The Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders

The Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders was dedicated in 2007 at the University of Connecticut Health Center. This exciting new partnership is a center of excellence for research and world-class care for patients with benign and malignant blood disorders including sickle cell disease, bleeding and clotting disorders, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others.

The center was made possible by a $1.25 million donation from the Lea's Foundation for Leukemia Research, Inc., a prominent Hartford nonprofit that provides support for blood cancer research efforts, to the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The creation of the new center enables the Health Center to recruit and hire a cadre of prominent experts and physician-investigators to lead and build a pre-eminent program of research and clinical care for hematologic disorders in Connecticut, and provide state-of-the-science compassionate care for the residents of Connecticut and southern New England.

The first of these experts already has arrived. Biree Andemariam, M.D., who specializes in hematologic blood disorders, is working closely with Robert Bona, M.D., medical director of the new center. She also works with many researchers throughout the Health Center and pediatric hematologists-oncologists from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC).

Clinical Services

Services include diagnosis and treatment of patients with blood cancers – lymphoma, leukemia, myeloproliferative disorders, myelodysplastic disorders, multiple myeloma, and others – and so-called non-cancerous blood diseases, including low blood counts – low red blood cell count or anemia, low white blood cell count or leukopenia, and low platelet count or thrombocytopenia – as well as sickle cell diseases, disorders of bleeding or thrombosis.

• Hemophilia/Thrombophilia Treatment Center
  This federally funded program offers multidisciplinary care to individuals with hemophilia, von Willebrand's disease, other bleeding disorders and disorders of thrombosis (abnormal blood clotting). For further information, visit the Hemophilia/Thrombophilia Treatment Center page.
• Sickle Cell Disease
  This program offers care to patients with a range of sickle cell disorders. Among other activities, our staff works closely with the pediatric hematologists and others at CCMC in order to assure a smooth transition of care from adolescence to adult providers. Close collaboration with community based organizations also occurs in order to help with the delivery of care and improve quality of life for individuals with these disorders.
• Blood Cancers and Related Disorders
  Hematologists-Oncologists at our center care for individuals with lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplasia, myeloproliferative disorders and other related blood disorders.

Clinical Trials

Please see the Clinical Trials page for a list of ongoing clinical trials.

Basic Research

Many blood disorders are the focus of laboratory investigation at the UConn School of Medicine. In some instances, our physician scientists are collaborating with basic scientists in what is known as translational research – the application of basic science research to patient care. Some areas of ongoing research include:

• The role of heat shock proteins in multiple myeloma biology;
• The role of cell signaling (SH2 profiling) in hematologic cancers;
• Phospodiesterases in leukemia resistance;
• Sickle cell disease and immune function; and
• Inflammation and hemostasis.