By Phillip McLeod
Meet Andres Ramirez, MD, a first-year internal medicine resident at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and a 2024 awardee of the SOHO Young Investigator Program (YIP) award.
An international medical graduate from Barranquilla, Colombia, he received a research fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Bing Center, where he was a fellow from 2023 to 2024.
At Dana-Farber, Dr. Ramirez was introduced to the field by his two mentors, Jorge Castillo, MD, and Steve Treon, MD, PhD.
“It was my mentor Dr. Castillo who pushed me to apply for this award as a great opportunity to share one of my research projects,” Dr. Ramirez said, adding that Dr. Treon was also influential in furthering his interest in hematologic oncology. “Both my mentors planted the seed of hematology-oncology in my heart,” he said.
As a research fellow at Dana-Farber, Dr. Ramirez developed his passion for hematologic oncology, specializing in Waldenström macroglobulinemia.
“I had the opportunity to create the National Waldenström’s Database and work on data analysis, which allowed me to build my research skills alongside some of the country’s prominent leaders in the field,” he said.
He finds cancer’s nonlinear nature and its mutations a mentally challenging puzzle that keeps him engaged in helping people despite uncertain outcomes. On the human side, he values supporting patients.
“Having the opportunity to tell someone: ‘I’m going to give my best to you in this process’ —for me that’s an honor,” Dr. Ramirez said.
He describes his time at SOHO 2024 (the first SOHO he attended) as one of his peak experiences in the field.
“I really enjoyed learning from top-notch researchers in hematologic oncology and learning the most recent advances,” he said.
Beyond the medical knowledge he acquired, the YIP award broadened his network by helping him build lasting relationships with peers, some of whom he continues to collaborate with.
“This program is beneficial in multiple aspects,” Dr. Ramirez said. “It provided me the opportunity to develop connections and connect with other researchers and medical colleagues in medicine for sure, but also in science in general.”
He credits the YIP award for expanding his career as a hematologist oncologist and strengthening his identity as a researcher by allowing him to present his work and share his views with other experts.
Outside of work, Dr. Ramirez enjoys cooking and dancing.
“I enjoy cooking traditional food from Colombia, and I also enjoy learning how to prepare food from countries all around the world,” he said. He particularly enjoys trying new restaurants and sharing the experience with others.
He both dances and teaches salsa, even giving lessons to his colleagues at Roger Williams.
“As much as I enjoy dancing salsa, I love teaching it even more,” he said.
Another form of dancing he enjoys is Cumbia, the traditional folk dance performed in traditional costumes during the annual Carnival festivities in his native Barranquilla, Colombia.
“I would never miss Carnival when I lived in Barranquilla,” he said. Now that he lives in Rhode Island, however, he finds himself watching the parades from afar to relive memories with friends while inviting new friends to explore the festival for the first time.
The SOHO Young Investigator Program (YIP) supports aspiring hematologic oncologists to attend the Annual Meeting in Houston and provides the opportunity to meet with leaders in the field.
For more information on how to support SOHO and all of its programs go to soho.click/donate.
