Grants - our impact

Dr Michael Norton, Senior Lecturer, University of Buckingham

This was my first BSH Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) and my first medical conference as a doctor. Currently, I am teaching haematology, and I had hoped that attending this event would add to my knowledge and increase my confidence as a lecturer.

The ASM was well-organised.

The venue was appropriate and located in a fascinating city. The convention centre was clean, well-staffed, and with good facilities and signage. The IT seemed to go perfectly in all the sessions I attended.

My current post meant I needed to listen to presentations on educational and employment matters. There were no surprises in the information given in the session on Developing the professional role of haematology nursing. But the speakers and those who asked questions spoke with passion, and everything was very understandable.

More significant were the speakers in the Early Career Forum who explained the work of a PA and nurse specialist. I think those who attended this were enlightened. One speaker was absent.

It was good to meet a few of the key people in haematology. 

Despite being upset that I could not tour the whole museum, I was able to speak with a few important members at the dinner and was given details of someone near me who may be able to help with my need for resources.

Ruth Evans was great, and Fiona Miall shared that her students were having similar problems to mine due to lockdown and online teaching.

In terms of science updates, for me, the most useful was the session on haemoglobinopathies.

Dr Potter was impressive with some interesting transplant news, and John James was someone I would like to meet again. I will elevate the status of sickle cell in my course curriculum.

I am very grateful that I received this funding, for it allowed me to attend this worthwhile event.

I got the most out of the resources I picked up at the small charity booths.

The photo shows me receiving a surprise prize at the Leukaemia Care stand.

I intend to attend the next event in Birmingham, and I am seriously considering working in haematology when I return to clinical practice.

Thank you to the BSH.

Agnerys López Sacerio, Haematologist, Arnaldo Milián University Hospital, Santa Clara, Cuba

This travel scholarship was a great opportunity to participate in the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting 2022.

This important meeting was a valuable experience to improve and update my knowledge as a haematologist and clinical researcher, especially in haematological malignancies and cancer-associated thrombosis.

It also allowed me to establish a scientific and academic exchange with colleagues from the UK and other parts of the world and present the results of our research.

All the above will allow us to improve the care of patients with haematological diseases we treat.

I am currently working on my PhD in venous thromboembolism (VTE) in haematological malignancies. This event helped me to learn about other research in this area. Because of my teaching role, my update will enhance the preparation of our hospital's residents-in-training.

Emily McMullen, Foundation Year 1 Doctor, Kingston Hospital

I would like to say a huge thank you for awarding me the abstract scholarship, as this allowed me to attend the ASM and present my audit. It will most certainly be one of the more impressive additions to my CV and portfolio. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to present. If not for the abstract scholarship, I would not have been able to afford to attend the event.

I have been considering a career in haematology since finding it especially interesting in my undergraduate biomedical science degree, and it has continued throughout my medical training and clinical practice.

I appreciate that having presented at the ASM will no doubt put me in good stead if I do indeed decide to embark on a career in haematology.

I am also grateful for the experience of presenting an oral presentation. I found I rather enjoyed it, and it has built my confidence in public speaking.

I found the presentations I listened to very interesting and enjoyed the variety.

I learnt of rare disorders I had never heard of before, for example, Kabuki syndrome, and now appreciate how difficult it can be to research these conditions. There was very limited UK data on this syndrome, and data had to be extrapolated from elsewhere.

There was also the added problem that, often, Kabuki syndrome is not regarded as a separate entity from immune thrombocytopaenia generally. That must present a significant barrier to understanding Kabuki syndrome and, therefore, the information we, as clinicians, can provide to these patients and their families. I can only imagine how worrying it must be to be a parent to a child with a rare haematological disorder.

I also learnt how convoluted the clinical trials system can be in haematology, with exclusion criteria for studies often not published and a lack of continuity between researchers/government trials and the haematology trials body. I developed a new admiration for this body, as they direct patients towards clinical trials that could be appropriate, and this is something I cannot envisage ever having the time to stay up to date with whilst working as a doctor in the NHS.

Aside from this, I enjoyed reading the scientific posters on multiple myeloma. We often screen for this in some of our hospital inpatients as part of a routine workup for certain presentations/symptoms, but I rarely have time to appreciate the academic side of it.

Sion Williams, ST6 in infectious diseases and GIM, University Hospitals Birmingham

Thank you so much to the British Society for Haematology for awarding me this travel scholarship to attend the ASM.

I am a trainee in infectious diseases. My reason for attending the conference was mainly to make links with my colleagues in haematology and to see how we might strengthen our working relationship looking after haematology patients with infection.

As a trainee in infectious diseases, I have found delegates from the field of haematology to be incredibly welcoming and receptive.

I am presenting a poster on the use of AmBisome prophylaxis in high risk haematology patients. During the poster walk, I had numerous interesting and fruitful discussions with other delegates about the real challenges of keeping these vulnerable patients safe, whilst at the same time acting judiciously with our use of anti-microbials. I feel we bridged important ground between the aim of reducing the development of drug resistance, and safeguarding our patients from the potentially toxic side effects of powerful drugs.

One piece of original research I found particularly interesting was an original science project presented as a poster by James Boncan from Queen's University Belfast. The research looked at using a novel molecule purified from snake venom as a potential candidate for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Purified phospholipase A2 from Pseudechis australis snake venom - A novel anticancer agent for the treatment of precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It was an exciting "proof of concept" piece of work showcasing how we might look to discover potential drugs in the future.

I come away from the conference feeling more than ever that haematology and the infection specialities are interlinked and that patient care will be best served by developing deeper working relationships.

In a scientific and professional environment where we are ever more specialised, there is a natural tendency for specialists to limit their sphere of concern to their own field. However, what patients need are the various diverse specialists caring for them to work more closely together, and to take an interest in each other's work and also each other's perspectives, to be more collegiate and understanding and less adversarial.

Attending this conference has greatly helped me work towards that ideal, and I'm sure more fruitful working with my colleagues in haematology will ensue, both with projects and with patient care.

Wei Yee Chan, Haematology Registrar (ST6), University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

I am thankful and honoured by the BSH's decision to award me an ASM abstract scholarship for my oral abstract on Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with acute leukaemia and high-risk MDS on active anti-cancer therapies, which I presented at the Top AML abstracts session on 4 April 2022.

The travel bursary covered my cost for attendance and travel to Manchester, and I had the opportunity to attend the ASM in person after two years of virtual conferences, an unfortunate result of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

The merits of virtual conferences have been thoroughly explored during the pandemic. However, the benefits of ASM attendance in person really came to light this year. The engagement and social interactions (missed in virtual conference attendance) were far more exciting for me as a trainee. The ability to learn and listen to live speakers really brought innovation and practice recommendations to life with improved interaction from a live audience.

