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Blood 2024 was a huge success, with compliments received from both delegates and sponsors, saying that this was a very friendly and collaborative conference.
One of the most important, rewarding and positive aspects of the Society is the support we provide for members to pursue haematology research through our Scholarships and Fellowships programs.
It is with great pleasure that we congratulate this year's recipients.
HSANZ LEUKAEMIA FOUNDATION NEW INVESTIGATOR PHD SCHOLARSHIPS 2024 FOR 2025
Elizabeth Goodall
Elizabeth Goodall is a clinical haematologist and early career researcher at Monash Health, with specific interest in the patient’s end-to-end experience throughout their journey of lymphoma. Her PhD will examine the current gaps in Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PRO/Ms) collection and reporting, and then develop a more uniform reporting structure to accurately measure the patient’s experience during their cancer care. She aims to develop a framework that allows the streamlined use of patient-reported information to guide future drug development for better cancer therapies.
Sean Harrop
Sean Harrop is a dual-trained haematologist, currently undertaking a Fellowship in Aggressive Lymphoma at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He has research interests in novel immunotherapies in lymphoma and the mechanisms that lead to treatment resistance.
It is still unclear how CD4+ T cells contribute to killing DLBCL tumour cells after TCE treatment and if, in some circumstances, they have deleterious effects leading to disease progression or relapse. In his PhD project, Sean aims to dissect these T cell responses to TCE therapy and identify new immune targets for future combination therapies for DLBCL patients.
HSANZ New Investigator PhD Scholarship 2024 for 2025
Nathanael Lucas
Nathanael Lucas is a final year Joint FRACP/FRCPA Paediatric Haematology trainee who completed the majority of his training in Christchurch, New Zealand, and recently completed a Fellowship in Paediatric Haematology/Cellular Therapies at Manchester Children’s Hospital. He has a special interest in Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes and optimising treatment for New Zealand patients.
Causes of Bone Marrow Failure (BMF) can be inherited or acquired. Inherited conditions often present at earlier ages and may be associated with additional clinical features and specific genetic findings in some, but not all, patients. In contrast, onset of acquired BMF can occur at any age. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve treatment outcomes of these conditions, some of which can progress to haematological and other cancers. Nathanael aims to expand the Aplastic Anaemia & Other Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes Registry (AAR) to include and analyse data from New Zealand, then create a model that can help determine whether a patient is more likely to have a germline or acquired BMF. Lastly, he wants to examine certain mutations known or suspected to be more prevalent in indigenous populations, and understand the implications of these diseases for patients and their families.
HSANZ New Investigator Clinical Fellowships 2024 for 2025 - we acknowledge support from Janssen and Novartis
Katie Lewis
Katie Lewis is an early career clinical and laboratory haematologist based in Perth, Western Australia. Her professional interests include genetic haematopathology, flow cytometry and the diagnosis and management of acute leukaemias. She is the recipient of a 2024 Western Australian Cancer Fellowship and is currently undertaking twelve months of haematopathology training in cytogenetics, to complete a RCPA extension of scope of practice certification.
Trung Ngo
Trung Ngo is a final year haematology trainee. He is interested in the intersect between myeloid malignancies and molecular studies. He will be based in the genomics laboratory at University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
Trung will focus on identifying biomarkers in myeloproliferative neoplasm with reduced life expectancy due to a predisposition to thrombosis and transformation to myelofibrosis or acute leukaemia. A clear map of the genomic landscape of essential thrombocythaemia is an area of unmet need. Trung will be based in UCLH’s spatial transcriptomics facility, where he will focus on identifying biomarkers in myeloproliferative neoplasms to aid with diagnosis and therapeutic targets.
HSANZ / ALLG Clinical Trials Fellowship 2024 for 2025
Arina Martynchyk
Arina Martynchyk is a qualified Haematologist from Ukraine. She had been working at the Department of Lymohoproliferative Diseases of the National Cancer Institute in Kyiv from 2007 to 2022, where Arina and her colleagues set up autologous stem cell transplantation. In 2022 she relocated to Australia where she is retraining as a haematologist (due to the requirement of AHPRA) and working as a Research Fellow at Austin Health and ONJ Cancer Research Institute.
