Professor Gert Ossenkoppele received the 2022 Jean Bernard Lifetime Achievement Award during EHA2022 Hybrid Congress in Vienna.
Since 2008, the Board of the European Hematology Association (EHA) has been presenting the Jean Bernard Lifetime Achievement Award to honor outstanding physicians and scientists for their lifetime contribution to the advancement of hematology. This year, Gert Ossenkoppele, Professor of Hematology at the Amsterdam UMC, was chosen to receive the award.
The Jean Bernard Lifetime Achievement Award is named after eminent hematologist Jean Bernard (1907-2006) who pioneered a high dosage radiotherapy treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. It honors outstanding doctors and researchers for extraordinary contributions in the field of hematology. President of the EHA Elizabeth McIntyre told Prof. Ossenkoppele during the award ceremony: “You really deserve this distinction for your major contributions to the field of acute myeloid leukemia, your great mentorship for so many young people, and all your activities and contributions to the European Hematology Association.”
A lifelong commitment to connecting research and care
Gert’s interest in hematology was sparked during his training in Internal Medicine and Hematology at the Academic Hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (AZVU) from 1979-1984. “What drew me to this field was how patient care, laboratory work, and research are so closely connected. In addition, the enthusiasm of my colleague Peter Huijgens was contagious. Together, we developed the department of Hematology into an internationally renowned institute - one currently flourishing under the leadership of Professor Sonja Zweegman.”
Gert continues: “After my training, I became a staff member at the department of Hematology and I stayed there until my retirement in 2019 - a lifelong commitment of almost fourty years.” He was was appointed professor of Hematology in 2003. Over his career, Gert has authored 450 publications in peer-reviewed journals, edited 5 books, and written over 20 book chapters.
Translational Research
Prof. Ossenkoppele’s research focus was on acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. “Together with my research team and collaborators, we worked on finding new treatments for AML. We developed new targeted therapies - including immunotherapy - that specifically kill cancer cells. We investigated the stem cell biology of the cancer and discovered leukemia stem cell targets. In addition, we developed a method for detecting residual disease using flow cytometery.”
Prof. Ossenkoppele’s team was the first to demonstrate the importance of measurable residual disease (MRD) status for assessing therapeutic response and disease risk in AML as part of HOVON, a national study for blood-based response monitoring of newly diagnosed blood cancers.
One of Gert's latest contributions to academia was the recently published European LeukemiaNet (ELN) 2022 AML risk classification. He was a lead participant together with Prof. Jacqueline Cloos. “These are guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute myeloid leukemia. They contain practical algorithms that can be used to decide the diagnosis, risk classification, and the recommended procedures.”
According to Gert, the main challenge in the hematology field is the eradication of the leukemic stem cell to optimize outcome in the treatment of AML. “These cells can have additional mutations and epigenetic changes that make them resistant to treatment and increases the risk of relapse. We especially need to improve positive outcomes in the elderly population.”
Big Data in Hematology
Although significant progress has been made, Prof. Ossenkoppele still sees plenty of challenges in his research field. “First, further deciphering the genomic landscape, this has already provided a detailed understanding of genes mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Knowing the genetics behind the disease allows us to better classify the type and develop targeted new therapeutic targets.”
The combination of cytogenetic and genomic abnormalities was included in the ELN 2022 AML risk classification. Prof. Ossenkoppele: “Importantly, the impact of co-mutations and epigenetic modifications is still unknown today and this needs to be unraveled. However, this requires very large data sets.”
A progressive project to name in this regard is HARMONY Big Data Platform, a European Public-Private Partnership and the largest AML registry in Europe. “To date, more than 10,000 datasets have already been transferred to the platform. I am still co-leader of the AML working party of Harmony. Interesting results based on this dataset have already been presented at several international meetings.”
Staying busy
Gert recently retired and is now Professor Emeritus of Hematology at Amsterdam UMC. Now that Gert has more free time, he enjoys spending it with his wife Lenie, four children, and ten grandchildren. Being idle is not something Gert knows: he is an avid indoor soccer player and enjoys riding his sport bicycle. He even went back to school after his retirement, this time not for medical knowledge but for an art history course.
Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity (AII) and Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA) warmly congratulate Prof. Gert Ossenkoppele on receiving the well-deserved Jean Bernard Lifetime Achievement Award.
Text: Esmée Vesseur