After taking an interest in antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in haematological malignancies, I was thrilled to hear Dr Sean Lim's presidential lecture talk discussing her findings from leading the UK PROSECO study on the immune responses to two and three SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses^[1] in a large cohort of lymphoma patients.

She highlighted the poor responses generally in a cohort of lymphoma patients. She also highlighted the effects of systemic anti-cancer therapy and dysfunction in T-cell and humoral responses in these patients.

It is exciting to see such a large clinical study, with such important data to guide our practice moving forward in the pandemic, come to fruition in such a short period. I applaud and am in awe of what has been achieved in the publication of these results.

I would like to thank the BSH again for recognising my work and for the opportunity to present it at the ASM. I thoroughly enjoyed the ASM this year and have been brought up to date over the four days of attendance in various aspects of haematology.

But most importantly, I've been inspired by the ongoing work to improve our ability to deliver care to haematology patients in the United Kingdom. It is especially fascinating how some of this work can also influence care delivered internationally.

The ASM highlighted the UK's strong ability to recruit to academic clinical trials and deliver meaningful results, which truly influence how we practice.

Reference
1. Lim, S. H., Stuart, B., Joseph-Pietras, D. et al. Immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants after two and three doses of vaccine in B-cell malignancies: UK PROSECO study. Nat Cancer (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-022-00364-3

Omolade Dada, Medical student, University of Nottingham

Attending the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting 2022 was a great pleasure!

The scholarship I received funded my travel, accommodation, food and general expenses for the three days.

I was inspired to see so many healthcare professionals sharing knowledge on their research with the primary aim of improving healthcare.

It was also fascinating to see the innovative products companies had created to improve the delivery of care. I was particularly interested in the biopharmaceutical company Global Blood Therapeutics, which raised awareness of sickle cell disease and their newly introduced drug that targets one of the primary causes of red blood cell sickling.

I also attended a scientific talk by Dr Carolyn Millar, Update on diagnosis and management of von Willebrand Disease: what are the current controversies?

I was encouraged by the fact that management strategies are constantly being revised as the body of knowledge within the scientific community improves.

It was also interesting to consider the impact of a diagnosis on the patient, such as the impact on their medical insurance, which Dr Millar briefly touched on.

Regarding my poster presentation, it was a huge encouragement to me to discuss my findings with those senior to me and answer their questions whilst discussing potential future research. One of my highlights was discussing my research with the members of Haemochromatosis UK.

Considering that my research was focused on this iron overload disease, meeting people diagnosed with haemochromatosis who also participate in research and work closely with those whose treatment was affected by Covid-19 really put my research into perspective and added great value. I perceived the potential impact of my research findings from this encounter.

The conference was a great opportunity to network. I made new friends and found potential partners to collaborate with on future research, and the ASM scholarship made it possible for me to attend. Thank you to the BSH!

Paul McLaughlin, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Haemophilia and NIHR/HEE Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

I would like to express my thanks to the BSH for awarding me a travel scholarship to attend the 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester.

I applied and received this scholarship as I was privileged to have been an awardee for the BSH/NIHR AHP Researcher of the Year. It gave me the opportunity to travel to Manchester for the Presidential session on Sunday, 3 April, to receive my award.

I wanted to attend in person as I felt it was a great platform and chance to make the role of allied health professionals in haematology more visible. I hope that doing so will encourage others to be more confident in sharing their research activities.

Katarina Flatman, IMT2 ACF, University of Leicester/University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust

The ASM travel scholarship allowed me to attend the meeting in person, which I was very excited about, given the lack of such opportunities during the pandemic.

Attending in person has given me educational and networking opportunities that would not have been so well provided by online attendance.

It has enabled me to meet other IMT doctors who are planning to specialise in haematology, and it has been exciting to discuss our plans and to think that we might be meeting at similar events in years to come!

I have also been able to meet with registrars and consultants from around the country and hear about their exciting careers and ongoing enthusiasm for their speciality.

It has helped me understand the breadth of haematology as a speciality. Particularly by attending sessions about non-malignant haematology, to which I have had less exposure.

In terms of the conference content, I was fascinated to hear about the work of haematologists in characterising vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT) in such a timely manner during the pandemic. It was amazing to think of how quickly the international community were aware of this new phenomenon and the rapidity of response. It is a reminder of the importance of communication between centres in identifying these rare cases and formulating a rapid response to such a potentially devastating condition.

As a junior doctor, I particularly enjoyed the patient stories session; it was a format I hadn't previously experienced at a conference. It was brilliant that individuals with such different experiences were willing to be open about their experiences as patients. It gave me an opportunity to think about the impact of living with not just haematological diagnoses but also other long-term conditions and how all of us can strive to provide the best possible patient-centred care.

I am grateful to the BSH for giving me the opportunity to attend this conference, and I feel it has been very helpful in my understanding of haematology as a career.

Nicola Cecchi, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan

The BSH abstract scholarship allowed me to get closer to the British medical reality. Different countries can have different views about managing patients.

This scholarship took me into a stimulating environment where I could show my work and how my team and I take care of the patients and, at the same time, compare our results with someone else's results.

Claudette Hewitt, SHO Doctor, Ealing Hospital, London North West Thames Healthcare Trust

The scholarship I received from the BSH enabled me to attend their Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) in Manchester from 3-5 April 2022.

I am a junior doctor about to start internal medicine training (IMT) and am interested in a career in haematology. Attending the ASM provided the opportunity to get an insight into the world of haematology.

What struck me most is how new research and clinical trials constantly inform clinical practice. The conference made me appreciate how dynamic haematology is as a speciality, with many opportunities to expand our knowledge and refine our treatment options.

I particularly enjoyed the lectures on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in lymphoma. I have been interested in CAR T-cells since I wrote an essay about their potential future therapeutic uses while at university.

Now, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has licensed CAR T-cells for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) under certain conditions. CAR T-cell centres are being set up across the country.^[1][2][3]

However, the lectures demonstrated that even though we have progressed past clinical trials into clinical practice, our understanding of CAR T-cell therapy continues to be developed. The CAR T-cell centres have collected a wealth of data, which has been used to evolve the knowledge of the efficacy and toxicities of the therapy.

In particular, the risk of CAR T-cell toxicity can be estimated based on patient-specific factors such as their performance status, the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level on day 0 of infusion and whether their disease has progressed through bridging therapy^[4]. Therefore, toxicity prevention and management can be individualised based on the specific risk factors of the patient at hand.

After two years of Zoom meetings, I really enjoyed attending the conference in person. One of the best parts was meeting haematology registrars and other IMT doctors who are in the process of applying to haematology training. Hearing about their experiences and getting their advice was very valuable.

I came away from the conference inspired and motivated to pursue my interest in haematology!

References
1. Tisagenlecleucel for treating relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in people aged up to 25 years.

2. Axicabtagene ciloleucel for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma after 2 or more systemic therapies.

