ASPHO Recognizes Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologists at Annual Meeting

The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) presented several annual awards at the 2025 ASPHO Conference from May 7 to 10 in Louisville, Kentucky, to recognize early-, mid-, or senior-career experts who display excellence in the field of pediatric hematology/oncology.

Distinguished Career Award

William L. Carroll, MD, of New York University (NYU) Langone Health, received the 2025 Distinguished Career Award. This accolade recognizes a senior physician who made a major impact in the field of pediatric hematology/oncology through research, education, patient care, and advocacy.

As a professor in the Department of Pathology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Dr. Carroll focuses his research on pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and using modern genomic and epigenomic methods to understand the genesis and evolution of the disease, according to his faculty profile.

“I am honored and profoundly grateful to receive the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology’s Distinguished Career Award,” Dr. Carroll told Blood Cancers Today. “My success has been predicated on collaborating with a remarkable community of colleagues, all dedicated to the cure of childhood cancer. Personally, my greatest accomplishment has been training the next generation of clinician-investigators who continue to move the field forward at an astonishing speed.”

George R. Buchanan Lectureship Award

The 2025 George R. Buchanan Lectureship Award was presented to James H. Feusner, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.

The award honors George R. Buchanan, MD, founding member and former president of ASPHO, and is presented to a nationally or internationally recognized educator, mentor, and effective speaker with significant research, education, and clinical expertise. At the annual meeting, Dr. Feusner will present data on all-trans retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukemia and share advice to younger colleagues on obtaining satisfaction and long-lasting careers.

Dr. Feusner’s research includes nelarabine in pediatric and young adult T-cell ALL, central nervous system relapse in ALL, and obesity in pediatric acute promyelocytic leukemia, according to his faculty profile.

“I was quite surprised when notified about this reward. It is something I had never thought about receiving, although we, George and I, do have some career similarities,” Dr. Feusner told Blood Cancers Today.

Childhood Cancer Survivorship Award for Excellence

Lucie M. Turcotte, MD, MPH, MS, of the University of Minnesota, received the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Award for Excellence for her efforts in advancing patient survivorship. Dr. Turcotte’s research focuses on the outcomes of cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapies.

Funded by Northwestern Mutual, this award honors a mid-career childhood cancer survivorship investigator with a growing portfolio of research and project funding. Dr. Turcotte received a $10,000 honorarium to supplement innovative projects aiming to enhance the quality of life of pediatric cancer survivors.

Dr. Turcotte leads the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study’s Second Malignancy Working Group and is the silo leader for the Subsequent Malignant Neoplasm and Cancer Screening Task Force for the Children’s Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines, according to her faculty profile.

“Receiving the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Award for Excellence is an incredible honor,” Dr. Turcotte told Blood Cancers Today. “The survivorship community is small, and I have always felt so supported and have had incredible mentorship from Dr. Joe Neglia at the University of Minnesota and also from the amazing network of researchers and mentors he has connected me with around the country. I hope I can support the next generation and provide them with the same mentorship and guidance that I was fortunate enough to receive.”

Reference

American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. Honoring excellence. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://aspho.org/career-development/awards/overview