Belinda Avalos, MD, Describes ASH’s Efforts to Promote, Hone Diversity Within Hematology

Belinda Avalos, MD, is 2025 President of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), as well as Professor of Medicine and Senior Advisor to the President at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. In an interview with Heme Today, Dr. Avalos spoke about the ASH Minority Recruitment Initiative (MRI), recently renamed the Hematology Inclusion Pathway.

MRI was launched in 2003 to advance underrepresented societal groups within the hematology practitioner ranks, clinical research, and academia. During the interview, Dr. Avalos noted that the program was also begun to help address unique therapeutic issues faced by specific patient populations.

“We know that individuals with sickle cell disease have been long neglected, and we also know that there are Hispanic patients who have a higher incidence of a certain kind of leukemia, and getting them into a remission and possibly a transplant, can be difficult,” Dr. Avalos elaborated.

Dr. Avalos spoke on a study she conducted with colleagues, published in Blood Advances, to evaluate the performance of MRI. She described how success was defined for the program, measuring the effect from the Initiative on physician attrition rates as compared with national trends, awards earned, and academic appointments received.

“Our program has shown that it is successful in terms of recruiting individuals into the field. Our early results suggest that we are retaining individuals within the field itself, which is very important,” Dr. Avalos summarized.

In closing, she explained the importance of diversity advancement programs for clinical practice in hematology today. She highlighted ASH’s continued efforts to enhance and foster cooperation among such programs nationally and internationally.

“The American Society of Hematology is a convener of organizations and people, and so we are always looking for people to collaborate with,” said Dr. Avalos.