3. Autologous anti-CD19-transduced CD3+ cells for treating relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

4. Sanderson et al. ASH 2021 (abstract 531; oral)

Martin Gonzo, Biomedical Scientist and Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science, University of Greenwich

I am very grateful to the British Society for Haematology for supporting me with a travel scholarship to attend their Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester, UK, this year.

The 62nd ASM was my first time attending a BSH-organised event, and I must say, it will be one of many.

The ASM was a three-day meeting which was well organised and packed with opportunities to learn, network, and share professional practices in haematology.

The programme afforded me the opportunity to listen to experts in haematology.

The session on Developing the professional role of haematology nursing was very useful for me. This session took place on the 3rd of April and allowed me to appreciate the value of well-informed career guidance. It is an important aspect of my job as an academic and a personal tutor to undergraduate students.

Together with the early career forum on the 4th of April, they were important sessions that will impact how I support my tutees in decision-making beyond graduation.

Biomedical science graduates often wonder what else they can do with their first degree. The presentation by a clinical scientist and a haematology nurse gave me ideas on other career options to suggest for my students.

Another session I particularly enjoyed was the sponsored symposium titled Sickle cell disease: Shifting to a long-term view on patient care. This session, together with others on erythrocyte disorders, has improved and updated my knowledge of disease management from the patient's perspective.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are usually transfusion-dependent. As such, transfusion practices directly affect this patient group. A poster on Home transfusions: Balancing safety with individualised care^[1] was also a befitting presentation as it presented findings from 20 cases of home transfusions.

I had the opportunity to go through the posters displayed during the three days I was at the conference. Having spent several years studying for a Doctor of Health and researching in the area of erythrocyte disorders, it was refreshing to be reminded of the many advances still taking place in this and other areas of haematology.

The poster by Narayan et al. on Under or delayed transfusion: Risk factors leading to patient deaths certainly helped me to come up with a concept paper on transfusion practice in under-resourced settings. It has given me new ideas to research in blood transfusion practice in general.

Finally, this event could not have been a success without the networking events that punctuated the conference. The annual meeting has given me the opportunity to meet with experts in different fields of haematology.

The discussions will certainly inform my teaching, and I will be incorporating some of the case studies into my learning material. It helps me maintain currency as I teach and facilitate the learning of undergraduate biomedical science students.

Reference
1. Jennifer Davies. Home transfusions: Balancing safety with individualised care. Poster presented at the British Society for Haematology 62nd ASM; 03-05 April 2022; Manchester.

Lara Howells, ST4 Haematology Registrar, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

I would like to extend my thanks to the BSH committee for awarding me a scholarship to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester from 3-5 April 2022.

As an ST4 haematology registrar, the conference – a hybrid event – provided the perfect opportunity to immerse myself in the world of haematology, meeting other trainees and colleagues from across the UK and abroad.

The conference kicked off in an unexpected but undoubtedly powerful way, with a stunning performance from grime artist A Star, who rapped about his first-hand experience of living with sickle cell disease. He spoke of how his challenges have spurred him to work with youth groups in East London, spreading education and awareness of sickle cell disease. I know that this is not the last we will see of A-star, as he continues to use his position of influence to drive change and ongoing engagement with both his local and the haematological community.

The popular BSH ’Pitfalls’ day preceded the conference on Saturday, 2 April. Here, we were delivered a schedule of quality lectures from experts across the UK.

Dr Joe Shariff delivered an engaging talk on lifelong care for patients with sickle cell disease, during which he illustrated a particularly gripping case presentation of protracted hyperhaemolysis. Another memorable session was delivered by Dr Cheryl Fitzgerald, highlighting the challenges in fertility preservation in young women with haematological disease.

Satisfyingly, I found that my newly ascertained knowledge from these sessions was translated directly back to the wards upon return to work when faced with similar complex cases.

A personal highlight was being provided with the opportunity to give an oral presentation on Covid-19 antibody responses in patients with myeloma who undergo autologous stem cell transplant, inviting questions from an engaged audience.

The topic of immune responses to Covid-19 vaccination in patients with haematological disease featured heavily throughout the ASM programme, highlighting our shared interest in doing all we can to mitigate our patients from Covid-19. Both in terms of the effects of the disease itself and the associated delays in treatment that occur as a result.

This was succeeded by a presentation from Dr Rakesh Popat, who summarised the results from two early phase trials in myeloma, resulting in a palpable level of anticipation and excitement amongst myeloma doctors in the room.

During the BSH Presidential Session and Medal Lecture, we were treated to a talk from Professor Marie Scully, MBE, on vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT). Here, the rapid identification of a new syndrome and formulation of a management strategy was particularly impressive and undoubtedly saved many lives.

In the face of such challenging and fast-paced circumstances, it was the level of collaboration between centres, sharing experience, knowledge and expertise around the UK and Europe, which I found to be enormously inspiring.^[1][2]

Being awarded this scholarship allowed me to fully embrace the conference experience.

I would like to thank Professor Adele Fielding and the BSH committee for providing this invaluable opportunity to attend at an early stage of training. I look forward to seeing many familiar faces at conferences over the years to come.

Lastly, this brief highlight reel would be incomplete without marking my colleagues on the dancing skills exhibited in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry in true Craig Revel Horwood style – 10/10.

References
1. Pavord S., Scully M., Hunt B.J. et al. Clinical features of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. N Engl J Med. 2021 Oct 28:385(18):1680-1689

2. Craven B., Lester W.A., Boyce S. et al. Natural history of PF4 antibodies in vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. Blood. 2022 Mar 9: blood.2021014684.

Stephen Hibbs, Haematology Registrar, Barts Health NHS Trust

I'm grateful to the BSH for the scholarship to pay for my funding for train fares and hotel accommodation for the ASM.

For the ASM, I contributed in the following ways:

• Co-organised and co-chaired the Blood stories session.
• Co-organised and co-chaired two virtual sessions: Blood stories part 2 and Haematology at the extremes.
• I played the piano for the Faculty dinner.
• I was a co-presenter of an ePoster.

In addition to the sessions I helped to lead, some of the highlights for me were:

a) The Meet the Expert (MtE) sessions. I attended four (haemostasis, global haematology, haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and marginal zone lymphoma). These were excellent and engaging discussions. A new project has emerged from the global haematology MtE session, in which I hope to be involved.

b) Discussions with some of the industry and charity stalls. For example, a discussion of a new bone marrow training project with BD and around finding foreign language patient information with Myeloma UK.

c) I found the opening performance of Hidden Pain by Alidor Gaspar (A Star) very moving and a fitting way to move forward with the tone of the meeting.

Louise Wallis, Haematology Specialist Nurse, Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Thank you for awarding me this scholarship and allowing me to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting to share my piece of work with the attendees as a speaker.