Arina and her colleagues’ research project “Hearing Patient Voices in Blood Cancer Research: Patient Reported Outcome use, implementation and reporting in trials conducted by the ALLG” aims to fully analyse the use of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs), methodology and results reported in ALLG clinical trials. The results will help to define the optimal PROs and the most appropriate timepoints of their application, improve development of new trials, aim to inform patient experience of treatments employed by the high-quality studies of the ALLG, and enhance the reputation for PRO research of this leading national trial group.
Albert Baikie Memorial Medal and Award
Yin Yuan (right), presented by President Peng Lee
At the HSANZ AGM Two Life Members were welcomed:
Anthony (Tony) Dodds
Pauline Warburton
HSANZ Mentorship in Haematology Award
Ian Irving
HSANZ Leadership in Haematology Award
Tracy King
Carl de Gruchy Medal and Oration
Prof Paula Marlton
Pitney Fellow 2025-2026
Prof Wendy Erber
HSANZ Nurses Group Awards
Best First Time Oral Presenter: Emily Minopoulos with Andy Steele, HSANZ Nurses Group Lead
Best Poster: Robyn Western
Best Oral Presentation: Ty Simpson
HSANZ Nurses Travel Grants
HSANZ has endorsed the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) VAD Guidelines, Section 2: Vessel Health and Preservation
The launch event will be on Tuesday 19 March 2023
In 2021, CNSA launched the first topic of the Vascular Access Clinical Practice Guidelines: Patency, occlusion prevention and management. These guidelines have been implemented in healthcare settings across the country.
Since then, CNSA's Vascular Access Device and Infusion Therapy (VAD & IT) SPN has been working hard to draft Section 2: Vessel Health and Preservation, which incorporates device selection and difficult intravenous access for patients with cancer.
We invite you to join us for the on-line launch event on Tuesday 19 March - click here to find out more.
Despite the Australian health workforce becoming increasingly diverse, women from culturally or racially diverse backgrounds continue to face barriers relating to both gender and racial and cultural background. These barriers contribute to their under-representation in the profession and ultimately negative disparate outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals.
As part of our Link and Grow pillar of activities, The Link at ANU is delivering a Mentoring Program in 2024 which aims to grow the careers of mid-career culturally diverse (non-Anglo Celtic) women in medicine. The inaugural pilot program has been developed in partnership with Franklin Women and facilitated by Seredis Leadership consultants. It will also support mentors to better understand the unique experiences of culturally diverse women in the workplace and to become inclusive mentors and leaders.
The Link and Grow Mentoring Program is a 6-month virtual program that combines informal mentoring sessions between mentees and mentors, with facilitated and structured workshops and events. The workshops provide career, mentoring and inclusive leadership development of mentees and mentors. They also provide a safe place for participants to network, and to share and reflect on the experiences of culturally diverse women in medicine and discuss the role of leaders in shifting culture within teams and workplaces.
Individuals who identify as culturally or racially diverse women, and who are at the middle stage of their career (~3-12 years post fellowship), looking for a mentor and peer-support community to grow their careers. We expect mentees will want to mentor within the program in future.
Individuals of any gender who are trained in medicine and who are now in leadership roles in the healthcare and health and medical research sector. This includes but is not restricted to clinician researchers, specialist medical practitioners or executives who are committed to inclusive leadership practices. Mentors are not required to identify as culturally diverse.
Applications are open to individuals who would like to participate in the 2024 Mentoring Program as either mentees or mentors until Friday 29 March 2024.
There is a participation fee for Mentees to take part in this 6-month, expertly facilitated mentoring program. If you are interested in taking part, please contact the Link via email at international.health@anu.edu.au for associated costs. There is no fee for mentors to participate
Following an excellent Blood meeting in Melbourne last week, we acknowledge all our Scholarship, Fellowship and Award recipients.
