Speakers

Anna Sureda is a clinical hematologist internationally recognized for her expertise in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies. She currently serves as Head of the Hematology Department at the Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO) in L’Hospitalet, Barcelona, Spain, and holds an academic appointment as Associate Professor of Hematology at the University of Barcelona.

Her clinical and research interests focus on the treatment of lymphoid malignancies—particularly Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas—through innovative transplant strategies and immunotherapeutic approaches, including CAR-T cell therapy. She has played a pivotal role in advancing supportive care and the management of transplantrelated complications.

Anna Sureda has held several prominent leadership positions at both the national and international levels. Most notably, she serves as President of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) until 2026, after being the secretary of the society from 2010 to 2016 and chairing the society’s Lymphoma Working Party between 2004 to 2010.

Axel Hofmann is a Doctor of Medical Science with a master’s degree in economics. He is Adjunct Professor, Discipline of Surgery and Clinical Training and Evaluation Centre (CTEC), Medical School, University of Western Australia.

He consults governmental, public, and private institutions on the implementation of PBM in Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, and
Switzerland. He was the lead contractor of the world’s first state-wide PBM implementation project and PBM implementation projects of several public hospitals and hospital systems in Europe. He currently serves as Chair of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) External Steering Committee for the development of a Policy Brief, titled ‘The urgent need to implement Patient Blood Management’, and the development of a guidance for worldwide implementation of PBM.

He has published in Anaesthesia, Anesthesia & Analgesia, Anesthesiology, Annals of Oncology, Annals of Surgery, Best Practice & Research Clinical Anesthesiology, Blood Transfusion, BMC Medicine, British Journal of Anaesthesia, British Medical Journal Open, Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, European Journal of Anaesthesiology, Journal of Intensive Care, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet, Oncologist, Nephrology, South African Medical Journal, Transfusion, Transfusion and Apheresis Science, Transfusion Medicine Reviews, Vox Sanguinis and other peer-reviewed journals. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Vox Sanguinis.

Google Scholar: h-index 42; i10-index 72; citations >8,900
ResearchGate: research interest score >3,480; reads >49,000

As invited speaker, he presented his work in more than 80 countries and >750 international forums, symposia, congresses, medical schools, national academies, government agencies and
health economic summits.

He is a board member of the International Foundation for Patient Blood Management (www.ifpbm.org) and the Sociedad Iberoamericana de Patient Blood Management (www.siapbm.org), also a founding and former board member of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (www.sabm.org).

Dr Charlotte Ingram is currently the Medical Director and CEO for the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) based at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. Previously Medical Director for the South African National Blood Transfusion Service (SANBS).

Her qualifications include both laboratory and clinical haematology specialities – Masters in Medicine in haematology (MMed Haem) Wits and a fellowship degree in Haematopathology – F C Path Haem (CMSA) from the college of Medicine South Africa. She is also a registered HPCSA (Health Professional Council South Africa) clinical haematologist and acquired an MBA from University of the Witwatersrand.

She remains passionate about growing the registry in size and diversity thereby making more donors available for patients in need of bone marrow stem cell transplant. This all to provide hope and life changing treatment for these patients as supported by the SABMR Patient Assistance Fund (PAP). All the time ensuring donor wellbeing and safety and remaining patient service focused.

Dr Dima El-Sharkawi was appointed as a Consultant Haematologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in 2017. She studied Medicine at University of Cambridge, and Imperial College. She trained in Haematology in University College London Hospital before undertaking research in epigenetic-related prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukaemia at UCL Cancer Institute.
Her sub-specialist interest is in the management of patients with lymphoma, CLL and mature lymphoid leukaemias and clinical trials. She is clinical lead for the Specialist Integrated Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service at the Royal Marsden Hospital. She is deputy task force lead for the haemato-oncology guidelines committee in the British Society of Haematology and is a member of the UK Lymphoma research group.

Hans-Jurgen Mager, MD, PhD, is a pulmonologist at St. Antonius Hospital in the Netherlands, the national expertise center for HHT. Secretary of the Dutch association of pulmonologists (NVALT), he has over 25 years’ experience in HHT care and research, contributing to numerous publications and supervising several PhD theses. He served as coordinating investigator for the first drug specifically developed for HHT, presenting phase 1B trial results at the 2024 international HHT conference (manuscript submitted). From 2019 to 2025, he chaired the Global Research and Medical Advisory Board of Cure HHT and is a member of the HHT working group of VASCERN.