I found the meeting itself stimulating, and I felt it was important to attend in person, following the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlights for me fell into three categories.

Updates in MPNs and CML
I gained insight into the specifics of young myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) patients and difficult scenarios in MPNs from lectures. The posters enabled me to easily see a large quantity of information in a relaxed environment. Relevant to my practice were posters about pegylated interferon (UCL) and nurse-led telephone clinics (Manchester).

Interesting and thought-provoking lectures
A highlight of the entire meeting was listening to the entries for the Crucible prize. These were all interesting, were presented enthusiastically by the authors, and engaged the audience. The subjects were ones I had not previously really thought about and made me think more deeply about the future of haematology. Attending this type of session broadened my view of issues in haematology, which can be narrowed to my local area.

Resources for my patients
I will return to my workplace with an armoury of resources to directly benefit patients. These include different ways of recording quality of life to ensure this information is used in shared decision-making. I was made aware of two support programmes available to patients via apps and an advice line offered by Blood Cancer UK, specifically relating to clinical trials.

Attending the conference enabled me to leave my normal place of work and participate in the high-quality, varied programme without everyday interruptions and distractions.

It was a great opportunity to learn about new evidence and different ways of building services as well as practical resources that can be signposted to patients and directly enhance their care.

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Dr Michael Norton, Senior Lecturer, University of Buckingham

This was my first BSH Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) and my first medical conference as a doctor. Currently, I am teaching haematology, and I had hoped that attending this event would add to my knowledge and increase my confidence as a lecturer.

The ASM was well-organised.

The venue was appropriate and located in a fascinating city. The convention centre was clean, well-staffed, and with good facilities and signage. The IT seemed to go perfectly in all the sessions I attended.

My current post meant I needed to listen to presentations on educational and employment matters. There were no surprises in the information given in the session on Developing the professional role of haematology nursing. But the speakers and those who asked questions spoke with passion, and everything was very understandable.

More significant were the speakers in the Early Career Forum who explained the work of a PA and nurse specialist. I think those who attended this were enlightened. One speaker was absent.

It was good to meet a few of the key people in haematology. 

Despite being upset that I could not tour the whole museum, I was able to speak with a few important members at the dinner and was given details of someone near me who may be able to help with my need for resources.

Ruth Evans was great, and Fiona Miall shared that her students were having similar problems to mine due to lockdown and online teaching.

In terms of science updates, for me, the most useful was the session on haemoglobinopathies.

Dr Potter was impressive with some interesting transplant news, and John James was someone I would like to meet again. I will elevate the status of sickle cell in my course curriculum.

I am very grateful that I received this funding, for it allowed me to attend this worthwhile event.

I got the most out of the resources I picked up at the small charity booths.

The photo shows me receiving a surprise prize at the Leukaemia Care stand.

I intend to attend the next event in Birmingham, and I am seriously considering working in haematology when I return to clinical practice.

Thank you to the BSH.

Agnerys López Sacerio, Haematologist, Arnaldo Milián University Hospital, Santa Clara, Cuba

This travel scholarship was a great opportunity to participate in the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting 2022.

This important meeting was a valuable experience to improve and update my knowledge as a haematologist and clinical researcher, especially in haematological malignancies and cancer-associated thrombosis.

It also allowed me to establish a scientific and academic exchange with colleagues from the UK and other parts of the world and present the results of our research.

All the above will allow us to improve the care of patients with haematological diseases we treat.

I am currently working on my PhD in venous thromboembolism (VTE) in haematological malignancies. This event helped me to learn about other research in this area. Because of my teaching role, my update will enhance the preparation of our hospital's residents-in-training.

Emily McMullen, Foundation Year 1 Doctor, Kingston Hospital

I would like to say a huge thank you for awarding me the abstract scholarship, as this allowed me to attend the ASM and present my audit. It will most certainly be one of the more impressive additions to my CV and portfolio. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to present. If not for the abstract scholarship, I would not have been able to afford to attend the event.

I have been considering a career in haematology since finding it especially interesting in my undergraduate biomedical science degree, and it has continued throughout my medical training and clinical practice.

I appreciate that having presented at the ASM will no doubt put me in good stead if I do indeed decide to embark on a career in haematology.

I am also grateful for the experience of presenting an oral presentation. I found I rather enjoyed it, and it has built my confidence in public speaking.

I found the presentations I listened to very interesting and enjoyed the variety.

I learnt of rare disorders I had never heard of before, for example, Kabuki syndrome, and now appreciate how difficult it can be to research these conditions. There was very limited UK data on this syndrome, and data had to be extrapolated from elsewhere.

There was also the added problem that, often, Kabuki syndrome is not regarded as a separate entity from immune thrombocytopaenia generally. That must present a significant barrier to understanding Kabuki syndrome and, therefore, the information we, as clinicians, can provide to these patients and their families. I can only imagine how worrying it must be to be a parent to a child with a rare haematological disorder.

I also learnt how convoluted the clinical trials system can be in haematology, with exclusion criteria for studies often not published and a lack of continuity between researchers/government trials and the haematology trials body. I developed a new admiration for this body, as they direct patients towards clinical trials that could be appropriate, and this is something I cannot envisage ever having the time to stay up to date with whilst working as a doctor in the NHS.

Aside from this, I enjoyed reading the scientific posters on multiple myeloma. We often screen for this in some of our hospital inpatients as part of a routine workup for certain presentations/symptoms, but I rarely have time to appreciate the academic side of it.

Sion Williams, ST6 in infectious diseases and GIM, University Hospitals Birmingham

Thank you so much to the British Society for Haematology for awarding me this travel scholarship to attend the ASM.

I am a trainee in infectious diseases. My reason for attending the conference was mainly to make links with my colleagues in haematology and to see how we might strengthen our working relationship looking after haematology patients with infection.

As a trainee in infectious diseases, I have found delegates from the field of haematology to be incredibly welcoming and receptive.

I am presenting a poster on the use of AmBisome prophylaxis in high risk haematology patients. During the poster walk, I had numerous interesting and fruitful discussions with other delegates about the real challenges of keeping these vulnerable patients safe, whilst at the same time acting judiciously with our use of anti-microbials. I feel we bridged important ground between the aim of reducing the development of drug resistance, and safeguarding our patients from the potentially toxic side effects of powerful drugs.

One piece of original research I found particularly interesting was an original science project presented as a poster by James Boncan from Queen's University Belfast. The research looked at using a novel molecule purified from snake venom as a potential candidate for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Purified phospholipase A2 from Pseudechis australis snake venom - A novel anticancer agent for the treatment of precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It was an exciting "proof of concept" piece of work showcasing how we might look to discover potential drugs in the future.

I come away from the conference feeling more than ever that haematology and the infection specialities are interlinked and that patient care will be best served by developing deeper working relationships.

