Mary Horowitz, MD, MS

Dr. Mary Horowitz, the 2019 recipient of the inaugural AAMDSIF Lifetime Achievement in Science Award is the Robert A. Uihlein, Jr. Chair in Hematologic Research and Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), where she is also an active blood and marrow transplant physician. Her principal national roles are as the Chief Scientific Director of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), the Research Director of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, and the founding director of both the stem cell transplantation Clinical Trials Clinical Trials: Clinical research is at the heart of all medical advances, identifying new ways to prevent, detect or treat disease. If you have a bone marrow failure disease, you may want to consider taking part in a clinical trial, also called a research study. Understanding Clinical Trials Clinical… Network and the Genetically Modified Cellular Therapy of Cancer registry. Until recently, she also served as division chief of hematology and medical oncology at MCW. 

Dr. Horowitz’s accomplishments in medicine are monumental.  She has co-authored more than 350 peer reviewed papers, 35 book chapters and over 10 editorials.  She has been invited to give over 50 regional lectures, over 100  national lectures and over 100 international lectures.  In the CIBMTR, and its predecessor International Bone Marrow Transplant Bone Marrow Transplant: A bone marrow transplant (BMT) is also called a stem cell transplant (SCT) or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).The procedure replaces unhealthy blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones and offers some patients the possibility of a cure. But for many patients, a BMT is not an option due… Registry, and the Bill Young registry she leads what many consider the first and most successful clinical outcomes registries in the world. She has worked diligently to keep grant funded these vital healthcare organizations, which track outcomes for transplants for all bone marrow failure bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… disease patients. Her work with the CTN has done the largest prospective trials for treatment of aplastic anemia aplastic anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… with transplantation. Dr. Horowitz’s research work on so many levels has changed the practice of medicine.  
 
All of these achievements are in addition to her considerable local teaching duties.  Dr. Horowitz has mentored 16 scholars in residence at MCW. Her most valuable contribution however may be the teaching she gives to medical residents and students at MCW based on her own life events. She has given lectures on the struggle to balance work life and family as a physician. She lectured student on caring for cancer patients while she herself was being treated with chemotherapy chemotherapy: (kee-moe-THER-uh-pee) The use of medicines that kill cells (cytotoxic agents). People with high-risk or intermediate-2 risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) may be given chemotherapy to kill bone marrow cells that have an abnormal size, shape, or look. Chemotherapy hurts healthy cells along with… for breast cancer and more recently throat cancer. She now teaches about the struggle between being the caregiver for a husband with dementia as she continues her career. 
 
In addition to this AAMDSIF recognition, Dr Horowitz has received the following awards and recognition:
1997 Service Award, U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration 
2005 Honorary Fellowship, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada 
2007 Alfredo Pavlovsky Award, XXXI World Congress of the International Society of Hematology 
2008 Selected by The Anthony Nolan Trust to give the "Shirley Nolan Memorial Lecture", 7th International Registry Meeting
2008 DKMS Mechtild Harf Award 2010 American Society of Hematology Clinical Research Clinical Research: A type of research that involves individual persons or a group of people. There are three types of clinical research. Patient-oriented research includes clinical trials which test how a drug, medical device, or treatment approach works in people. Epidemiology or behavioral studies look at the… Mentor Award 
2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation 
2016 14th Annual Thomas L. Smallwood Award for Patient Care Excellence, Froedtert Hospital 2016 The G. Richard Olds Award for Mentorship in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin
Most recently Dr. Horowitz was honored by the American College of Physicians its Harriet Dunstan award for lifetime excellence in contribution to science as related to clinical medicine.