Dr Jaimendra Singh is a Clinical Haematologist in private practice, based at Capital Haematology Hospital,in Durban, a hospital for blood disorders and stem cell transplantation.
He completed his MBChB, summa cum laude, at the University of Natal, KZN in 1998 and obtained his fellowship from the College of Physicians of South Africa in 2004 and was awarded the Suzman gold medal as the best physician in the college of medicine.

He completed his Clinical Haematology training at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur. His interests include HIV associated lymphomas and treating relapsed refractory lymphomas and transplants.

Julie de Tristan is an ENT surgeon at the Center of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia, Elisabeth Klinik Academic Hospital of Charité, Department of Surgery, Berlin, Germany. Her academic interests include Interdisciplinary collaborations in treating complex health issues to translate research into patient care, focus on Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia community. Laser treatment in ENT. Outside of medicine, If you want to experience her in the best mood, invite her on a sailing trip.

Graduated from the University of Witwatersand in 2006, followed by 2 years of internship at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic hospital.

Community service officer time in a regional hospital in KZN- Catherine Booth Hospital- focusing on casualty, paediatrics and antenatal care in 2009. I returned to Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in 2010- completing 6 months in paediatrics including rotations through NICU and paediatric haem-oncology, and 6 months were spent at the ICU. I was fortunate to join the department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology at Wits once again in 2011, to start my reg time in haematopathology- graduating in 2014. I subsequently gained invaluable consultant time at Charlotte Maxeke Academic hospital while completing my MMED research report in CLL. I remained in the department until January 2018, after which I joined Lancet Laboratories at the central lab.

I am a general haematopathologist practicing morphology, coagulation, flow cytometry, haemoglobinopathy diagnosis and integrated reporting daily. I’ve had a fascination with genetics since adolescence and get to express this avidity through involvement in the molecular and cytogenetics departments. I simply love haematology.

Dr. Mariska Stander completed her MBChB at the University of Pretoria in 2017. In 2024, she obtained a diploma in primary emergency care (DipPEC) from the Colleges of Medicine South Africa.

After spending most of her community service, and some medical officer time, on the frontline in the Emergency Department of Steve Biko Academic Hospital, she joined the practice of Dr. Brittain and Partners, Alberts Cellular therapy, in 2021. There she assists in the care of general haematology, chemotherapy, and transplant patients. In her spare time, she practices aesthetic medicine, bakes celebration cakes, and spends time with her fur child and loved ones.

Dr. Simon Brett is a clinical haematologist working in private practice at Haemalife Inc. in Cape Town. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of the Free State in 2010. His internship and community service were carried out at Kimberley Hospital, where he was first introduced to practical clinical haematology. Dr. Brett completed his specialty training in internal medicine at Tygerberg Hospital, earning his MMED (Internal Medicine) from the University of Stellenbosch. He then went on to sub-specialise in clinical haematology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town from 2021 to 2023. He is currently practicing privately again at Haemalife Inc. He sees a wide array of complex haemtological conditions, but has a particular interest stem cell transplant, leukaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma.

Dr. Uday Popat did his early training including medical school and residency in Mumbai, India. He further trained in hematology, medical oncology, and stem cell transplantation at multiple teaching institutions in the UK and the USA including Baylor college of medicine and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He is also the interim Deputy Chair of the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation. Dr. Popat’s research interests include development of novel conditioning regimens for transplantation, improving transplant outcomes in older patients, and transplantation in myeloid malignancies and autoimmune diseases. He has published more 300 papers in peer review journals.

Erna West is a pioneering leader in the HSCT field and former Country Manager of DKMS Africa. She has played a pivotal role in shaping donor management medical processes, establishing the patient registry, and strengthening patient services – building the foundation for a more resilient transplant ecosystem in the region.

Renowned for her expertise in quality management and her ability to cultivate trusted partnerships, Erna has led transformative initiatives that expand access to lifesaving treatments.

Recently appointed as the Representative for DKMS ATT Africa, she continues to drive strategic, inclusive solutions that break down barriers to care. Her unwavering passion lies in advancing equitable access to transplantation in South Africa, ensuring that every patient has a fair chance at survival.

MBCHB (UFS), qualified in 2010
MMED (UFS), qualified in 2022
FCP (SA), qualified in 2022

Worked for three years as a specialist physician at Pelonomi Academic Hospital before joining Haematology. Enrolled for Haematology fellowship at Universitas Hospital in June 2025.

Jennifer O’Sullivan is a Consultant Haematologist at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and a postdoctoral clinical fellow at King’s College London and Oxford University. Jennifer specialises in myeloid malignancies with a particular interest in myeloproliferative neoplasms and myeloid overlap syndromes. Her research focuses on mechanisms of disease progression in myeloid neoplasms using cutting-edge multi-omic single cell approaches. She completed her MRC funded PhD in Oxford in 2023 studying splicing factor-mutated myeloid neoplasms. She was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship Spring 2024 to discover targetable neoantigens in SF3B1-mutated myeloid neoplasms.