In a scientific and professional environment where we are ever more specialised, there is a natural tendency for specialists to limit their sphere of concern to their own field. However, what patients need are the various diverse specialists caring for them to work more closely together, and to take an interest in each other's work and also each other's perspectives, to be more collegiate and understanding and less adversarial.

Attending this conference has greatly helped me work towards that ideal, and I'm sure more fruitful working with my colleagues in haematology will ensue, both with projects and with patient care.

Wei Yee Chan, Haematology Registrar (ST6), University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

I am thankful and honoured by the BSH's decision to award me an ASM abstract scholarship for my oral abstract on Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with acute leukaemia and high-risk MDS on active anti-cancer therapies, which I presented at the Top AML abstracts session on 4 April 2022.

The travel bursary covered my cost for attendance and travel to Manchester, and I had the opportunity to attend the ASM in person after two years of virtual conferences, an unfortunate result of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

The merits of virtual conferences have been thoroughly explored during the pandemic. However, the benefits of ASM attendance in person really came to light this year. The engagement and social interactions (missed in virtual conference attendance) were far more exciting for me as a trainee. The ability to learn and listen to live speakers really brought innovation and practice recommendations to life with improved interaction from a live audience.

After taking an interest in antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in haematological malignancies, I was thrilled to hear Dr Sean Lim's presidential lecture talk discussing her findings from leading the UK PROSECO study on the immune responses to two and three SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses^[1] in a large cohort of lymphoma patients.

She highlighted the poor responses generally in a cohort of lymphoma patients. She also highlighted the effects of systemic anti-cancer therapy and dysfunction in T-cell and humoral responses in these patients.

It is exciting to see such a large clinical study, with such important data to guide our practice moving forward in the pandemic, come to fruition in such a short period. I applaud and am in awe of what has been achieved in the publication of these results.

I would like to thank the BSH again for recognising my work and for the opportunity to present it at the ASM. I thoroughly enjoyed the ASM this year and have been brought up to date over the four days of attendance in various aspects of haematology.

But most importantly, I've been inspired by the ongoing work to improve our ability to deliver care to haematology patients in the United Kingdom. It is especially fascinating how some of this work can also influence care delivered internationally.

The ASM highlighted the UK's strong ability to recruit to academic clinical trials and deliver meaningful results, which truly influence how we practice.

Reference
1. Lim, S. H., Stuart, B., Joseph-Pietras, D. et al. Immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants after two and three doses of vaccine in B-cell malignancies: UK PROSECO study. Nat Cancer (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-022-00364-3

Omolade Dada, Medical student, University of Nottingham

Attending the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting 2022 was a great pleasure!

The scholarship I received funded my travel, accommodation, food and general expenses for the three days.

I was inspired to see so many healthcare professionals sharing knowledge on their research with the primary aim of improving healthcare.

It was also fascinating to see the innovative products companies had created to improve the delivery of care. I was particularly interested in the biopharmaceutical company Global Blood Therapeutics, which raised awareness of sickle cell disease and their newly introduced drug that targets one of the primary causes of red blood cell sickling.

I also attended a scientific talk by Dr Carolyn Millar, Update on diagnosis and management of von Willebrand Disease: what are the current controversies?

I was encouraged by the fact that management strategies are constantly being revised as the body of knowledge within the scientific community improves.

It was also interesting to consider the impact of a diagnosis on the patient, such as the impact on their medical insurance, which Dr Millar briefly touched on.

Regarding my poster presentation, it was a huge encouragement to me to discuss my findings with those senior to me and answer their questions whilst discussing potential future research. One of my highlights was discussing my research with the members of Haemochromatosis UK.

Considering that my research was focused on this iron overload disease, meeting people diagnosed with haemochromatosis who also participate in research and work closely with those whose treatment was affected by Covid-19 really put my research into perspective and added great value. I perceived the potential impact of my research findings from this encounter.

The conference was a great opportunity to network. I made new friends and found potential partners to collaborate with on future research, and the ASM scholarship made it possible for me to attend. Thank you to the BSH!

Paul McLaughlin, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Haemophilia and NIHR/HEE Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

I would like to express my thanks to the BSH for awarding me a travel scholarship to attend the 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester.

I applied and received this scholarship as I was privileged to have been an awardee for the BSH/NIHR AHP Researcher of the Year. It gave me the opportunity to travel to Manchester for the Presidential session on Sunday, 3 April, to receive my award.

I wanted to attend in person as I felt it was a great platform and chance to make the role of allied health professionals in haematology more visible. I hope that doing so will encourage others to be more confident in sharing their research activities.

Katarina Flatman, IMT2 ACF, University of Leicester/University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust

The ASM travel scholarship allowed me to attend the meeting in person, which I was very excited about, given the lack of such opportunities during the pandemic.

Attending in person has given me educational and networking opportunities that would not have been so well provided by online attendance.

It has enabled me to meet other IMT doctors who are planning to specialise in haematology, and it has been exciting to discuss our plans and to think that we might be meeting at similar events in years to come!

I have also been able to meet with registrars and consultants from around the country and hear about their exciting careers and ongoing enthusiasm for their speciality.

It has helped me understand the breadth of haematology as a speciality. Particularly by attending sessions about non-malignant haematology, to which I have had less exposure.

In terms of the conference content, I was fascinated to hear about the work of haematologists in characterising vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT) in such a timely manner during the pandemic. It was amazing to think of how quickly the international community were aware of this new phenomenon and the rapidity of response. It is a reminder of the importance of communication between centres in identifying these rare cases and formulating a rapid response to such a potentially devastating condition.

As a junior doctor, I particularly enjoyed the patient stories session; it was a format I hadn't previously experienced at a conference. It was brilliant that individuals with such different experiences were willing to be open about their experiences as patients. It gave me an opportunity to think about the impact of living with not just haematological diagnoses but also other long-term conditions and how all of us can strive to provide the best possible patient-centred care.

I am grateful to the BSH for giving me the opportunity to attend this conference, and I feel it has been very helpful in my understanding of haematology as a career.

Nicola Cecchi, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan

The BSH abstract scholarship allowed me to get closer to the British medical reality. Different countries can have different views about managing patients.

This scholarship took me into a stimulating environment where I could show my work and how my team and I take care of the patients and, at the same time, compare our results with someone else's results.

Claudette Hewitt, SHO Doctor, Ealing Hospital, London North West Thames Healthcare Trust

The scholarship I received from the BSH enabled me to attend their Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) in Manchester from 3-5 April 2022.

I am a junior doctor about to start internal medicine training (IMT) and am interested in a career in haematology. Attending the ASM provided the opportunity to get an insight into the world of haematology.

What struck me most is how new research and clinical trials constantly inform clinical practice. The conference made me appreciate how dynamic haematology is as a speciality, with many opportunities to expand our knowledge and refine our treatment options.

