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Video Recording

Basic blood biology and mechanisms of immunity in transfusion medicine and biotherapies

AM25-SN-35-L - Basic Blood Biology and Mechanisms of Immunity in Transfusion Medicine and Biotherapies

Sunday, October 26, 2025
3:45 PM - 6:00 PM  PT
Room: SDCC 28BCDE
CE: 2.25 CME (AMA Physician Credit) / 2.25 CE (Non-Physician Credit)
CABP Eligible

    Program Chair(s)

  • Sean Stowell, MD, PhD

    Vice Chair for Transfusion Medicine
    Brigham and Women's Hospital
    Boston, Massachusetts

    Disclosure(s): Alexion: Grant/Research Support (Terminated); Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultant/Advisory Board (Terminated)

  • Karina Yazdanbakhsh, PhD

    Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Research
    New York Blood Center
    Rye, New York

    Disclosure(s): Novartis: Consultant/Advisory Board (Ongoing), Grant/Research Support (Ongoing); NovoNordisk: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing); Zenas BioPharma: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)

    Handouts

    • Speaker(s)

  • Allan Doctor, MD (he/him/his)

    Professor and Center Director
    University of Maryland
    Baltimore, Maryland

    Disclosure(s): Kalocyte: Chief Scientific Officer (Ongoing), Grant/Research Support (Ongoing), Stock Shareholder (self-managed) (Ongoing)

    Handouts

  • Marie A. Hollenhorst, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor
    Harvard Medical School
    Boston, Massachusetts

    Disclosure(s): Solid Biosciences: Consultant/Advisory Board (Ongoing)

    Handouts

  • Divya Beri, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    NYBC
    New York City, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    Handouts
  • PD

    Pavel Davizon-Castillo

    Bloodworks Northwest

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    Handouts
  • TP

    Tirthadipa Pradhan-Sundd, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Associate Investigator; Assistant Professor
    Versiti Blood Research Institute; Medical College of Wisconsin
    Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    Handouts
  • PK

    Paul Kausik, PhD (he/him/his)

    Project Scientist
    Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
    Los Angeles, California

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    Handouts

  • Shang-Chuen Wu, PhD

    Instructor
    Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard University, Massachusetts

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

This session aims to spotlight presentations centered on mechanistic discoveries at the cutting edge of transfusion biology. By investigating the underlying molecular and cellular interactions in blood component biology, Dr. Allan Doctor, will describe how fundamental exploration by his group and others has led to breakthrough discoveries in the development of artificial blood products. This will be followed by short presentations by outstanding NIH-funded early-career basic scientists, each focusing on new mechanistic insights from their research including uncovering novel aspects of the red cell membranes related to transfusion-transmission with hemoparasites and hyperhemolytic syndromes (Dr. Divya Beri), new mechanisms of hemolysis-driven vasculopathy (Dr. Tirthadipa Pradhan-Sundd), novel concepts on the role of blood group positive microbes in the induction of ABO antibodies (Dr. Shang-Chuen (Peter) Wu), new mechanistic pathways that drive alloimmunization in lupus (Dr. Kausik Paul), innovative aspects of inflammation-driven platelet dysfunction (Dr. Pavel Davizon-Castillo), and developing for the first time ever an atlas of platelet glycosylation pathways (Dr. Marie Hollenhorst). The session will also include a roundtable discussion of key basic research gaps in transfusion biology, the importance of utilizing novel and emerging methodologies, and the need for collaborative research programs to translate basic discoveries.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss fundamental concepts in artificial blood design, describe molecular basis of red blood cell membrane alterations and blood borne diseases and the role of heme signaling pathways on vasculopathy.
  • Describe the mechanisms of antibody induction by blood group positive microbes and in lupus.
  • Discuss the role of platelet glycosylation pathways in platelet function and describe inflammation-associated signaling pathways in driving platelet dysfunction.