DOHA 10 APRIL, 2023: The 1st Qatar Stem Cell Transplantation Conference took place on March 10th and 11th in Doha at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, marking a significant step forward in the field of stem cell transplantation and its application to clinical medicine in the Middle East. This two-day event was organized by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and brought together 13 regional and international experts to be speaking at the conference, including renowned scientists, clinicians, and researchers from around the world to share their knowledge and experiences in stem cell transplantation.
Over the course of the two-day conference, more than 300 registrants participated in a range of sessions, including plenary talks, panel discussions, and workshops. The conference covered a broad range of topics, including the use of both autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells in treatment of hematological malignancies, the latest advancements in stem cell transplantation, and ethical considerations surrounding stem cell research.
The conference was held and moderated by Dr. Javid Gaziev, Chairman of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) and BMT Program Director, and Dr. Anas Hamad, Co-Chairman Organizing & Scientific Committee and Director of Pharmacy Department.
One of the highlights of the conference was the keynote lecture delivered by Professor Leo Luznik from the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at John Hopkins, USA who pioneered haploidentical stem cell transplantation with post-transplant Cyclophosphamide. Another world-renowned transplant physician, Professor Andrea Bacigalupo from the Catholic University in Rome delivered a comprehensive educational lecture on haploidentical stem cell transplantation in hematological malignancies. In addition, Dr. Mahmoud Aljurf, Director of Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia spoke about the special issues related to hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Other speakers including Professor Panogiotis Kottaridis, Consultant Hematologist in Leukaemia and BMT, Department of Hematology, University College London Hospitals, who discussed Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia, and Professor Dennis Kim from Princess Margaret Cancer Center at Canada spoke about the role of minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia. In addition to some regional speakers including Professor Salem Al-Shammari from Kuwait, Professor Murtadha Al-Khabori from Oman, Professor Humaid Al-Shamsi and Professor Shahrukh Hashmi from UAE, and Dr. Shruti Prem from Bahrain, shared their experience in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in hematological malignancies.
Physicians and pharmacists from the National Center for Cancer Care and Research presented their experience in autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in hematological malignancies. The role of BMT nurses and coordinators were also extensively discussed in the conference. In addition, Dr. Sara Adel from Apheresis and Transfusion Department, Dr. Muna Maslamani and Dr. Ali Omrani from the Communicable Disease Center have presented lectures on various aspects of transplantation.
The 1st Qatar Stem Cell Transplantation Conference provided an excellent platform for researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals to share their knowledge and experiences in stem cell transplantation. It also highlighted the importance of stem cell research in advancing medicine and improving patient outcomes and demonstrated Qatar's commitment to becoming a leader in this exciting field.
