Haematologica is committed to highlighting outstanding contributions from researchers at the early stages of their scientific careers. Each year, the Journal recognizes three emerging investigators who have published papers distinguished by their remarkable originality and scientific impact, as judged by both Haematologica reviewers and editorial team.
Winners 2025
Roland Preece, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow at University College London with an Honorary NHS appointment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. His research focuses on the development and clinical translation of genome-edited, “off-the-shelf” CAR T-cell therapies for haematological malignancies. He has contributed to the design and delivery of multiple Phase I clinical trials evaluating CRISPR- and base-edited CAR T-cell products and has extensive expertise in multiplex genome editing, lentiviral vector design, and translational immunotherapy. Dr Preece has authored several first- or joint-first-author research publications, is a co-inventor on patents detailing the manufacture of genome-edited CAR T cells, and has presented his work at major international conferences. He is actively involved in postgraduate teaching and mentorship within the UCL Cell and Gene Therapy MSc program. His future research aims to advance scalable, immune-evasive allogeneic cell therapies toward broader clinical application.
Award-winning paper, Original article. Roland Preece et al. Allo-defensive, multiplex base-edited, anti-CD38 CAR T cells for ‘off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy. Haematologica. 2025 Dec 24. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2025.289016. Online ahead of print.
Kathelijn Verdeyen is a physician and PhD candidate in Hematology at Amsterdam UMC. She obtained her medical degree at the University of Amsterdam and is currently completing a post-initial Master’s program in Clinical Epidemiology to strengthen the methodological foundation of her research. During her Master’s thesis, she looked into venetoclax-HMA as a bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or donor lymphocyte infusion in relapsed/refractory AML. This project sparked her interest in research to improve treatment access and outcomes in rare and complex hematological diseases. Her current research focuses on Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD), a rare autoimmune hemolytic anemia, with particular emphasis on the clinical use of sutimlimab and its role in the treatment landscape. Kathelijn’s professional interests lie at the interface of clinical care and research. She aims to expand international collaborations and contribute to advances in hematology while maintaining an active role in patient care.
Award-winning paper, Letter. Kathelijn Verdeyen et al. Venetoclax plus hypomethylating agents as a bridge to transplant or donor lymphocyte infusion in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Haematologica. 2026;111(3):1075-1080.
Meng Zhou, PhD, is a physician at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Suzhou, China), where he has been on staff since 2015. He obtained his PhD at Soochow University under the supervision of Professor Han Yue. His doctoral research investigated immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and examined how neural/serotonergic signaling may influence megakaryocyte differentiation, identifying 5-HTR7 as a potential target for future translational studies. In his current clinical practice, Dr. Zhou provides inpatient and transplant-related hematology care, with a particular focus on patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). His ongoing research aims to improve platelet recovery after HSCT to reduce severe bleeding risk and early post-transplant mortality. To support mechanism-oriented translation, he is also developing mouse models of delayed platelet engraftment to dissect cellular and molecular drivers of impaired thrombopoiesis. In the future, he plans to investigate immune–hematopoietic crosstalk, especially macrophage–megakaryocyte interactions, and to translate mechanistic insights into biomarker- and intervention-driven clinical studies. He welcomes international collaboration. Contact: zhoumeng@suda.edu.cn
Award-winning paper, Original article. Meng Zhou et al. Elevated 5-HTR7 deteriorates dysregulated megakaryocytopoiesis in immune thrombocytopenic purpura via upregulating the PKA/Orai1/ERK1/2 pathway. Haematologica. 2025;110(12):2997-3008.