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Championing DEI in Hematology

Championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hematology

Building and nurturing a more equitable and diverse workforce has always been a priority for ASH. The hematology community is global, and ASH understands the importance of having individuals with diverse perspectives and experiences in all areas of the field.

The Minority Recruitment Initiative (MRI) celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. In those 20 years, the initiative supported the education and careers of hundreds of people, with more than 500 awards distributed since 2003, enriching the field at large.


$15M Committed to MRI from 2003 - 2023  500+ awards distributed between 2003-2023


“The ASH Minority Resident Hematology Award Program (MRHAP) award provided me with the opportunity to connect with life-long mentors and be able to share our work with other hematologists through an oral presentation on a national stage at the ASH conference."

Miriam Osei, MD / Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MRHAP Recipient, 2022, 2020

The Doris Duke Foundation awarded ASH a grant to address a critical health equity concern: Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) reference ranges based on Duffy status. Individuals with Duffy-null have naturally occurring lower ANC, which is not accounted for in current reference ranges. This leads to a number of consequences including unnecessary bone marrow biopsies, early termination of life-saving chemotherapy, and exclusion from clinical trials. The new project will attempt to establish new Duffy-null–specific reference ranges for adults and children to improve collective understanding and care for these individuals.


ASH hosted webinars to facilitate discussion of workforce diversity and inclusion for LGBTQIA+ hematologists and advance research for LGBTQIA+ patients in hematology. Women’s history month webinars discussed the importance of mentorship and how to create strong mentor/mentee relationships.