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The BWH Hematology Division and the Department of Medicine honored H. Franklin Bunn, MD, a noted hematologist, scientist and teacher, with a symposium and Festschrift Oct. 22.
“Frank has been, and continues to be, a respected and treasured member of the local, national and international medical and scientific community,” said BWH Hematology Division Chief Nancy Berliner, MD. “This is a way for us to honor him and all that he has done for the field.”
A Festschrift is a book or presentation honoring a respected person and presented during his lifetime; it contains original contributions by the honored academic’s close colleagues and is typically published on a date that corresponds with a notable milestone for the honoree. Bunn celebrated his 75th birthday earlier this fall.
In 2009, Bunn received the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology for his contributions to the understanding of red cell structure and function, including the identification of the relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and the effectiveness of therapy for diabetes mellitus.
“In hematology, there’s red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Frank has been ‘Mr. Red Cell,’” said Ronald McCaffrey, MD, senior hematologist at BWH. “Hemoglobin A1c testing probably gets done five million times a day around the world – maybe 10 million times a day. And Frank did that work.”
Bunn has served on a number of National Institutes of Health advisory groups and councils. The author of two textbooks, he is also a former associate editor of the noted hematology journal Blood and has served as a reviewer and editor of publications about hemoglobin and hemoglobin disorders.
“Perhaps most importantly, Frank is a phenomenal teacher and mentor,” said Berliner, who first met Bunn more than 30 years ago, when she was an intern and he was the head of the Hematology Division. “He has run the hematology course for the medical students for many years, and last year joined me in taking over the leadership of the HST course in Hematology. He has been a model for me in many ways. He is always unfailingly courteous and is such a gentle person to deal with that it is a privilege to interact with him.”
The H. Franklin Bunn Symposium and Festchrift began with a special Medical Grand Rounds sponsored by the BWH Hematology Division and the Department of Medicine. Later in the morning, six scientists, a combination of Bunn’s colleagues and mentees, gave presentations and commentaries.