I particularly enjoyed the lectures on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in lymphoma. I have been interested in CAR T-cells since I wrote an essay about their potential future therapeutic uses while at university.

Now, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has licensed CAR T-cells for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) under certain conditions. CAR T-cell centres are being set up across the country.^[1][2][3]

However, the lectures demonstrated that even though we have progressed past clinical trials into clinical practice, our understanding of CAR T-cell therapy continues to be developed. The CAR T-cell centres have collected a wealth of data, which has been used to evolve the knowledge of the efficacy and toxicities of the therapy.

In particular, the risk of CAR T-cell toxicity can be estimated based on patient-specific factors such as their performance status, the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level on day 0 of infusion and whether their disease has progressed through bridging therapy^[4]. Therefore, toxicity prevention and management can be individualised based on the specific risk factors of the patient at hand.

After two years of Zoom meetings, I really enjoyed attending the conference in person. One of the best parts was meeting haematology registrars and other IMT doctors who are in the process of applying to haematology training. Hearing about their experiences and getting their advice was very valuable.

I came away from the conference inspired and motivated to pursue my interest in haematology!

References
1. Tisagenlecleucel for treating relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in people aged up to 25 years.

2. Axicabtagene ciloleucel for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma after 2 or more systemic therapies.

3. Autologous anti-CD19-transduced CD3+ cells for treating relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

4. Sanderson et al. ASH 2021 (abstract 531; oral)

Martin Gonzo, Biomedical Scientist and Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science, University of Greenwich

I am very grateful to the British Society for Haematology for supporting me with a travel scholarship to attend their Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester, UK, this year.

The 62nd ASM was my first time attending a BSH-organised event, and I must say, it will be one of many.

The ASM was a three-day meeting which was well organised and packed with opportunities to learn, network, and share professional practices in haematology.

The programme afforded me the opportunity to listen to experts in haematology.

The session on Developing the professional role of haematology nursing was very useful for me. This session took place on the 3rd of April and allowed me to appreciate the value of well-informed career guidance. It is an important aspect of my job as an academic and a personal tutor to undergraduate students.

Together with the early career forum on the 4th of April, they were important sessions that will impact how I support my tutees in decision-making beyond graduation.

Biomedical science graduates often wonder what else they can do with their first degree. The presentation by a clinical scientist and a haematology nurse gave me ideas on other career options to suggest for my students.

Another session I particularly enjoyed was the sponsored symposium titled Sickle cell disease: Shifting to a long-term view on patient care. This session, together with others on erythrocyte disorders, has improved and updated my knowledge of disease management from the patient's perspective.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are usually transfusion-dependent. As such, transfusion practices directly affect this patient group. A poster on Home transfusions: Balancing safety with individualised care^[1] was also a befitting presentation as it presented findings from 20 cases of home transfusions.

I had the opportunity to go through the posters displayed during the three days I was at the conference. Having spent several years studying for a Doctor of Health and researching in the area of erythrocyte disorders, it was refreshing to be reminded of the many advances still taking place in this and other areas of haematology.

The poster by Narayan et al. on Under or delayed transfusion: Risk factors leading to patient deaths certainly helped me to come up with a concept paper on transfusion practice in under-resourced settings. It has given me new ideas to research in blood transfusion practice in general.

Finally, this event could not have been a success without the networking events that punctuated the conference. The annual meeting has given me the opportunity to meet with experts in different fields of haematology.

The discussions will certainly inform my teaching, and I will be incorporating some of the case studies into my learning material. It helps me maintain currency as I teach and facilitate the learning of undergraduate biomedical science students.

Reference
1. Jennifer Davies. Home transfusions: Balancing safety with individualised care. Poster presented at the British Society for Haematology 62nd ASM; 03-05 April 2022; Manchester.

Lara Howells, ST4 Haematology Registrar, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

I would like to extend my thanks to the BSH committee for awarding me a scholarship to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester from 3-5 April 2022.

As an ST4 haematology registrar, the conference – a hybrid event – provided the perfect opportunity to immerse myself in the world of haematology, meeting other trainees and colleagues from across the UK and abroad.

The conference kicked off in an unexpected but undoubtedly powerful way, with a stunning performance from grime artist A Star, who rapped about his first-hand experience of living with sickle cell disease. He spoke of how his challenges have spurred him to work with youth groups in East London, spreading education and awareness of sickle cell disease. I know that this is not the last we will see of A-star, as he continues to use his position of influence to drive change and ongoing engagement with both his local and the haematological community.

The popular BSH ’Pitfalls’ day preceded the conference on Saturday, 2 April. Here, we were delivered a schedule of quality lectures from experts across the UK.

Dr Joe Shariff delivered an engaging talk on lifelong care for patients with sickle cell disease, during which he illustrated a particularly gripping case presentation of protracted hyperhaemolysis. Another memorable session was delivered by Dr Cheryl Fitzgerald, highlighting the challenges in fertility preservation in young women with haematological disease.

Satisfyingly, I found that my newly ascertained knowledge from these sessions was translated directly back to the wards upon return to work when faced with similar complex cases.

A personal highlight was being provided with the opportunity to give an oral presentation on Covid-19 antibody responses in patients with myeloma who undergo autologous stem cell transplant, inviting questions from an engaged audience.

The topic of immune responses to Covid-19 vaccination in patients with haematological disease featured heavily throughout the ASM programme, highlighting our shared interest in doing all we can to mitigate our patients from Covid-19. Both in terms of the effects of the disease itself and the associated delays in treatment that occur as a result.

This was succeeded by a presentation from Dr Rakesh Popat, who summarised the results from two early phase trials in myeloma, resulting in a palpable level of anticipation and excitement amongst myeloma doctors in the room.

During the BSH Presidential Session and Medal Lecture, we were treated to a talk from Professor Marie Scully, MBE, on vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT). Here, the rapid identification of a new syndrome and formulation of a management strategy was particularly impressive and undoubtedly saved many lives.

In the face of such challenging and fast-paced circumstances, it was the level of collaboration between centres, sharing experience, knowledge and expertise around the UK and Europe, which I found to be enormously inspiring.^[1][2]

Being awarded this scholarship allowed me to fully embrace the conference experience.

I would like to thank Professor Adele Fielding and the BSH committee for providing this invaluable opportunity to attend at an early stage of training. I look forward to seeing many familiar faces at conferences over the years to come.

Lastly, this brief highlight reel would be incomplete without marking my colleagues on the dancing skills exhibited in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry in true Craig Revel Horwood style – 10/10.

References
1. Pavord S., Scully M., Hunt B.J. et al. Clinical features of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. N Engl J Med. 2021 Oct 28:385(18):1680-1689

2. Craven B., Lester W.A., Boyce S. et al. Natural history of PF4 antibodies in vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. Blood. 2022 Mar 9: blood.2021014684.

