Dr. Manel Esteller and Dr. Laura Belver, Director and Group Leader of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, have been elected as International Members of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) by vote of the Executive Committee, the governing body of the Society. This membership is granted to researchers outside North America that have made a contribution to the field of hematology.

The ASH is a professional organization founded in 1958, representing a global network of more than 18,000 hematologists working to conquer blood diseases. Its annual meeting is held in December every year and it attracts more than 30,000 attendees. The society publishes the medical journal Blood, the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field.

Among other tasks, International Members have the privilege of sponsoring applicants for membership, sponsoring abstracts submitted for presentation at the ASH annual meeting, and nominating applicants for the ASH Scholar Awards, Mentor Awards, and Honorific Awards.