World-leading immunologist, Professor Freda Stevenson from the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, will be recognised by The American Society of Hematology (ASH) with the 2018 Henry M. Stratton Medal for her seminal contribution to haematology research.
Professor Stevenson, has been at the forefront of cancer immunology research for over 40 years, where she has led, shaped and continues to pioneer groundbreaking research in understanding how to engage the immune system in the fight against lymphoma, for which Southampton is now widely recognised. She will be the first UK recipient of this major international award.
“It is a pleasure to be recognized by the ASH community,” said Professor Stevenson, a group leader at Southampton’s ground-breaking Centre for Cancer Immunology. “Research in basic science continues to underpin clinical progress, and I am proud to have contributed to this interface in haematology.”
Professor Stevenson is recognised for her pioneering work in the biology of B-cell malignancies, such as lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). She is credited with numerous contributions to the field, including the discovery that CLL consists of two significantly different subsets, one of which is associated with more rapid disease progression. This knowledge currently serves as a major indicator of prognosis and has also offered targets for drug therapies that are now demonstrating clinical efficacy. The publication of this work has been cited 1,886 times and earned Professor Stevenson the Rai-Binet Medal from the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia.
Professor Stevenson will be honoured alongside Brunangelo Falini MD of the University of Perugia and the Institute of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation in Italy in December during the 60th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, California, USA.
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