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Richard Harris, MD, Earns Lifetime Achievement Award

Monday, January 01, 0001

CINCINNATI -- Richard Harris, MD, a physician in the Division of Hematology / Oncology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, has earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. Dr. Harris is only the fourth individual in the history of the organization to earn this award.

The Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, Inc was incorporated in 1989 as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation dedicated to furthering scientific research on Fanconi anemia (FA). FA is one of the inherited anemias that lead to bone marrow failure, aplastic anemia or leukemia. The mission of the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund is to find effective treatments and a cure for FA and to provide education and support services to affected families worldwide.

In presenting the award to Dr. Harris, the Board of the Fund acknowledged his "exceptional contribution…in the area of bone marrow transplantation for FA patients. Because of his work, the odds of FA patients surviving transplants have increased markedly and their quality of life post-transplant has improved."

The Board also noted that Dr. Harris "has excelled in establishing strong relationships with FA patients and their families. He clearly cares about his patients, and it shows."

Dr. Harris came to Cincinnati Children's in 1979 and established the Bone Marrow Transplantation program in 1980. He performed the first bone marrow transplant at Cincinnati Children's in April 1981. He also performed the first cord blood transplant in the United States and the first transplant for sickle cell disease in the United States. Through Dr. Harris' years of leadership, the Bone Marrow Transplantation program prospered to become one of the premier pediatric transplant programs in the country.

Dr. Harris and David Williams, MD, director of Experimental Hematology at Cincinnati Children's, currently co-lead the Fanconi Anemia Comprehensive Care Center and the Bone Marrow Failure Clinic. Cincinnati Children's established the Fanconi Center in 2002. The center is dedicated to compassionate, multidisciplinary care of children with FA and other rare bone marrow failure syndromes. The Center is the first of its kind in the United States and includes specialists in bone marrow transplantation, cardiology, endocrinology, genetics, hematology (blood disorders), nephrology, urology, orthopaedics, psychology and social work.

Cincinnati Children's is a 423-bed institution devoted to bringing the world the joy of healthier kids. Cincinnati Children's is dedicated to transforming the way health care is delivered by providing care that is timely, efficient, effective, family-centered, equitable and safe. It ranks third nationally among all pediatric centers in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. The Cincinnati Children's vision is to be the leader in improving child health.