Education Program Co-Chairs
CLINICAL NEWS session below ). This will feature presentations about the new Beat AML Master Trial and the National Cancer Institute ’ s MATCH Trial .
How does this year ’ s Scientific Program differ from previous years ? Dr . Brodsky : This year , we developed two joint sessions : the Scientific Committee on Blood Disorders and Scientific Committee on Red Cell Biology and the Scientific Committee on Hematopoiesis and Scientific Committee on Myeloid Biology . These sessions will have cross-cutting themes and cutting-edge science and will be one of the highlights for laboratorybased and translational investigators .
Dr . Levine : With this new type of combined session , multiple committees have banded together to put together bigger collaborative Scientific Committee Sessions , with great discussions about innovative technologies and their implications .
Dr . Brodsky : Also , this year , all of the content from the Scientific Program will be recorded and made available for purchase for people who cannot attend in person .
What are some of the special sessions designed for early-career hematologists and trainees ? Dr . Brodsky : The “ Continuing Conversations with the Speakers ” series , the Scientific Spotlight Sessions , and “ How I Treat : Bringing Science to Clinical Dilemmas ” session will all offer early-career hematologists and medical educators a smaller , more intimate setting in which to interact with clinical and laboratory-based investigators who are at the forefront of their respective fields .
Dr . Levine : The majority of the science and the general scientific sessions target earlycareer hematologists ; we want people who are in training or starting their careers , on either the clinical or scientific front , to know that the annual meeting is designed with them in mind . There are many sessions on career development – for students , fellows , and junior faculty , that cover topics like how to get your career started , how to get funded , and how to set up your own program . Much of this takes place during Trainee Day , but there are also sessions specifically designed for trainees that are scheduled throughout the meeting .
It ’ s something I ’ m personally very committed to . We want trainees to know that , everywhere they go in the meeting , we will be looking out for them because they are an integral part of the hematology community . We don ’ t just want to do this in one venue ; we want to give young hematologists the opportunity to share their science and interact with other scientists at every level – from formal didactic sessions to informal networking opportunities and everything in between .
Education Program Co-Chairs
Jorge Di Paola , MD Director of Basic and Translational Research in Pediatric Hemostasis and Thrombosis Professor of Pediatrics-Hematology / Oncology University of Colorado School of Medicine Denver , CO
What are the “ can ’ t-miss ” events that attendees should add to their schedules ? Dr . Di Paola : The Education Program has plenty of fantastic content , and some talks are particularly interesting . These include the “ Mechanisms of Transfusion Alloimmunization ” session , which is jointly sponsored by the American Association of Blood Banks , and the “ Anemia in the Young and Old ” session . This first session will be particularly relevant because the development of antibodies against transfused cells is one of the major concerns of managing patients who are heavily transfused . The speakers in this session are going to dissect the mechanism of how those antibodies develop and the cellular responses to alloimmunization .
Dr . Luger : We will have several sessions highlighting precision medicine in both benign and malignant hematology . For instance , the winners of this year ’ s Ernest Beutler Lecture & Prize , Hugues de Thé , MD , PhD , and Zhu Chen , MD , PhD , will speak about using precision medicine to direct diagnostics and therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia , and the winner of this year ’ s William Dameshek Prize , Charles Mullighan , MBBS ( Hons ), MD , is a leader in applying precision genomic medicine to the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia .
In designing this year ’ s Education Program , what goals did you have in mind ? Dr . Luger : We wanted there to be more opportunities for people in benign , malignant , and laboratory hematology to interact and learn from each other . The session on “ Common Consults in Thrombosis ” will be of interest to both benign and malignant hematologists and will feature a discussion on thrombosis in the setting of cancer . The Educational Symposia , while it is geared toward clinicians , will be of interest to the scientific community because it focuses on new therapies and diagnostic techniques and new approaches to therapy .
Dr . Di Paola : Hematology is a specialty that crosses over so many other specialties , so we tried to create a program
The Diary of a First-Timer
Selina Luger , MD Director of the Leukemia Program Professor of Medicine Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia , PA
With so many activities and information to take in , the ASH Annual Meeting can seem overwhelming for first-time attendees . Newcomer Alan Tseng will be sharing his experiences at the 58th ASH Annual Meeting with ASH Clinical News . Check back in our January issue to see how it went !
Alan Tseng Third-year PhD student University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Chicago , IL
Why are you planning to attend this year ’ s meeting in San Diego ? What are you hoping to gain ? Aside from exposure to the forefront of hematologic basic and clinical research and networking with leaders in the field , I ’ m looking forward to gaining more experience in different styles of scientific presentation , which will be critical in my career development . I ’ ve been told the caliber of work selected for presentations at ASH is top notch . that is important for the hematologist who sees patients in the clinic , as well as the hematologist who is asked by other specialists to consult on a case . At the end of the day , we want hematologists who attend the Education Sessions to go back to their colleagues after the meeting and be able to tell them about the most exciting developments in the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic disorders .
How does this year ’ s Education Program differ from last year ’ s ? Dr . Luger : With this year ’ s program , we tried to bring science into the clinic and the clinic into science , to truly make the content relevant to everyone . We also wanted to ensure that female scientists were represented in the sessions ; the 2016 Education Program has more women as speakers and session chairs than any previous Education Program .
Are there any sessions designed specifically for medical educators ? Dr . Di Paola : Medical educators will benefit from sessions that review everything from disease pathology to diagnosis to the latest therapeutic developments . I think the sessions on “ Bone Marrow Failures , Complement Disorders and Hematologic Consequences ” and “ Genetic Susceptibility to Leukemias ” will be of particular interest .
I would also recommend “ An Update on White Blood Cell Disorders .” Attendees will leave that session having basically read a chapter on white blood cell disorders , because the speakers will be discussing everything about these disorders and the function of white blood cells .
Dr . Luger : Communication is an important topic for medical educators ( and all clinicians ), so this year ’ s Spotlight Session , “ Treatment of the Patient , Not the Disease ,” will address many aspects of doctor – patient communication . Speakers will discuss topics such as humanism and professionalism in the era of the electronic medical record , difficult end-of-life discussions , and how to connect with patients when you ’ re staring at a screen .
Are you interested in a specific session taking place during the meeting ? Some of the sessions I am interested in include those from the Scientific Committee on Immunology and Host Defense , the Scientific Committee on Hemostasis , and the Scientific Committee on Thrombosis and Vascular Biology . I ’ m also interested in some of the education programs , such as the “ An Update on White Blood Cell Disorders ” and “ Common Consults in Thrombosis ” sessions . I hope to attend one of the “ Meet the Blood Editors ” sessions .
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