NHMRC Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies Webinar 4 October 2022

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. This webinar features Professor Thomas Luft who is a consultant haematology and oncologist and the taskforce leader for allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant and myelodysplastic syndromes at the Heidelberg University Hospital. Following the completion of his PhD studies at the University of Melbourne, Prof Luft completed post-doctoral fellowships at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne as well as the German Cancer Research Centre, where is now the Head of the “Adaptive Immune Regulation” research group. Prof Luft’s research has focused on endothelial complications following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation leading to several publications in high impact factor journals and several presentations at international conferences. In this webinar, Prof Luft will be speaking on the early endothelial complications after haematopoeitic stem cell transplant.

Speaker:

Professor Thomas Luft – University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital

When: Friday 4 October 2022, 5pm AEDT

 Link to webinar:

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

https://bloodcelltherapy.org.au/

For  more information click here

September is Blood Cancer Month 2022

September is Blood Cancer Month, a time to acknowledge the 135,000 Australians living with blood cancer (including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma), and the further 53 people diagnosed every day. #ThisIsBloodCancer

If you or someone you know is impacted by blood cancer, you/they are not alone. Support is available. 

Contact Australia’s Blood Cancer Support line on 1800 620 420 or visit bloodcancer.org.au

Anyone impacted by any type of blood cancer can call 1800 620 420 or visit bloodcancer.org.au to connect with a highly-skilled blood cancer support professional, giving them access to the latest information, personalised supportive care services, and an opportunity to connect with a wider blood cancer community, at no cost. 

TGA are seeking applications from professionals with expertise in relevant medical or scientific fields or consumer health issues to support our function as a best practice regulator. Committee members contribute significantly towards the TGA’s regulatory functions by providing independent expert advice relating to the regulation of medicines, devices, vaccines and other products and substances.  The statutory advisory committees are:

• Advisory Committee on Biologicals
• Advisory Committee on Medicines 
• Advisory Committee on Vaccines
• Advisory Committee on Complementary Medicines
• Advisory Committee on Medical Devices 
• Advisory Committee on Chemicals Scheduling
• Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling

Committee members do not have full-time duties - some committees meet monthly, with others meeting up to three times a year.  Members are remunerated in accordance with the principles and rates set by the Remuneration Tribunal (Remuneration and Allowances for Holders of Part-time Public Office) Determination. 

Further information regarding the statutory advisory committees, along with the requirements for applying can be found on our website. 

Further enquiries can be made by email to committee.vacancies@health.gov.au.

For information click here

NHMRC Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies Webinar 26 August 2022

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. This webinar features Professor Katy Rezvani who is the Sally Cooper Murray Chair in Cancer Research, Professor of Medicine, Chief of Section for Cellular Therapy, Director of Translational Research and Director of the GMP Facility at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre. Prof Rezvani’s research laboratory focuses on the role of natural killer (NK) cells in mediating immunity against haematologic and solid organ tumours. This research has led to the approval and funding of several investigator-initiated clinical trials of NK cell immunotherapy in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, as well as the first-in-human clinical trial of off-the-shelf CAR-transduced cord blood NK cells in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoid malignancies. Prof Rezvani’s work is supported by multiple grants from the National Cancer Institute, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Cancer Society, Stand Up to Cancer and the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). In this webinar, Prof Rezvani will be outlining the emerging role of NK cell based therapeutics in cancer.

Speaker:

Professor Katy Rezvani – MD Anderson Cancer Centre

When: Friday 26 August 2022, 8am AEST

Link to webinar:

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

https://bloodcelltherapy.org.au/

For full information click here

HSANZ is pleased to support the 2nd Sickle Cell Conference on 10 September 2022, a hybrid event with virtual facilities over zoom

Venue: 220 Pitt St Wesley Conference Centre, Wesley Theatre.

Time: 09:00 am to 6:00 pm

Follow this link to register:

Sickle Cell Warriors and Caregivers join us for free. Register via this link for free registration.

The blood cancer Optimal Care Pathways project is an initiative of the Blood Cancer Taskforce and was jointly led by the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG) and the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand (HSANZ), with support from the Leukaemia Foundation.

The Blood Cancer Taskforce was pleased to launch 6 new Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) for blood cancer on 9 August

These OCPs will set national standards of care and treatment for blood cancer patients across Australia, no matter where they live, or access treatment.

This is a huge achievement in our collective work towards zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035. Thank you to HSANZ Vice-President who was the Chair of this committee.

To view the OCPs, click on this link

HSANZ offer an award - HSANZ / ASH Abstract Achievement Award to a value of  ($2,000 US) to the highest ranking HSANZ member

Less Than a Week Left to Submit Your Abstract to the ASH Annual Meeting!

 64th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. As a reminder, the abstract submission deadline is Tuesday, August 2, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Review the abstract policies and submit your abstract on the ASH website.

Thousands of abstracts will be accepted for presentation. Abstracts will be published in Blood and made available to in-person meeting participants in New Orleans as well as those participating via the virtual meeting platform.

Blood 2022

Early Bird closing, 10th August!

Early Bird registration rates for Blood 2022 will only be available until Wednesday 10 August 2022.  

Register now and join us from 11th – 14 September at the Sydney International Convention & Exhibition Centre for programs containing the most recent clinical and research information for all blood related specialities.

Blood 2022 Pre-Meeting Workshops

A number of educational workshops will be taking place on Saturday 10th September at the Sydney International Convention Centre. Places are limited so make sure you register early to secure your space.

Workshops can be registered for when registering for the main Meeting or if you have already registered, please email us to add a workshop to your registration.

In 2020, the Haemovigilance Advisory Committee (HAC) proposed to host a series of online forums on current issues in Haemovigilance, with both Australian and international speakers. The National Blood Authority (NBA) established a working group, and they developed a draft program for a series of four free, open-access, 90-minute online forums. 

The Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion (ANZSBT), International Haemovigilance Network (IHN) and International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) agreed to collaborate with the NBA, and with ISBT hosting the forums via their existing webinar platform. 

 Flyer here

Registration for each webinar is now available on the ISBT website at Haemovigilance Webinars: Haemovigilance in Australia and Beyond | The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) (isbtweb.org). The webinars are also advertised on the NBA website at Haemovigilance | National Blood Authority

Did you know there is an HSANZ Advanced Trainee Workshop as part of Blood2022 on Saturday 10th September

To attend the HSANZ Advanced Trainee Workshop, you must meet criteria; 

Support for Interstate Attendees

Attendees who meet the criteria above and are attending from outside NSW and are not receiving travel assistance from any other sources may apply for support for economy flights and/or 1 nights’ accommodation (Friday 9th September).

In order to be considered for this support, you must complete registration and indicate your need for support. Once eligibility has been confirmed, the organisers will contact you in regards to your flight and accommodation bookings.

If you are not a member,  join NOW www.hsanz.org.au and click APPLY