HSANZ LEUKAEMIA FOUNDATION NEW INVESTIGATOR PHD SCHOLARSHIPS 2023 FOR 2024
Helen Cashman
Helen Cashman completed dual haematology specialist training in 2022 in Sydney and has a strong interest in lymphoma biology and treatments.
Eric Wenlong Li
Eric is an early career haematologist who has completed his haematology specialist training in NSW. His personal experience with a blood cancer, and having benefited from a cure enabled by breakthroughs in genetic cancer research, has led him to pursue a career in haematology.
Eric’s project at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute will focus on improving our understanding of a recent breakthrough anti-cancer drug venetoclax. Venetoclax is highly effective against numerous blood cancers including Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). However, despite its ability to allow patients to enjoy longer periods in remission, patients invariably relapse. Current scientific evidence points to sophisticated genetic and epigenetic (cell environment where genes operate) causes of venetoclax resistance. This project will discover these causes using new and advanced techniques that can see genetic and epigenetic changes at a single cell level.
Damian D’Silva
Damian graduated BSc with Honours from WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) / Melbourne University, where he will undertake his PhD studies in the Strasser Lab, within the Blood Cells and Blood Cancer (BCBC) division.
Damian has a keen interest in programmed cell death and associated biological pathways in the context of blood cell derived cancers, as well as the development of novel, targeted anti-cancer therapeutics. The goal of this project is to advance the highly promising MCL-1 inhibitors in clinical trials for cancers like leukaemia – and ultimately – the clinical treatment of patients with blood cancers.
HSANZ Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation PhD Scholarship
Michael Ashby
Originally from Tasmania, Michael graduated from the University of Tasmania and subsequently completed physician and haematology training in Melbourne. He has a sub-interest in myeloid disorders including AML, MDS, MPN as well as ALL and bone marrow transplant. He is passionate about and aims to complete further work in translational research and development and management of clinical trials.
Michael’s PhD project at Monash University will study methods of preventing acute myeloid leukaemia relapse following allogeneic stem cell transplant. Bone marrow transplantation remains the best chance of cure for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Transplantation of cells from a compatible donor works by the new donor immune cells recognising the leukaemia cells as ‘foreign’ and eliminating them. Unfortunately, recurrence (relapse) of the leukaemia occurs within 2 years of transplant in up to one half of all patents and this relapse is usually untreatable.
HSANZ Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand PhD Scholarship 2023 for 2024
Paul Owaci – Malaghan Institute
Paul is a Masters of Clinical Immunology graduate from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, currently working as a research technician at Malaghan Institute of Medical research.
HSANZ New Investigator Clinical Fellowships 2023 for 2024 with support from Janssen and Novartis
Aditya Tedjaseputra –Adi’s Clinical Fellowship will focus on molecular and MRD in AML at the Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Guy’s Hospital at King’s College London. He plans to integrate cutting-edge, multi-omics techniques for baseline diagnostics and MRD monitoring into the Australasian context upon his return.
Kenneth Lim – Kenneth’s Clinical Fellowship will focus on determining the prognostic impact of 1q21 gain and amplification (1q21+) in Multiple Myeloma (MM) patients treated with Anti-CD38 antibodies at the Mayo Clinic.
HSANZ / SNOWDOME MID-CAREER AWARD
Ross David, for his work with the Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) research group in the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), who have been world leaders in showing that around half of carefully selected patients with CML can safely stop their chemotherapy treatment and remain in remission long-term.
