Leonard Zon, MD, honored by the American Society of Hematology for Outstanding Mentorship
July 18, 2019
Leonard Zon, MD, of Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, will be recognized by the American Society
of Hematology (ASH) with the 2019 ASH Mentor Award for his sustained,
outstanding commitment to the training and career development of early-career
hematologists.
ASH President Roy Silverstein, MD, of the Medical
College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, will present this award to Zon on Sunday,
December 8, 2019, during the 61st ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando,
Florida. He said in a recent press release issued by ASH that Zon “embodies the
characteristics desired of a hematology mentor” as a “committed, selfless, and
approachable teacher and leader.”
The ASH Mentor Award recognizes hematologists who have
excelled in mentoring trainees and colleagues. Each year, ASH recognizes two
outstanding mentors in the areas of basic science, clinical investigation,
education, or clinical/community care who have had a significant, positive
impact on their mentees’ careers and, through their mentees, have advanced
research and patient care in the field of hematology.
“This is truly an amazing
honor,” said Zon. “I have always felt that mentoring was one of the most important
aspects of being a physician-scientist. It takes extra time to provide
mentorship, and it is wonderful to be appreciated.”
Zon is being recognized for
his outstanding track record of mentees who have gone on to establish their own
funded laboratories or clinical programs. He is currently the Grousbeck
Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and professor of stem cell
and regenerative biology at Harvard University. He is also the director of the
Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Zon is well-known for his work
on hematopoiesis and the use of zebrafish as a model, and he has received
several awards, including the ASH E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize in 2010.
“I had amazing mentoring
from Stu Orkin, Sam Lux, David Nathan, Allan Erslev, and Jerry Groopman,”
said Zon. “Stu Orkin and Sam Lux, both from Boston Children’s Hospital, have
won the Mentor Award. So, I was taught that mentoring was important. Just like
hematopoiesis, lineage matters, and I have been lucky to train with great
people.”
He added, “Every mentor has
their own methods. I took the best of my mentors and mixed in a little of my
personality and that seems to work best.”
Zon enjoys mentoring people
at all stages of their careers, from students and technicians to faculty
members. He organizes events such as a postdoctoral mentoring breakfast and
graduate student lunch to discuss various aspects of building a career in
research and “technician’s tea” to make sure everyone in his laboratory is
getting the mentorship they need. Zon has developed core modules focused on
topics such as developing a budget for a lab, practicing an elevator
pitch, presenting at a meeting, and writing a grant. He also created a
game played at his laboratory retreats called “You be the PI” in which a postdoctoral
student reads a sample case of a real-life issue that has arisen in the
laboratory and discusses potential solutions. Additionally, Zon has annual
one-on-one career meetings with his postdoctoral fellows to discuss career
goals, review training plans, and identify specific opportunities for
improvement.
Megan Insco, a postdoctoral
research fellow in the Zon lab commented, "I have found that Len has an
incredible 'joy of life.’ This energy, along with his focus on teaching
management as well as scientific skills, have helped me to transform my
scientific and leadership skills. Despite mentoring more than 40 individuals,
he effectively maintains a fantastic culture and an open-door policy in
lab."
About
The American Society of Hematology (ASH)
The
American Society of Hematology (ASH) (www.hematology.org) is the world’s largest
professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the
understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the
blood. For 60 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a
discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and
advocacy in hematology. ASH publishes Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited
peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and
online, as well as the newly launched, online, peer-reviewed open-access
journal, Blood Advances (www.bloodadvances.org).