UCSF research fellow Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD, has received the 2008 Melvin Grumbach Award for Pediatric Research for his work on measuring the physical properties of acute leukemia cells.
Acute leukemia is the most common of all childhood cancers.
Lam, who simultaneously completed his clinical fellowship and a bioengineering PhD, uses cutting-edge nanoscience methods to study a life-threatening complication called leukostasis that causes stroke-like symptoms and lung failure in leukemia patients.
“I am developing new tools to help understand and diagnose a very old problem in oncology,” Lam said.
Results from Lam’s work have shown that leukemia cells in patients who develop leukostasis have greater stiffness than cells in patients who do not develop the complication. Lam said he hopes that these findings will ultimately lead to diagnostic tools for predicting and diagnosing leukostasis.
“What I hope is that with my unique background, I’ll develop state-of-the-art techniques through bioengineering and nanotechnology to bridge the gap between technology research and the patient’s bedside.”
The Grumbach Award is presented annually to recognize the contributions of young physicians and scientists and to honor Melvin Grumbach, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 1966 to 1986 and commonly recognized as the father of modern pediatrics at UCSF. Among his many honors, Grumbach is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the American Pediatric Society’s John Howland Medal, the highest award in pediatric medicine.
Pictured at the award ceremony, are, from left, Mary-Ann Shafer, professor and vice chair of pediatrics, Emily von Scheven, director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic, Wilbur Lam and Melvin Grumbach, commonly recognized as the father of modern pediatrics at UCSF.
“I am deeply honored to have received the Grumbach Award, which is very much coveted in our department,” Lam said. “I also know that among my peers there are so many others doing excellent work, which is truly humbling.”
A faculty committee presented the award to Lam during a June 5 ceremony.
Lam graduated from the Baylor College of Medicine before coming to UCSF, where he completed a pediatric residency in 2002. In May 2008, he earned his PhD through the UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, where he worked under the guidance of Berkeley professor Daniel Fletcher, PhD.
Currently a UCSF research fellow in pediatric hematology-oncology, Lam also bills himself as a semi-professional guitarist and bassist.
