Robert Negrin, MD, serves as vice president of ASH’s Executive Committee. He is a professor of medicine and former chief of the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Stanford University in Stanford, California.
1. If you were to compile a bucket list, what would top that list?
I have been so fortunate to do so many things and travel to so many places. I would like to make a long-lasting impact in Southeast Asia or other less-developed areas where I have spent a lot of time.
2. What ASH luminary do you most admire? (Who’s your ASH-lebrity?)
Karl Blume, Stan Schrier, and David Nathan all influenced my life and career in so many ways, and I am deeply appreciative to all of them. They are the shoulders that I stand on.
3. What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Enjoy the ride with grace, humility, and humor. Try not to take yourself too seriously.
4. When I’m down, _____ brings me up.
Doing something physical like yoga, playing a round of golf, or taking a long walk with my dog.
5. What’s your one can’t-miss presentation or event at the ASH annual meeting?
There are so many, but I always enjoy the plenary the most to hear the latest and greatest. And the parties are great!
6. What’s your hidden talent?
I think I am very intuitive, something I have wondered about how one harnesses and cultivates. How can it be taught?
7. If you could wave a wand and change one thing about the practice of medicine, what would that be?
Our compulsive interactions with computers rather than patients.
8. What do you see as the next big advance in hematology?
We are just beginning to use genetic and cellular therapy in novel and impactful ways. There is so much more to do and so many diseases that we can impact, it is all so exciting, I can’t wait to see the next chapters of this story.
9. When starting my career, I wish I had known …
That it is all about enjoying the ride. One never arrives, and that is the great beauty of the experience.
10. What’s your favorite movie?
The Shawshank Redemption. It’s a great story, with great acting and filled with interesting characters who are noble, deceptive, and engaging. And, of course, it ends with redemption.
