The European Hematology Association (EHA) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) have selected Ingmar Bruns, MD, as the seventh recipient of the EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award, which serves to strengthen ties between North American and European scientific communities.
Dr. Ingmar Bruns is a resident physician and research scientist in the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Clinical Immunology at the University of D-sseldorf in Germany. After graduating from medical school, he became interested in hematopoietic stem cell biology during his residency in hematology. His experiments in the laboratory led to the detection of the receptors for the hypothalamic peptides orexin A and B on hematopoietic stem cells, which serve as the basis for Dr. Bruns' project, "The Role of the Hypothalamic Peptides Orexin A and B and Their Receptors in the Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Behavior," which he will be conducting in the laboratory of Paul Frenette, MD, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Frenette's scientific approach and the methodology utilized in his laboratory will provide an ideal environment for Dr. Bruns' research interests. Participating in the award program will enable Dr. Bruns to return to D-sseldorf to start an independent junior research group.
"I was totally surprised to be selected-given the competitive situation," said Dr. Bruns. "I felt honored and-very happy, as it provides a great opportunity."
The EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award provides hematologists in training or in the early phase of their careers with the opportunity to pursue research in a new environment, gaining invaluable experience. European awardees select a North American institution at which to conduct their research, and the same opportunity is provided to North American awardees to pursue research in Europe. Awardees receive -75,000 to fund their research. The fellowship, which encourages increased collaboration between scientists, also grants recipients additional travel stipends to attend either the EHA or ASH annual meetings.