Developments in haematology to be discussed at major meeting

Attendees at the Annual Meeting of the Haematology Association of Ireland can expect to hear informative talks on the latest advances in the specialty

The Haematology Association of Ireland (HAI) Annual Meeting will take place on 11-12 October 2024 at the Europa Hotel, Belfast, and promises to deliver a wealth of insightful presentations on key advancements in the field.

The event will begin with an opening address from HAI President Prof Paul Browne. Prof Browne is Professor of Haematology at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and Consultant Haematologist and Director of the National Adult Stem Cell Transplant Programme at St James’s Hospital, Dublin. After graduating from TCD in 1986, he trained in Dublin, and then as a Fellow at the University of Minnesota, US. Since returning to Ireland in 1997, he has led the development of therapeutic programmes for leukaemia and myeloma, with a special interest in stem cell transplant and novel therapeutics.

Prof Browne is a member of several international working groups. He has collaborated on laboratory studies of myeloma biology, including a focus on genetic susceptibility in DNA repair pathways, in work funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Irish Cancer Society. He was Chair of the Irish Cooperative Oncology Research Group (ICORG) from 2008 to 2012, leading the successful ICORG international peer-reviewed HRB multi-million euro grant renewal to support clinical translational research in cancer. Recently, he has led a TCD group in conjunction with colleagues in Cork and Galway to develop a major programme on cellular therapy funded by the National Blood Centre.

“Thank you to all who attended our 2023 conference in the Galway Bay Hotel, which was our highest attendance to date,” Prof Browne said in a statement on the meeting.

“I am delighted to have been nominated as your new President and shall endeavour to continue to carry on the hard work of my predecessors.”

Prof Browne’s opening address will be followed by a series of six oral presentations.

State-of-the-art lectures

Next on the agenda is the first of the state-of-the-art lecture series. It is on the topic of immune thrombocytopenic purpura and will be delivered by Dr Gary Benson, Consultant Haematologist and Director of the Northern Ireland Haemophilia Centre at Belfast City Hospital. Dr Benson, who graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1999, is an expert in managing bleeding disorders and has been instrumental in modernising haemophilia care in Northern Ireland.

After a short break, the next lecture in the series will take place. This talk will be on management of pulmonary embolism. The speaker, Dr Karen Breen, is joint Clinical Director for Haematology and Haemostasis at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Her undergraduate training was at TCD and following postgraduate training, she moved to the UK to conduct research leading to an MD. She is a member of the RCPI and Royal College of Pathologists, UK. She is currently involved in several clinical trials and in translational research relating to antiphospholipid syndrome. She has also authored and co-authored on publications on thromboembolic disease.

Dr Breen’s clinical and research expertise in thrombosis and anticoagulation makes her insights into pulmonary embolism highly anticipated.

The next state-of-the-art lecture will be delivered by Prof Mariane de Montalembert, a leading figure in sickle cell disease treatment, from Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France. Prof de Montalembert is internationally recognised for her work in paediatric haematology, with a focus on advancing care and treatments for children suffering from sickle cell disease, which will be the subject of her lecture.

The day’s third session will commence with a lecture from Dr Kieron Dunleavy, a Consultant Haematologist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC, US.

He will speak about novel strategies for targeting aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Dr Dunleavy’s research focuses on developing cutting-edge treatments for lymphoma, making his talk a must-attend for clinicians seeking to deepen their understanding of innovative therapeutic approaches.

The final state-of-the-art lecture in the first day is entitled ‘Controversies in the initial therapy of patients with multiple myeloma’. It will be delivered by Prof Graham Jackson, Consultant Haematologist, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals, UK.

His research interests focus on the role of drug resistance in myeloma, development of long-term bone marrow transplant follow-up clinics, and the cytokine profile of acute and chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease. Clinically, he has contributed to writing several guidelines, including the British Committee for Standards in Haematology anti-fungal guidelines. Prof Jackson has authored multiple book chapters and published more than 125 peer-reviewed papers.

Liam O’Connell Lecture

The first day will end with the President’s Symposium, Liam O’Connell Lecture, and poster viewing. The lecture, which is sure to be a highlight of the meeting, will be given by Prof Claire Harrison, Deputy Medical Director – Research, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Prof Harrison became a consultant at the hospital in 2001.

She has influenced major advances in her field, including the description of key mutations and designing/leading global clinical trials; for example, the first Janus kinase inhibitor trial in Europe. Prof Harrison is the chief investigator for several other international and national clinical trials.

She has strong international collaborations in France, Germany, Spain, and the US amongst others. Prof Harrison contributes to the British Society of Haematology and the European Haematology Association (EHA).

I am delighted to have been nominated as your new President and shall endeavour to continue to carry on the hard work of my predecessors

She has worked with patients to create a patient charity MPN [myeloproliferative neoplasms] Voice and also works with other patient charities, such as Blood Cancer UK and the MPN Research Foundation.

The lecture will be followed by a poster viewing session and official adjudication.

Using Blood Wisely

After another opening address by Prof Browne,the second day will open with six oral presentations. This will be followed by a state-of-the-art lecture by Dr Yulia Lin, Division Head of Transfusion Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. Her academic interests include physician education in transfusion medicine, patient blood management, and transfusion safety. She has published over 100 papers in these areas.

Dr Lin’s lecture on the Canadian programme ‘Using Blood Wisely’ will explore strategies to reduce inappropriate red blood cell transfusion, addressing a critical area of practice in transfusion medicine.

Using Blood Wisely is a national campaign to decrease inappropriate red blood cell transfusion practices in Canada. It is organised by Choosing Wisely Canada, in partnership with Canadian Blood Services.

The aim of Using Blood Wisely is to mobilise hospitals across Canada to make a measurable impact on reducing inappropriate red blood cell transfusions. This involves a concerted effort to assess appropriateness against national benchmarks, as well as the adoption of evidence-based transfusion practices in its pursuit.

The establishment of Using Blood Wisely, including national benchmarks and the suite of evidence-based interventions, has been guided by a national steering committee and several technical working groups.

Diagnostics

After a series of clinical vignette presentations, the conference will hear the final lecture in the series by Prof Elizabeth Macintyre, Professor of Diagnostic Haematology at Necker Hospital and Université Paris Cité, France.

Her research interests are immature T-lymphoid leukaemias and lymphomas and minimal residual disease quantification. She has actively contributed to European concerted actions in the area and has coordinated a French national medico-economic network, which undertook to provide equal access to diagnostics in haematological malignancies.

A past-President of the EHA, Prof Macintyre will discuss the integration of diagnostics in haematological cancers, providing attendees with valuable insights into how cutting-edge diagnostics are revolutionising cancer care.

The presentation of educational awards will bring the main event to a close.

The final day will also include an educational session for specialist registrars, registrars, and haematology trainees, reinforcing the HAI’s commitment to supporting the next generation of haematology professionals. Parallel meetings for nurses, allied healthcare professionals, and laboratory professionals will also take place alongside the event.