The Department of Medicine and the Research Development Group is excited to announce this year’s Max Cooper Award for Career Excellence in Research recipient. This award recognizes researchers that have gained national recognition for important research discoveries over their scientific career.

Ravi Bhatia, MD (Professor and Director, Hematology and Oncology) is the 2021 award recipient. Dr. Bhatia's major research focus has been in elucidating tumor microenvironment pathways that contribute to leukemogenesis. He has been able to translate original research observations from his laboratory into investigator-initiated clinical trials of novel anti-leukemia approaches.

Dr. Bhatia is the author of over 150 publications, and he has been the recipient of grant funding by the NIH since 2006. He is a Scholar of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and he has been a member of the NIH Hematopoiesis study section. He is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians, and a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Medical and Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Bhatia was nominated by Barry Sleckman, MD, PhD (Professor and Director of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center) Dr. Sleckman expresses that he nominated Dr. Bhatia because he embodies the principles by which Max Cooper approaches science, patients, trainees, and life.