ASH president aims to strengthen hematology workforce, address global challenges
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Mohandas Narla, DSc, may hold the title of American Society of Hematology president, but his focus for the next several months will extend far beyond this country’s borders.
“Hematology is a global problem. At least 30% of ASH members who come to our meetings are international members,” Narla — whose 1-year term as ASH president continues through December — told Healio. “Some of the diseases I’m interested in, like sickle cell disease and malaria, are major problems in developing countries. There are close to 2 billion people with red cell disorders around the globe. So, during my presidency, I would really like to focus on helping hematologists around the world to solve some of their problems.”
Narla — who immigrated to the United States from India — is distinguished scientist and head of the laboratory of red cell physiology at New York Blood Center Enterprises. His research focuses on red cell membrane disorders, sickle cell disease, thalassemia and Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a congenital condition affecting the bone marrow.
Narla has been an ASH member for 3 decades. He has attended every ASH Annual Meeting since 1976 and has held several leadership roles in the society.
He served as an associate editor of Blood, ASH’s flagship journal, for 10 years. In 2020, he received ASH’s highest honor, the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology.
Healio spoke with Narla about how his experience prepared him for his role as ASH president and what he hopes to accomplish during his term.
Healio: How has your background prepared you for your new position as ASH president?
Narla: Although I have a background in engineering, I decided early on in my career that I wanted to do something different. When I started my PhD thesis in 1968, biomedical engineering was just starting — there was a lot of interest in developing kidney dialysis machines and heart-lung bypass machines. They needed a lot of engineering expertise to design these machines to avoid damaging the blood while it is pumped outside the body. So, I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any background in biology or medicine, but I thought it would always be good to learn something new. So, my thesis was on red cell deformation and adhesion. That was the beginning of my career in hematology.
After I finished my PhD, I went to Paris for 3 years and did my postdoctoral work at Institute of Cellular Pathology, where I got deeply involved in hematology rather than the engineering aspects of hematology. Since 1973, I’ve been doing hematology research.
Healio: What issues do you hope to address during your term?
Narla: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we became aware of health disparities in other countries, as well as in our own. The reality is that hematology has made a lot of progress in this area. For example, last year, the FDA approved two gene therapy protocols for sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Although we have about 100,000 patients in our country with sickle cell disease and slightly less with thalassemia, these are global problems. There are about half million people around the world with sickle cell disease, and as many as with thalassemia. How do we provide the best care for these patients, not only in our country but in other countries?
The cost of delivery of these new therapies becomes a big challenge in these countries. The cost per patient for gene therapy varies between $2 million and $3 million. Even for this country, those price points are high. You can imagine how expensive that is in India, Africa and other countries where these diseases are much more prevalent. We need to focus on how to reduce the cost and make these treatments more accessible.
Another major issue is maternal health. Iron deficiency among women is a major problem. It is a treatable disease but we don’t pay enough attention to it, and it has a significant impact on quality of life.
Healio: You also prioritized efforts to strengthen the hematology workforce. Can you elaborate?
Narla: One of the most important priorities for me is training the next generation of hematologists. We feel very strongly about this as an organization. We’ve started some exciting new programs, because there is a dearth of what we call classic hematologists in this country. We started a program investing $19 million to train 50 new hematologists by 2030. We also invest substantial amounts of money to support trainees, all the way from medical students to junior faculty. That program is very close to my heart, because the future depends on recruiting a number of smart, energetic people to the field of hematology.
Healio: Is there anything else you feel is important to emphasize?
Narla: One initiative we recently started, of which I am very proud, is the ASH Research Collaborative. We are collecting data on two diseases — sickle cell anemia and multiple myeloma. These are important because, at least with sickle cell disease, there is no comprehensive data set. We also started a clinical trials network for both of these diseases. Once we are convinced that these are successful programs, we are going to expand into other diseases.
Reference:
- ASH. Mohandas Narla, DSc, begins term as 2024 ASH president (press release). Available at: https://www.hematology.org/newsroom/press-releases/2024/mohandas-narla-dsc-begins-term-as-2024-ash-president. Posted Jan. 9, 2024. Accessed Jan. Feb. 5, 2024.
For more information:
Mohandas Narla, DSc, can be reached at New York Blood Center, 310 E. 67th St., New York, NY 10065; email: mnarla@nybc.org
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