ALBERT BAIKIE MEMORIAL MEDAL AND AWARD
Jamie Kuzich
Life Members:
Ruth Spearing CNZM
Michael Harvey
Devinder Gill
Phoebe Joy Ho AM
Pitney Fellow 2023-2025
Carl De Gruchy medal and oration
Prof Andrew Roberts AM
HSANZ NURSES GROUP AWARDS
Best Presentation: Priscilla Gates
First Time Presenters: Catherine Vassili
Best Poster: Tracy King
Sarah Murray
Madeline McKeague
Elise Toyer
Kari Mudie
Lauren Brennan
Gisha George
Congratulations on behalf of all HSANZ to the following members who were honoured recently:
Professor Erica Wood AO from Monash University for distinguished service to transfusion medicine and haemovigilance, to haematology, and to national and international organisations,
Professor Harshall Nandurker AM from Australian Centre for Blood Diseases at Alfred Hospital for significant service to medicine, particularly as a haematologist
Dr Ruth Spearing CNZM for services to haematology. Ruth offered a few words following acceptance of her honour.
I feel as if I am accepting this on behalf of all the NZ haematologists. It was great being the NZ PI for most of the UK studies, especially AML ( though initially also CLL/MM etc) after Mike Beard stepped down in 1993. We managed to get our dreaded Pharmac to agree to pay for the mylotarg in 2015 for AML19 which meant we could take part in that trial which was probably my biggest single achievement! I was very active in medical politics here in NZ for close on 20 years
I feel as if I am accepting this on behalf of all the NZ haematologists.
It was great being the NZ PI for most of the UK studies, especially AML ( though initially also CLL/MM etc) after Mike Beard stepped down in 1993. We managed to get our dreaded Pharmac to agree to pay for the mylotarg in 2015 for AML19 which meant we could take part in that trial which was probably my biggest single achievement!
I was very active in medical politics here in NZ for close on 20 years
HSANZ Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards
HSANZ continues to work with charity and industry partners to offer a range of Scholarships and Grants which are open This year we are offering:
3 x HSANZ / Leukaemia Foundation PhD Scholarships
1 x HSANZ / Arrow Foundation PhD Scholarship
1 x HSANZ / Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand PhD Scholarship
2 x HSANZ Clinical Fellowships
1 x HSANZ / Snowdome Mid-Career Award
1 x Baikie Award
All above programs close 20 August 2023
1 x HSANZ /ASH Abstract Achievement Award - closes 1 August 2023
All the details are here https://www.hsanz.org.au/scholarships-and-awards/
NHMRC Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies Webinar 5 July 2023
The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, speakers will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how key advances are addressing the current challenges in stem cell transplantation. The second webinar of 2023 features Professor Robert Zeiser, who is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Tumour Immunology at the Department of Haematology, Oncology and Stem-Cell Transplantation at the Medical Center, University of Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany. His research group has focused on utilizing a range of cutting edge imaging techniques to monitor the fate of different cell types in living animals, leading to several publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, Science Translational Medicine, Blood, Nature Communications and the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Professor Zeiser has over 250 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to 14 book chapters. In this webinar, Professor Zeiser will outline the translational pathway of promising, novel therapies for graft vs host disease from murine models into clinical practice. Flyer
Speaker:
Professor Robert Zeiser – University of Freiburg, Germany
When: Wednesday 5 July 2023, 5pm AEST
Link to webinar:
Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:
At the recent very successful HSANZ New Zealand branch meeting in Palmerston North an AGM was held at which there was a discussion about paying tribute to contributors to haematology in NZ. It was agreed to name a session at the annual branch meeting after them in their respective field. It was decided after a vote that the morphology session could be re-named every 10 years after a respected colleague. Edward Theakston who died recently, was to be the new memorial session. An obituary by Anna Ruskova was included in the last HSANZ newsletter.
As New Zealand councillor, Annette Neylon was asked to write a letter to his widow explaining this and HSANZ Council endorsed the proposal unanimously.
The Fellowships are open to researcher and clinicians who are
Full eligibility criteria and application details can be found on the Leukaemia Foundation website
https://www.leukaemia.org.au/research/current-funding-opportunities/research-fellowships/
Make new connections and get your clinical questions answered at Highlights of ASH® in Asia-Pacific this March! Our small meeting is the ideal environment to meet your future colleagues and collaborators. Join us for:
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