Stephen Hibbs, Haematology Registrar, Barts Health NHS Trust

I'm grateful to the BSH for the scholarship to pay for my funding for train fares and hotel accommodation for the ASM.

For the ASM, I contributed in the following ways:

• Co-organised and co-chaired the Blood stories session.
• Co-organised and co-chaired two virtual sessions: Blood stories part 2 and Haematology at the extremes.
• I played the piano for the Faculty dinner.
• I was a co-presenter of an ePoster.

In addition to the sessions I helped to lead, some of the highlights for me were:

a) The Meet the Expert (MtE) sessions. I attended four (haemostasis, global haematology, haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and marginal zone lymphoma). These were excellent and engaging discussions. A new project has emerged from the global haematology MtE session, in which I hope to be involved.

b) Discussions with some of the industry and charity stalls. For example, a discussion of a new bone marrow training project with BD and around finding foreign language patient information with Myeloma UK.

c) I found the opening performance of Hidden Pain by Alidor Gaspar (A Star) very moving and a fitting way to move forward with the tone of the meeting.

Louise Wallis, Haematology Specialist Nurse, Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Thank you for awarding me this scholarship and allowing me to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting to share my piece of work with the attendees as a speaker.

I found the meeting itself stimulating, and I felt it was important to attend in person, following the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlights for me fell into three categories.

Updates in MPNs and CML
I gained insight into the specifics of young myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) patients and difficult scenarios in MPNs from lectures. The posters enabled me to easily see a large quantity of information in a relaxed environment. Relevant to my practice were posters about pegylated interferon (UCL) and nurse-led telephone clinics (Manchester).

Interesting and thought-provoking lectures
A highlight of the entire meeting was listening to the entries for the Crucible prize. These were all interesting, were presented enthusiastically by the authors, and engaged the audience. The subjects were ones I had not previously really thought about and made me think more deeply about the future of haematology. Attending this type of session broadened my view of issues in haematology, which can be narrowed to my local area.

Resources for my patients
I will return to my workplace with an armoury of resources to directly benefit patients. These include different ways of recording quality of life to ensure this information is used in shared decision-making. I was made aware of two support programmes available to patients via apps and an advice line offered by Blood Cancer UK, specifically relating to clinical trials.

Attending the conference enabled me to leave my normal place of work and participate in the high-quality, varied programme without everyday interruptions and distractions.

It was a great opportunity to learn about new evidence and different ways of building services as well as practical resources that can be signposted to patients and directly enhance their care.

Karen Desay, Biomedical Scientist, NHS Blood and Transplant

I was very grateful to receive an abstract scholarship from the BSH to attend the 2019 ASM in Glasgow. It gave me a platform to present my research in front of and be questioned by world-renowned experts in the field. I came away with new ideas, a sharpened focus, and a renewed vigour to continue research on genotyping haemoglobinopathy patients to reduce rates of alloimmunisation.

As a biomedical scientist, I don't have any patient contact. This conference expanded my horizons beyond the lab and gave me a greater appreciation of the clinical aspects of disease and the applications of our work. It has informed all of my subsequent writing and teaching on my topics of interest.

I particularly enjoyed the informal nature of the Meet the Expert sessions. They provided stimulating discussion and a fantastic opportunity to ask questions you might not usually ask in a large auditorium.

The conference also highlighted the cutting edge of clinical science. Dr Alexis A. Thompson, Head of Hematology at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Professor of Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, presented the latest results from clinical trials on gene therapy in haemoglobinopathy patients. It represents a really exciting advancement which could transform treatment of these patients.

I also enjoyed the Novartis Sponsored Symposia entitled Artificial intelligence to reimagine haematology treatment.

It's always best to keep abreast of upcoming changes – the future could look very different!

I'd really recommend the BSH ASM to all scientists and clinicians alike, and I look forward to seeing what is in store next year.

Tricia Tay, Medical Student, University of Manchester

When I saw Dr A.V. Hoffbrand well up in tears on receiving his lifetime achievement award, I too welled up in tears to receive this invaluable opportunity of being awarded this scholarship to attend the BSH's 59th Annual Scientific Meeting.

I am grateful for the opportunity to present on behalf of my team on the treatment of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma in Singapore. As a medical student, it was a sheer delight to attend and present a poster at my first haematology conference.

With this scholarship, I have received invaluable feedback on our study and areas of improvement for our future projects. Observing how other presenters shared their presentations and subsequently presenting at this conference has improved my presentation skills.

It has improved my confidence in presenting, and stepping out of my comfort zone to seek constructive feedback on the poster and study design. It has also been pivotal in shaping the future of our study as we begin writing the article for publication.

In addition, this meeting has enhanced my understanding of the wider field of haematology and lymphoma. The session on Making sense of haematology for senior medical students and other professionals was a great session to build a strong foundation in the basics of haematology before the conference started.

We covered a range of topics that foundation doctors should be competent in: from reading full blood counts to dealing with haematological emergencies.

Interprofessional working was at the heart of the small group teaching as we applied our experience and knowledge to answer the questions with highly supportive tutors.

Many participants felt they were not sufficiently prepared for haematology in most of their curricula. We brainstormed how to tackle the stigma and improve the knowledge of our peers because haematology is vital in every speciality.

I am interested in education and research in haematology. The session, How to future-proof yourself in haematology, improved my understanding of how trainees can participate in research and education.

At the end of the day, patients value the clinician in front of them more than the research ongoing in the laboratory or in front of the computer, and it is the clinician's role to bridge the gap from bench to bedside.

This conference has also provided the opportunity to meet supportive mentors keen to teach and inspire the next generation of haematologists.

Attending the ASM felt like I was standing on a cliff – we are at the edge of change in haematology and healthcare in the United Kingdom and the world. I would highly recommend anyone to attend this conference.

I would also like to thank Dr Richard Byers, Haem-pathologist at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, for the initial inspiration in haematology and Dr Tiffany Tang, Haem-Oncologist at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, for the opportunity to conduct this study and present on behalf of the team in Singapore.

Dr Amelia Fisher, ST4 Haematology Registrar; NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Genomics, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Leeds

The British Society of Haematology Abstract Scholarship enabled me to attend the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting 2019 to present the poster, Reducing inappropriate blood testing in haematology inpatients: A multicentre quality improvement project.

During a very enjoyable day in which I was also a speaker for the Crucible Prize session, I attended the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR): Better blood research session.

As an NIHR academic clinical fellow trainee, it was brilliant to hear how all grades of haematologists are being engaged by NIHR to bring haematology research and audit not just to teaching hospitals but to any hospital with willing participants.

This idea has been embraced by HaemSTAR, as highlighted in the Trainees propelling blood research talk by David Tucker. I have been fortunate to be a member of HaemSTAR, and David gave an excellent summary of how we are encouraging trainee participation in audit and research across the country.

