This article, co-authored by Steven Lane in The Hematologist provides a summary of the recent literature regarding COVID Vaccination responses in patients with blood cancers. This might be of use when providing information to patients about their options to prevent COVID19 infection.

Click here for the link

Dear Colleagues, re: The ATAGI recommendation for COVID Vaccination in immunocompromised patients

This is an important recommendation from ATAGI and is relevant to many patients with haematological disorders who may have reduced response to standard COVID vaccination regimens. 
Steven Lane, President HSANZ

Click here for document

HSANZ Council was pleased to award the Albert Baikie Medal and Award for 2021 to Salvatore (Sam) Fiorenza at Blood2021.  Congratulations Sam

Blood2021 on-demand Registration HSANZ sponsorships

With the completion of the live component of the Virtual Blood 2021, HSANZ would like to extend our appreciation to all members who contributed, participated and attended this meeting. The on-demand viewing for all presentations during Blood 2021 will be available for 6 months, as above.

 We do realise that a proportion of our haematology constituents were not able to attend live, and therefore announce that HSANZ is offering on-demand registration sponsorship to a select number (maximum 10) of Haematology Advanced Trainees across all states who meet the following eligibility criteria:

 1.         You must be an active trainee member of HSANZ or have an HSANZ trainee membership submission pending approval to qualify (you must have submitted a signed application form and CV)

Applications close: 31 October 2021.

Please apply by emailing documentation to email

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 tenth webinar in this series features Professor Mohamad Mohty, who is the head of the Haematology and Cellular Therapy Department at the Saint-Antoine Hospital and the head of the translation research team at the Saint-Antoine Research Centre in Paris. He is the past president of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the current chairman of the Acute Leukaemia Working Party of the EBMT. He has published over 800 peer-reviewed articles in the field of stem cell transplantation, leukaemia and myeloma. In this webinar, Prof Mohty will be outlining the role of maintenance therapeutics following allogeneic HSCT for acute leukaemia.

Speaker:

Professor Mohamad Mohty – Saint-Antoine Hospital and Sorbonne University

When: Monday 11 October 2021, 5pm AEDT

For  more information click here

Link to webinar:

https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/92998014030

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

https://bloodcelltherapy.org.au/

The Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health is hosting a VITT webinar between 4-5:20pm (AEST ) this Thursday, 9 Sept. Speakers include Andreas Greinacher and James McFadyen, with Kanta Subbarao, Huyen Tran and Liz Gardiner joining a panel discussion. Registration is free here

For more information click here

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL METING 2021

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ANNUAL GENERAL METING OF THE HAEMATOLOGY SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER VIA ZOOM

COMMENCING AT 4.00PM AEST

FINANCIAL MEMBERS ONLY CAN VOTE

MEMBERS CAN REGISTER HERE

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 ninth webinar in this series features Professor Catherine Bollard, who is the current Program Director for Cell Enhancement and Technologies at the Children’s National Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine at the George Washington University. Her bench and translational research has focused on improving post-transplant outcomes through developing novel cellular therapeutics, leading to over 200 peer reviewed publications. In this webinar, Professor Bollard will be outlining the role of virus-specific T cell therapies following transplantation as well as their potential applications for treating COVID-19.

Speaker:

Professor Catherine Bollard – Children’s National Hospital and George Washington University

 When: Monday 27 September 2021, 8am AEST

 Link to webinar:

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

For more information click here

Each year in September, around the world, it is Blood Cancer Awareness Month.  A time to focus our attention on blood cancers, to raise awareness of their impact and to advocate for the acceleration of treatments and cures.  This September, Snowdome is beginning the month with our educational Blood, Sweat and Tears of Joy event.  Once again, we will be going virtual and our 2021 webinar will focus on the developments being made with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy and the role clinical trials can play in the treatment journey.  Join us as we provide you with an opportunity to learn from a driven blood cancer clinical researcher and hear first-hand from three inspiring blood cancer patients. 

Hosted by Snowdome’s own and HSANZ Member Professor Miles Prince AM, he will be joined on the panel by:

• Dr Sam Fiorenza, HSANZ Member, haematologist and post-doctoral research fellow discussing advances in CAR T-cell therapy; 
• Ms Deborah Sims, patient advocate with experience of clinical trials including CAR T-cell therapy for her CLL;
• Mr Barry Du Bois, TV personality living with myeloma and curious about new treatments, in particular, CAR T-cell therapy for myeloma; and
• Mrs Janet Gregory, experiencing life with non-Hodgkin T-cell Lymphoma and the role of clinical trials.
• Date:                     Wednesday 1 September 2021

  Time:                    6:00pm – 7:30pm

  Location:             Online via zoom

  RSVP:                    Register here

  Zoom details will be sent to you upon registration.

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 is presented by A/Prof Damian Green from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, where he leads the translational myeloma research program. A/Prof Green is the Deputy Director for Myeloma of the Seattle Translational Research program with the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington, where his research focuses on the development of novel immunotherapy-based approaches to treat multiple myeloma and other B cell malignancies. In this webinar, A/Prof Green will outline recent advances in immunotherapy for multiple myeloma.

Speaker:

Associate Professor Damian Green – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre and the University of Washington

 When: Monday 23 August 2021, 12pm AEST

 Link to webinar:

For more information click here