Estelle Verburgh is associate professor at the University of Cape Town and director of the academic bone marrow transplantation unit at Groote Schuur Hospital. She is a physician haematologist with dual qualification in clinical and laboratory haematology. Her PhD work at the University of Leuven on diagnosis and prognosis of Myelodysplastic Syndrome has been cited in the 2008 and the 2016 WHO Classification. She is president of the South African Stem Cell Transplantation Society (SASCeTS), treasurer of the South African Clinical Haematology Society (SACHaS) and director of the BLOODSA Foundation. Her clinical vision and research passion is the building of collaborative haematology platforms for best care, education and research, devising cost-effective strategies, interventions and pathways for sub-Saharan African haematological care, and making haematological diagnostic approaches more accessible to non-specialists.

Prof Jacques Le Roux Malherbe is the head of the Division of Clinical Haematology, and associate professor in Internal Medicine, at the University of the Free State. After completing his MBChB degree at the University of Pretoria in 2003 he pursued specialization in Internal Medicine at the UFS and then completed his Clinical Haematology training under the tutelage of Prof Vernon Louw and Dr Mike Webb in 2013. In 2018 he was appointed as head of Clinical Haematology and is focused on building a strong haematology presence in central South Africa. His ethos is focused on fostering the development of each team member’s best qualities and working toward strong local and national collaborative ties. Academically he has broad interests within the field but is especially interested in the local aspects of various lymphoproliferative neoplasms. He has served as site Principle Investigator on a number of clinical trials in lymphoma and PNH. Outside of haematology he is a keen cyclist and has competed on a national level in various off-road disciplines and secured a top 10 finish in the masters category at the 2023 ABSA Cape Epic.

Marie Faughnan MD MSc is the founder and Director of the Toronto HHT Centre at St Michael’s Hospital and Unity Health Toronto, where she leads a multidisciplinary clinical team in the care of Canadian HHT patients, as well as clinical and translational research, since 1997. She is a Pulmonologist, Clinical Epidemiologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She led the first and second International HHT Guidelines and values working closely with HHT patient advocates, clinicians and scientists.

For nearly 30 years, Dr Chesnutt has been Director of the Pacific Northwest HHT Center of Excellence in the Dotter Interventional Institute at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OSHU) in Portland, Oregon USA. He is a Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine physician and Professor of Medicine and Interventional Radiology at OHSU. Since the late 1990’s he has worked in many different capacities with CureHHT and other entities to improve access to HHT diagnosis and treatment and to advance HHT care.

Research focus:
Basic, translational, clinical and outcomes research in the fields of

• Hematology: with particular focus on hematopoietic stem cell aging and stem cell-related disorders.
  • Acquired and inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (with particular focus on Telomere
    biology disorders)
  • Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN)
• Oncology: molecular targeted diagnostics and treatment, personalized cancer care and
  translational research structures in oncology
• Leader and PI in numerous clinical Phase I-IV trials (incl. self-initiated multi-center IITs)

Ali Bazarbachi, MD, PhD is a Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology), Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, and Founding Director of the bone marrow transplantation program at the American University of Beirut-Medical Center. He received his MD and PhD degrees, residency and fellowship training at the University of Paris in France. Dr. Ali Bazarbachi’s basic and translational research focuses on targeted therapies for hematological malignancies as well as post-transplant pharmacological interventions. He has co-authored more than 400 articles in leading scientific journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Journal of Experimental Medicine, The Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood, Nature Communication, and Cancer Research. He is a cofounder of the International Academy for Clinical Hematology, the Chairman of the EMBMT Leukemia Working Party, Chairman of the NCCN Lymphoma Group for Middle East and North Africa, past President of the Lebanese Society of Hematology, past President of the International Association for Comparative Research on Leukemia and Related Disorders, and Associate Editor of “Bone Marrow Transplantation” and of “Clinical Hematology International”. He garnered multiple prestigious national and international awards including the 2008 award of the French National Academy of Medicine, the 2022 King Hussein Lifetime Achievement Award for Cancer Research, and the Lebanese National Medal of Merit.

Professor of Anesthesiology em., University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Chairman, Institute of Anesthesiology em., University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Founder and CEO, SwissPBM-Consulting GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland

Prof. Spahn’s primary research areas include concepts to minimize the use of perioperative blood products and the management of massive bleeding. He is one of the founders of Patient Blood Management and has chaired the development of the European guidelines for the management of bleeding following major trauma. Prof. Spahn has published more than 460 scientific articles (sum of impact factor > 1’850), 19 books and more than 45 chapters, including numerous original papers and review articles regarding the transfusion of blood products. His h-index is 86. He has served in the editorial board for various anaesthesia journals and has participated in numerous committees and scientific advisory boards. He gave more than 850 invited lectures worldwide.