One speaker I found particularly inspirational was Dr Charlotte Bradbury. She spoke about being a Young consultant initiating blood research, a position I hope to find myself in in future.

From my experience as a Haematology Registrar in Leeds and a member of HaemSTAR, I was aware of the FLIGHT trial^[1] that Dr Bradbury has led. To hear about the challenges of setting up this trial, from finding the right research question to ask, ethics, funding (especially when developing research involving a generic drug), and collaboration, was fascinating. Her experiences also demonstrated how hard work pays off – this was a good example of resilience in science!

Before this session, I had not given much thought to the fact patients could consent to two optional blood tests for translational research during the trial. As someone with a keen interest in genomics, I can see why Dr Bradbury chose to include this as part of the trial because there is a limited amount of genomic data available for ITP patients. The development of translational research to find the underlying mechanisms for disease could prove invaluable for developing more effective therapeutics.

At the evening poster moderation session, it was a pleasure to present my poster to moderators and be involved in discussion with them with regards to some of the challenges involved in quality improvement.

Challenges can include continuity of care, adapting a protocol for use at centres with different patient requirements and techniques to encourage the sustainability of changes.

I was pleased to receive feedback that the project was interesting, and the moderators agreed that it is important to rationalise the blood testing we do in haematology. This feedback has encouraged me to go ahead and write up the study results for submission for publication.

Reference
1. Pell J., Greenwood R., Ingram J., Wale K., Thomas I., Kandiyali R., Mumford A., Dick A., Bagot C., 7 Nichola Cooper, Hill Q., Bradbury C.A., Trial protocol: a multicentre randomised trial of first-line treatment pathways for newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia: standard steroid treatment versus combined steroid and mycophenolate. The FLIGHT trial, BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024427 on 18 October 2018.

Dr Shasha Khairullah, Haematology Trainee, University of Malaya

This year was my first BSH Annual Scientific Meeting, and hopefully, it will not be my last. I gained a lot in terms of the most recent advances in clinical and laboratory haematology.

This year's focus was more on benign haematology, which I appreciated, as I find this section of haematology more difficult to comprehend in comparison to malignant haematology.

The Pitfalls Day was a comprehensive overview of what is required of a trainee, and I benefited a lot from it.

I have a special interest in thalassaemia and, therefore, was pleased to hear lectures from Dr Alexis Thompson and Professor John Porter on the success of gene therapy in sickle cell disease and β-thalassaemia^[1]. It is definitely a big step towards finding a cure for these debilitating chronic conditions.

I thought the best session was the MacFarlane-Biggs lecture by Professor Mark Crowther from McMaster University on antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) and the reversal of anticoagulants. He was brilliant at pointing out that a definitive diagnosis of APLS remains elusive and confirmed my prior learning on the management of this potentially devastating condition. It is, in fact, remarkable that so little progress has been made in APLS management, despite the advances in other haematological conditions.

The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell lectures were inspiring, bringing hope for refractory conditions, although, of course, the costs preclude us from adopting this therapy widely in Malaysia at present.

The speakers, on the whole, were very knowledgeable and were fantastic at delivering their topics. There was adequate breadth and depth of the topics covered.

I would like to thank the BSH for the opportunity to present two posters on thalassaemia at the meeting. One on biomarkers of ineffective erythropoiesis in non-transfusion dependent b-thalassaemia; and one unique case report of moyamoya in a-thalassaemia.

I was very privileged to meet several well-known researchers in this field during the poster session.

I enjoyed my stint at the Glasgow BSH in April 2019 and my brief exposure to Scottish culture and hospitality. I would like to thank the committee for making this trip possible.

Reference
1. Thompson A.A., Walters M.C., Kwiatkowski J., Rasko J.E.J., Ribeil J.A., Hongeng S. et al. Gene therapy in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(16):1479-93.

Dr James Adam Austin, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Liverpool

Firstly, it was rewarding that my research was recognised to merit a travel scholarship that enabled me to partake in the BSH conference and join the showcase of excellent research occurring within and outside the UK.

It was my second consecutive year of attending the BSH conference and another great opportunity to promote and absorb current trends in haematological research.

As a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool, my expertise is in myeloid leukaemia and the malignant properties of the oncoprotein CIP2A. CIP2A is overexpressed in many cancers and is almost always associated with poor clinical outcomes^[1].

Through attending the BSH meet, I was able to seek out works of interest to help develop my research ideas. The abstracts chosen by the BSH catered for a wide variety of research genres, and the quality of the presentations enabled a concise dissection of the key messages. It provided an efficient overview of haematology themes and enhanced the context of my research within the field.

Throughout the conference, I was in close proximity with experts in the field, which provided a great opportunity for in-depth discussion and a feel of current opinion within haematology.

It also provided assurance of the future direction of my research. This year I was impressed by the top-scoring abstract talks in the first 'Acute leukaemia' session, which touched on the hot topic of cancer metabolism. Reprogramming of energy metabolism in cancer is emerging as a means of survival in many leukaemias, including myeloid and lymphoblastic leukaemias^[2–5]).

The presentation entitled Targeting metabolic vulnerabilities and aberrant signal transduction pathways in paediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), presented by Laura Anselmi, was of particular interest, linking commonly mutated genes in T-ALL to metabolic alterations. Many of these changes rewired cellular metabolism towards glycolysis and involved many well-established cell signalling pathways, including AKT and mTORC1 signalling. These metabolic changes were relied upon by these cells and therefore present new vulnerabilities to treating residual disease. The data presented was easy to follow and had clear implications for the future treatment of these diseases.

Attending the BSH conference, I gained a wealth of additional information and contacts from which to strengthen future research. As such, I will aim to regularly attend the meeting in the future.

References
1. Lucas, C. M., Harris, R. J., Giannoudis, A., Copland, M., Slupsky, J. R. and Clark, R. E. (2011) Cancerous inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A) at diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia is a critical determinant of disease progression. Blood 117, 6660–6668.

2. Chen, W.-L., Wang, J.-H., Zhao, A.-H., Xu, X., Wang, Y.-H., Chen, T.-L., Li, J.-M., Mi, J.-Q., Zhu, Y.-M., Liu, Y.-F. et al. (2014) A distinct glucose metabolism signature of acute myeloid leukemia with prognostic value. Blood 124, 1645–1654.

3. Kuntz, E. M., Baquero, P., Michie, A. M., Dunn, K., Tardito, S., Holyoake, T. L., Helgason, G. V. and Gottlieb, E. (2017) Targeting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation eradicates therapy-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells. Nat. Med. 23, 1234–1240.

4. Galicia-Vázquez, G. and Aloyz, R. (2019) Metabolic rewiring beyond Warburg in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: How much do we actually know? Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. 134, 65–70.

5. Knoechel, B. and Aster, J. C. (2015) Metabolic mechanisms of drug resistance in leukemia. Cell Metab. 22, 759–760.