The American Society of Hematology awarded Zoe Sekyonda, a fourth-year biomedical engineering PhD student, the 2023 ASH Graduate Hematology Award (AHGA). The award encourages graduate students in the United States and Canada to pursue careers in academic hematology.
With research focused on oxygen-related blood disorders, Sekyonda has spent her time as a PhD student developing two devices used for testing blood. With the award from ASH, she will shift her focus to the basic science, studying the molecules that affect oxygen levels.
“I asked myself, ‘how do I study more?’” she said. “Based on the technologies that we’ve designed in the lab, I am looking at the gaps that are left to study.”
From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, AGHA participants will conduct hematology research in one of the following categories: basic, translational, outcomes-based or patient-oriented clinical research. Sekyonda and the other recipients will receive an annual $40,000 stipend for a two-year period to fund their research, as well as a membership to ASH throughout graduate school.