SPOTLIGHT
Cell Disease ” to gain a better understanding of how to incorporate new medications into my treatment paradigm and approach complex complications in sickle cell disease .
As a hemostasis and thrombosis clinician , I work very closely with our laboratory specialists in challenging diagnostic cases . Therefore , I am looking forward to the “ Coagulation Laboratory Potpourri ” session , which will be a practical update on ordering and interpreting coagulation tests and avoiding common testing limitations and pitfalls .
Dr . Loren : We are also very eagerly looking forward to the sessions about novel trial designs and how these can contribute to best use of new therapies . These sessions will also feature a new format , with four to five speakers and a moderator in a roundtable discussion or debate format .
Management Strategies for Sickle Cell Disease
Monday , December 13 , 2021 , 2:45 p . m . - 3:30 p . m . Georgia World Congress Center , C202-C204 , Level 2
Coagulation Laboratory Potpourri
Sunday , December 12 , 2021 , 9:30 a . m . - 10 : 15 a . m . Georgia World Congress Center , C101 Auditorium
A Cutting-Edge Program to Contextualize COVID-19
Interview With Scientific Program Co-Chairs Benjamin Kile , PhD , and Omar Abdel-Wahab , MD
Benjamin Kile , PhD
Omar Abdel-Wahab , MD
As co-chairs , what were your goals in creating this year ’ s Scientific Program ? Dr . Kile : Our obvious goal , as it is for every co-chair each year , is to try to do one better than last year ’ s meeting . It ’ s a pretty daunting task , particularly against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Dr . Abdel-Wahab : We want to create the most cutting-edge and exciting Scientific Program possible , which is relevant to both benign and malignant hematology . Because we ’ re still living with the COVID-19 pandemic , and because COVID-19 has so much relevance for hematology and hematologic malignancies , there is a lot of content related not only to COVID-19 , but also to viral infections in hematologic malignancies and interactions between the immune system and hematology .
The joint session from the Scientific Committees on Blood Disorders in Childhood and Hematopoiesis , “ Gene Editing 2.0 : Advances in Gene Editing to Treat Genetic Blood Disorders ,” will also be fascinating . So much science has been partially obscured by COVID-19 in the last 18 months , but the progress made with gene editing in blood disorders and the ability to make fundamental changes in those diseases is profound .
Platelets Megakaryocytes , and the Immune Continuum
Monday , December 13 , 2021 , 2:45 p . m . - 3:30 p . m . Georgia World Congress Center , Hall C1
Gene Editing 2.0 : Advances in Gene Editing to Treat Genetic Blood Disorders
Saturday , December 11 , 2021 , 4:00 p . m . - 4:45 p . m . Georgia World Congress Center , Thomas Murphy Ballroom 1-2 , Level 5
Dr . Kile : We wanted to address the pandemic , but not make the meeting entirely about COVID-19 . We ’ ve tried to balance the topical content related to COVID-19 and its relevance to hematology with everything else that ’ s happening in the world of hematology , which is a field that moves extraordinarily fast . We wanted to present sessions that highlight the emerging knowledge about COVID-19 and contextualize it with the fundamental science of hematology and infections – for example , how viruses and pathogens interact with the vascular wall and trigger coagulation cascades and other elements of thrombosis .
Aside from adding COVID-19 – related content to the program , did the pandemic change the meeting planning process ? Dr . Kile : In certain ways , the pandemic has made that a bit easier , because the hybrid platform gives us more freedom to select speakers regardless of their location . Even during planning , we replaced face-to-face get-togethers with Zoom calls , which made it easier to connect with people . That collaboration also worked in our favor in terms of working with the ASH scientific committees – which are the backbone of the annual meeting . When you ’ re on a scientific committee , it is easy to focus on the committee ’ s mission , but you don ’ t often get to collaborate with the other committees . The pandemic enabled a little more flexibility and a little more inclusivity of other committees .
How did this year ’ s program differ from that of previous annual meetings ? Dr . Kile : I ’ ll start with a session near and dear to my heart , “ Platelets Megakaryocytes , and the Immune Continuum .” COVID-19 has highlighted the response of blood cells and the coagulation system to infection and their roles in the immune system . This is an example of a COVID-19 – relevant session where the three presenters will discuss exciting recent work in the context of the broader fundamental science of how this lineage interacts with the immune system . The session from the Scientific Committee on Thrombosis and Vascular Biology , looking at the role of vascular biology and coagulation in response to infection , will fit nicely together with the megakaryocytes session .
Viral and Bacterial Infections – Basic Insights Into Vascular Biology and Coagulation
Monday , December 13 , 2021 , 10 : 30 a . m . - 11 : 15 a . m . Georgia World Congress Center , Thomas Murphy Ballroom 1-2 , Level 5
Dr . Abdel-Wahab : There are a few exciting cutting-edge themes in this year ’ s program . The first is the topic of artificial intelligence ( AI ) and data science , which is touched on in group of presentations on what we call “ computer vision ” in hematology . Much of how we diagnose different blood cancers is based on a pathologist looking under a microscope and describing what they ’ re seeing . Now , we are exploring the idea of training computers to evaluate slides and deliver diagnoses to help us determine clinical information .
The other topic I think will be really interesting is iron therapeutics . In a session called “ From Structure to Function : Next Generation Iron Therapeutics ,” researchers will discuss ways to improve anemia and blood production by improving iron uptake , as well as our basic understanding of how iron is metabolized in the body to produce red blood cells .
From Structure to Function : Next Generation Iron Therapeutics
Sunday , December 12 , 2021 , 4:30 p . m . - 5:15 p . m . Georgia World Congress Center , B304-B305 , Level 3
AI , Data Science , Computer Vision and the Hematology Laboratory of the Future
Sunday , December 12 , 2021 , 9:30 a . m . - 10 : 15 a . m . Georgia World Congress Center , C108-C109 , Level 1
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