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Conference Program

APHIA 2026 JOINT CONFERENCE OF THE 19TH INTERNATIONAL HISTOCOMPATIBILITY WORKSHOP
"DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INNOVATION"

Mon 25th May 2026 Tue 26th May 2026 Wed 27th May 2026 Thu 28th May 2026
Registration Open Registration Open
HAEMATOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 1

Prof Effie Petersdorf
SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 5

Assoc Prof Lloyd D'Orsogna
BIOINFORMATICS
PLENARY SESSION 9

Dr James Robinson
Dr Dianne De Santis
Abstract Session 1
Narelle Watson
Abstract Session 5
Dr Kazutoyo Osoegawa
Dr Nicholas Brown
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [10:00 - 10:30] COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [10:00 - 10:30] COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [10:15 - 10:45]
HAEMATOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 2

Prof Medhat Askar
SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 6

Assoc Prof Lucy Sullivan
BEST ABSTRACT SESSION
CLOSING CEREMONY
Prof Luca Vago
Prof Nada Hamad
Abstract Session 2
Dr Eric Spierings
Prof Raja Rajalingam
Abstract Session 6
LUNCH BREAK [12:15 - 13:00] LUNCH BREAK [12:15 - 13:00]
IMMUNCOR/WERFEN SYMPOSIUM ONE LAMBDA/THERMOFISHER SYMPOSIUM
CELLULAR THERAPY
PLENARY SESSION 3

Prof Nattiya Hirankarn
Prof Suradej Hongeng
Abstract Session 3
IMMUNOGENETICS
PLENARY SESSION 7

Dr Anne Halpin
Dr Surakameth Mahasirimongkol
Dr Ritu Aggarwal
Abstract Session 7
CAREDX VENDOR PITCH
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [15:00 - 15:30] COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [15:00 - 15:30]
GENDX VENDOR PITCH TBG BIOTECHNOLOGY VENDOR PITCH
IMMUNOGENETICS
PLENARY SESSION 4

Dr Uma Kanga
Prof Paul Norman
GenDx Abstract
TX MILLER STUDENT AWARD Abstract Session
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
PLENARY SESSION 8

Dr Nicole Mifsud
Dr Katsushi Tokunaga
Dr Pierre-Antoine Gourraud
Abstract Session 8
Registration Opens [16:00 - 17:30]
OPENING CEREMONY [17:30 - 18:30]
Prof Nada Hamad
WINE & CHEESE POSTER SESSION
[17:30 - 19:00]
WELCOME COCKTAIL
[18:30 - 20:30]
INVITED SPEAKERS DINNER CONFERENCE DINNER
Monday, 25th May 2026
Registration Opens [16:00 - 17:30]
OPENING CEREMONY [17:30 - 18:30]
Prof Nada Hamad
WELCOME COCKTAIL [18:30 - 20:30]
Tuesday, 26th May 2026
Registration Open
HAEMATOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 1

Prof Effie Petersdorf
Dr Dianne De Santis
Abstract Session 1
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [10:00 - 10:30]
HAEMATOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 2

Prof Medhat Askar
Prof Luca Vago
Prof Nada Hamad
Abstract Session 2
LUNCH BREAK [12:15 - 13:00]
IMMUNCOR/WERFEN SYMPOSIUM
CELLULAR THERAPY PLENARY SESSION 3
Prof Nattiya Hirankarn
Prof Suradej Hongeng
Abstract Session 3
CAREDX VENDOR PITCH
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [15:00 - 15:30]
GENDX VENDOR PITCH
IMMUNOGENETICS PLENARY SESSION 4
Dr Uma Kanga
Prof Paul Norman
GenDx Abstract
TX MILLER STUDENT AWARD Abstract Session
WINE & CHEESE POSTER SESSION [17:30 - 19:00]
INVITED SPEAKERS DINNER
Wednesday, 27th May 2026
Registration Open
SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 5

Assoc Prof Lloyd D'Orsogna
Narelle Watson
Abstract Session 5
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [10:00 - 10:30]
SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION
PLENARY SESSION 6

Assoc Prof Lucy Sullivan
LUNCH BREAK [12:15 - 13:00]
ONE LAMBDA/THERMOFISHER SYMPOSIUM
IMMUNOGENETICS PLENARY SESSION 7
Dr Anne Halpin
Dr Surakameth Mahasirimongkol
Dr Ritu Aggarwal
Abstract Session 7
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [15:00 - 15:30]
TBG BIOTECHNOLOGY VENDOR PITCH
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY PLENARY SESSION 8
Dr Nicole Mifsud
Dr Katsushi Tokunaga
Dr Pierre-Antoine Gourraud
Abstract Session 8
CONFERENCE DINNER
Thursday, 28th May 2026
BIOINFORMATICS PLENARY SESSION 9
Dr James Robinson
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK [10:15 - 10:45]
BEST ABSTRACT SESSION
CLOSING CEREMONY

Invited Speakers & Presentations

Monday, 25th May 2026
Prof Nada Hamad (Opening Ceremony)
Equity with an Intersectional lens in Bone Marrow Transplantation
Tuesday, 26th May 2026
Prof Effie Petersdorf
Presentation title to be announced
Dr Dianne De Santis
Characterisation of the extended MHC haplotypes in related individuals
Prof Medhat Askar
A strategic systems thinking topic: The Global Minimal Standards for Histocompatibility Testing: Democratization of Best Practices
Prof Luca Vago
Mechanisms of Immune Escape and Relapse after allogeneic HCT
Prof Nada Hamad
Advancing EDI in BMT: From Principles to Practice
Prof Nattiya Hirankarn
Advancing the Frontiers of Immunotherapy: HLA-Restricted NeoAg Vaccines and CAR T-Cell Innovation in Cancer and SLE
Prof Suradej Hongeng
Presentation title to be announced
Dr Uma Kanga
Long non coding RNAs and non classical HLA: possible markers to predict rejection
Prof Paul Norman
Presentation title to be announced
Wednesday, 27th May 2026
Assoc Prof Lloyd D'Orsogna
Presentation title to be announced
Narelle Watson
Organ Match update
Assoc Prof Lucy Sullivan
Non-HLA Antibody Testing: Still a Research Tool or Ready for Prime Time?
Dr Eric Spierings
Molecular Matching: The Epitope Pathway to Equity in Transplantation
Prof Raja Rajalingam
Innovative Histocompatibility Strategies Enhance Equity and Efficiency in Kidney Allocation: Evidence from 10-Year Outcomes of 2,600 Transplants
Dr Anne Halpin
ABO histocompatibility: Tools for immune risk assessment
Dr Surakameth Mahasirimongkol
Presentation title to be announced
Dr Ritu Aggarwal
Beyond the Classical: The Role of Non-Classical HLA Molecules in Cancer
Dr Nicole Mifsud
The immunopeptidomic landscape in transplantation
Dr Katsushi Tokunaga
Genomic Variants and Disease Associations
Dr Pierre-Antoine Gourraud
From HLA to Biomedical Data warehouse: an unexpected journey in data-driven medicine
Thursday, 28th May 2026
Dr James Robinson
Presentation title to be announced
Dr Kazutoyo Osoegawa
HLA Serotypes
Dr Nicholas Brown
Informatics tools for clinical HLA laboratory data