On Saturday 10th June, Professor Irene Roberts was presented with the Jean Bernard Lifetime Achievement Award at the European Hematology Association 2023 Hybrid Congress.
Alongside receiving the award, Professor Roberts gave the Jean Bernard lecture on “The world of the infinitely small” at the first presidential session of the Congress.
The Jean Bernard Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2008 to honour outstanding physicians and scientists for their lifetime contribution to the advancement of haematology.
Professor Roberts is an Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Haematology, with a particular interest in developmental haematology and haematological problems of the newborn and early childhood. She has made major contributions to the pathogenesis of a range of haematological disorders in early life, including the mechanisms by which trisomy 21 perturbs blood stem and progenitor cell function and how this confers susceptibility to leukaemia in children with Down Syndrome.
In response to receiving the award, Professor Roberts said: “Jean Bernard was a pioneering haematologist in Europe who made contributions in a wide range of fields, including childhood leukaemia and bleeding disorders; he was also a hero of the French Resistance and an acclaimed poet, a truly remarkable man. So, it is a huge honour to have been given this award which I feel belongs equally to the many hundreds of people who have inspired and supported our research and clinical work over the years.”
Many congratulations to Professor Roberts!