VAI graduate student earns prestigious American Society of Hematology award

Van Andel Institute’s Lia Hooker, a Ph.D. student in the lab of Tim Triche, Ph.D., has received a 2025 Hematology Inclusion Pathway Graduate Student Award from the American Society of Hematology (ASH). This prestigious award will support Hooker’s efforts to improve treatment outcomes in multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects immune cells in the blood.

We caught up with Hooker to learn more about her research, how the award will support her work and the role her personal experiences have played in her journey to drive discovery.

What big problem are you trying to solve with your research?

LH: Multiple myeloma is an incurable cancer of the immune cells. It can have devastating consequences including anemia, infections, kidney failure and, in the worst case, death. It is the second most common blood cancer in adults and the most common blood cancer in people of African descent.

Historically, one of the most successful ways to treat multiple myeloma is through an autologous stem cell transplant. During this procedure, a patient’s own stem cells are collected and stored. The patient is given a specific treatment (melphalan) that stops cells in their bone marrow from dividing. Afterward, their stem cells are transplanted back into the patient to restart healthy blood production. These transplants can extend disease-free remission by several years.

However, people of African descent rarely benefit from this type of treatment. We observed that genetic variants more common in African populations may cause the body to clear out the key treatment (melphalan) before it has enough time to work. We also found that patients of African descent have poorer outcomes in other diseases where melphalan is used, such as lymphoma. By identifying which genetic differences are responsible, we hope to fine-tune medication dosage, maximize benefits, minimize side effects, and extend remission until it is indistinguishable from a cure. If we’re successful, our findings could help everyone who is treated with these medications.

How will this award help you address the problem?

LH: Support from the American Society of Hematology provides critical funding that allows us to conduct our research and raise awareness about the work. ASH has pioneered advances in conditions like sickle cell disease, where identification of genetic variants more common in certain populations led ​to new treatment options. We are honored that ASH now supports multiple labs and investigators at Van Andel Institute, helping deliver on our mission to improve human health.

What motivated you to study multiple myeloma?

LH: My work has given me the opportunity to turn personal loss into progress. I watched my father pass away from prostate cancer — a disease, like myeloma, that disproportionately affects males of African ancestry. As a result, I am driven to understand the factors that shape treatment outcomes in multiple myeloma. Turning grief into discovery that tangibly improves outcomes for all myeloma patients is what keeps me energized in the lab every day.