Gianluca Gaidano is professor of Hematology and Deputy Rector at the University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy. He started his medical career at the University of Turin, where he received his M.D. and Ph.D. From 1990 to 1994, he was at Columbia University, New York, where he trained in molecular hematology. His research interests relate mainly to precision medicine of lymphoid malignancies, with a focus on targeted treatments, molecular predictors and liquid biopsy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Other fields of interest concern hematologic neoplasia in immunodeficient patients. He has been a board member of EHA and the Chair of the EHA Global Outreach Program Committee. He has chaired the EHA Community and Stakeholder Committee and served as member in the EHA Education Committee. He is a board member of the Italian Lymphoma Foundation (FIL) and of the GIMEMA Working Party on chronic lymphoproliferative disorders. He has been president of the Italian Society of Experimental Hematology and is a member of EHA, ERIC, ASH, ASCO, AACR, SIE and SIES. He has published over 750 scientific articles (H-index 103; Citation index 42315 as of Scopus on July 16th, 2025) and contributed to several textbooks. In 2023, he was granted the EHA Education and Mentorship Award at the EHA-2023 Congress in Frankfurt.

Professor Martijn C. (Marco) Post is a cardiologist, holds a professorship in pulmonary vascular diseases at Utrecht University Medical Center and plays a leading role in several research collaborations on HHT, including with VASCERN (the European Reference Network for rare vascular diseases). As a longstanding member of the Cure HHT Global Research and Medical Advisory Board, Marco has contributed to the international HHT guidelines and research into pulmonary hypertension and vascular complications in HHT.

• Graduated in Medicine and Surgery, with honours at the University of Bologna, in 1984
• Obtained the Speciality in Hematology, with honours at the University of Bologna, in 1987
• Awarded a “Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Medical Oncology” released by the “Roger Williams Cancer Center” of Providence
• (USA) in 1989.
• Chief of the clinical and translational program of the Lymphoma Unit at the Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology
• “L. & A. Seràgnoli” from 1990.
• Member of the Italian Society of Hematology from 1986
• Member of the Italian Society of Experimental Hematology from 1987
• Member of the American Society of Hematology from 1989
• Member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology from 1989
• Associated Professor at the Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology “L. & A. Seràgnoli”, University of Bologna from
• November 2002
• Since 12 November 2018, Full Professor of Hematology at the University of Bologna
• Since 1 November 2024, Head of Institute of Hematology “Seràgnoli” University of Bologna
• Served as the principal investigator of more than 280 clinical trials (including phase 1 and 2 studies followed by expansion
• cohorts) in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia including national
• and international multicenter studies
• President of Italian Foundation on Lymphoma (FIL) from November 2013 to November 2015 and now he is a member of the
• Board of Directors
• Actual President of the Italian Society of Hematology from January 1, 2025
• Associate Editor of Annals of Oncology from January 2014 to December 2017 and he acts as a reviewer for journals such as
• Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood, Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer, Haematologica, Leukemia &
• Lymphoma, Leukemia, Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma, Blood Advance, Lancet Hematology
• He has presented his research at more than 525 national and international meetings
• He has authored over 840 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Journal of
• Clinical Oncology, Lancet Oncology, Annals of Oncology, Oncologist, Journal Hematology & Oncology, Haematologica, Blood
• Advances
• His current research interest includes clinical trial methodology, prognostic factors in NHL, Hodgkin’s disease, chronic
• lymphocytic leukemia, new drugs development, and hairy cell leukemia

Romana completed her undergraduate training the University of Natal (UKZN) in 2012, followed by community service at Sebokeng Regional Hospital in the Vaal. She then specialized in Internal Medicine at Wits University in 2021, graduating as a physician whilst obtaining a Masters in Medicine (with distinction) during this period.

After spending six months as a volunteer at the haematology unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, Romana received the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Fellowship Award in Clinical Haematology. She spent the next 2½ years as a fellow in training in the Wits University circuit, rotating through clinical haematology as well as various aspects of laboratory based haematopathology. She was privileged to be trained in stem cell transplantation at was privileged at Alberts Cellular Therapy (ACT) in the last phase of her fellowship program.

In October 2024, Romana joined Alberts Cellular Therapy (ACT) based at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital. Romana also consults weekly at the ABJ oncology practice at Mediclinic Vereeniging.