The Blood and Blood Advances Editorial Fellowship Programs are two of the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) many resources to help train the next generation of hematologists, specifically those interested in pursuing an editorial role in medical publishing. ASH’s editorial fellows have the unique opportunity to work closely alongside the editors of two leading journals in the field of hematology: Blood and Blood Advances.
In this one-year program, fellows are mentored by a journal editor specific to their area of expertise, learn about the editorial processes associated with Blood or Blood Advances, and are introduced to journal production and post-publication activities. Additionally, fellows review one manuscript each month within their area of expertise, followed by mentor feedback.
This year, ASH welcomed four Blood editorial fellows, Melody Smith, MD, MS; Natasha Szuber, MD, MSc; Stephen Grover, PhD; and Justin Taylor, MD, and two Blood Advances editorial fellows, Delfim Duarte, MD, PhD, and Isabelle Becker, MD, PhD. In celebration of these two new cohorts, ASH Clinical News talked to some of the fellows and mentors to learn more about their experiences so far in the program, their biggest takeaways, and more.
What the Fellows Have to Say
Melody Smith, MD, MS
Dr. Smith, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Blood & Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, is working under the guidance of mentor and Blood associate editor Helen Heslop, MD, DSc. Dr. Smith, who has had her own independent lab for a few years, applied to the program in part to “learn more about the arc of the peer review process from manuscript submission to the journal decision.” In her short time as a fellow, she has already learned more about the decision process for sending a manuscript out for peer review and is looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the role of the editor over the next year.
Justin Taylor, MD
Dr. Taylor applied to be a fellow to “gain a glimpse behind the curtain of what goes on at [Blood] and in the editorial process.” An assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology at the University of Miami in Florida, Dr. Taylor is working with mentor Andrew Roberts, MBBS, PhD. “It has been really valuable to learn from [Dr. Roberts] about how things work at the journal, [and] it is also very rewarding to get feedback on papers that we review together.”
Dr. Taylor is interested in learning more about the responsibilities of an editor and said he has “already learned a lot with hands-on experience and direct interaction with the editors,” exactly what he was hoping to gain from the program.
Natasha Szuber, MD
Dr. Szuber is a hematologist at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal, Canada, and an associate professor at the University of Montreal. She served as editor of ASH News Daily in 2023 and said her experience on the board contributed to her interest in applying to the Blood Editorial Fellowship. “The more I explore these roles, the more I realize how much I’m drawn to the editorial world and would love to ultimately integrate an editorial capacity and vocation into my career,” she said.
Dr. Szuber is working with Blood associate editor Jason Gotlib, MD, MS, of Stanford Cancer Institute and is “so impressed with his level of investment in this program and how much he cares about including me in reviews, discussions on revisions, and decision-making processes.” During her fellowship, Dr. Szuber is looking forward to taking advantage of all opportunities to learn but is especially looking forward to developing a better understanding of the editorial workflow and rationale for decisions pertaining to the journal. “I would love to eventually pursue an editorial role in a greater capacity,” she said. “This fellowship is the first step.”
Isabelle Becker, PhD
Dr. Becker, a postdoctoral research fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital, is working under the mentorship of Blood Advances associate editor Alisa Wolberg, PhD, who is a professor and vice chair for basic science research at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Becker applied to the fellowship after being exposed to the reviewer side of peer review during her postdoctoral training.
“I felt like there was a lot of room for improvement,” she explained, and saw the fellowship as a way to “learn about what peer review entails and how editors might be able to implement changes to improve the peer review process for authors and reviewers.” Dr. Becker expressed interested in pursuing an editorial career and is excited for the opportunity to learn about the entire process of editing from receiving the manuscript to publication.
Delfim Duarte, MD, PhD
Dr. Duarte is the group leader of hematopoiesis and microenvironments at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health and a professor of medicine at the University of Porto, both in Portugal. He is working under the guidance of Blood Advances special section editor Rayne Rouce, MD, a hematologist at Texas Children’s Cancer Center and an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, both in Houston.
“I truly believe peer review and publishing are an essential part of my work as a physician and researcher,” Dr. Duarte said when explaining why he applied to the position. “I want to learn more about the ‘invisible’ work of editors,” he added. Dr. Duarte is looking forward to improving his writing and revision skills during the fellowship.
The Mentor Experience
In addition to serving as deputy editor of Blood, Dr. Roberts is the cancer research and treatments theme leader at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville, Australia. Dr. Roberts recommends the fellowship to early-career hematologists and hematology-focused investigators who have an interest in academic publishing. “Typically, applicants will have published themselves and see themselves building a career both in generating original content and publishing original content from colleagues,” he said.
He and Dr. Heslop, who is also deputy director of the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine, agree that the best part of serving as a mentor is working with the fellows. “[I enjoy] interactions with the fellows and hearing their perspectives,” Dr. Heslop said.
“[I most enjoy] meeting and exchanging views with people who are the future of hematology,” Dr. Roberts said. He added that this year’s cohort is off to a great start. “Keep it up,” he said. “Challenge us and challenge yourselves.”
