 2 out of 3 annual NVTH Basic Science awards. Isabel Bär and Sophie Hordijk, both from the research group of Dr Ruben Bierings, were recognized for their excellent abstracts and oral presentations of their work.

On March 20, Maurice Swinkels successfully defended his dissertation: 'Zooming in on Platelets in Hemostatic Disorders'.

On 6 March, Ruth Wester successfully defended her PhD thesis: 'Clinical Trials in Multiple Myeloma'

Dr Ruben Bierings and his colleagues have received an NWO grant of € 750k for molecular research into blood clotting diseases.

The Jaap Steenbergen Stipendium, named after one of the first hematologists working in the Netherlands, is awarded annually by the NVvH to a young researcher who has written the best hematological thesis. This year it was awarded to Roger Mulet Lazaro from the hematology department of the Erasmus MC.

The KWF has awarded a grant for the research project: 'predicting recurrence through molecular residual disease detection in FLT3-ITD AML patients treated with specific FLT3 inhibitors' by molecular biologist Peter Valk of the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute.

We are excited to announce a new digital lecture series!

The Hematology department of the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute has received a large grant of € 7 million from the American charity MMRF.

Four PhD students successfully defended their thesis' this September. We congratulate them and wish them well in their careers. 

At the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) congress in Montreal, Canada, Iris van Moort received one of the Fundamental Research Career Development Awards. This award aims to strengthen fundamental hemostasis research by supporting innovative ideas of high-potential early career investigators (link).

Internist-haematologist Prof. Marc Raaijmakers has been appointed visiting professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. His teaching assignment: the biology of stem cell niches. "We want to understand the role of stem cell niches in the development of cancer."

Three researchers from the Department of Hematology have received grants from KWF Kankerbestrijding. 

On June 6 & 7, Ruud Delwel organized the 6th workshop on “Molecular aspects of normal and malignant hematopoiesis”. This workshop is intended for PhD students and postdocs from all hematology groups in Belgium and the Netherlands, so that they can present their latest research and meet their colleagues. An experienced keynote speaker from the Netherlands and abroad was invited for each session.