Cynthia E. Dunbar, MD Jennifer R. Brown, Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, Chancellor Donald, MD
MD, PhD MD
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has announced the election of four new members to its Executive Committee for terms starting after the 66th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, taking place December 7-10 in San Diego.
Cynthia E. Dunbar, MD, will serve a one-year term as vice president followed by successive terms as president-elect and president. Jennifer R. Brown, MD, PhD, will serve a four-year term as ASH secretary, and Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, MD, and Chancellor Donald, MD, will serve four-year terms as councillors.
“Drs. Dunbar, Brown, Holter-Chakrabarty, and Donald bring their unique perspectives and insights to ASH. They are experts in their field, and their strong leadership will guide and shape the Society in the coming years,” said ASH President Mohandas Narla, DSc, distinguished scientist at New York Blood Center Enterprises. “With their forward-thinking counsel, ASH will continue to spearhead innovative education, groundbreaking research, and transformative advocacy to drive meaningful change for patients with blood disorders worldwide.”
Dr. Dunbar is chief of the Translational Stem Cell Biology Branch and National Institutes of Health (NIH) distinguished investigator within the intramural program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. As a translational and clinical investigator, she has made significant contributions in hematopoiesis, bone marrow failure, and gene therapies. She is deeply committed to training the next generation of hematologists.
An ASH member since 1993, Dr. Dunbar has served on a range of committees over the years. She was the first woman to hold the position of editor-in-chief of Blood, from 2007 to 2012. Most recently, she has served as ASH secretary from 2021 to 2024, overseeing the ASH abstract process for the ASH annual meeting. She will continue to serve ASH in a personal capacity.
“Hematology has seen enormous advances during my career, from basic and translational science to patient care,” Dr. Dunbar said. “I look forward to working with the Society to strengthen the hematology workforce, promote access to existing and emerging therapies for patients with hematologic disorders, and improve research funding for hematology. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the diverse hematology community.”
Dr. Brown is the director of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Center of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Worthington and Margaret Collette Professor of Medicine in the field of Hematologic Oncology at Harvard Medical School. Her research interests include the development of targeted therapies for CLL and CLL genomics. Dr. Brown has been an ASH member since 2003 and has held numerous positions in that time. Currently, she is chair of the Committee on Educational Affairs and liaison to the Publications Committee and joint Program Committees.
Dr. Holter-Chakrabarty is a professor of medicine in the section of hematology/oncology at the University of Oklahoma. Her research background is in leukemia, transplantation, and imaging of marrow failure syndromes. An active ASH member since 2003, Dr. Holter-Chakrabarty is chair of the Committee on Government Affairs and co-chair of the Advocacy Leadership Institute and previously served as an appointed member on the Guideline Oversight Committee.
Dr. Donald is the medical director of cancer management and oncology services at University Medical Center New Orleans (Tulane Division) and an assistant professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. His academic focus is on advocacy and health disparities among patients with hematologic disorders and malignancies. An ASH member since 2008, Dr. Donald has served as chair of the Committee on Practice, member of the Health Equity Task Force, and ASH delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates.
Congratulations to the newest members of the ASH Executive Committee! Learn more about ASH leadership at hematology.org/about/governance.
