Colleagues and Friends,

It’s hard to believe, but this marks my last message as ASTCT President. It has been an absolute honor to serve you, our society, and our field and all that it represents.

In my first president’s message, I outlined my goals for the year. It’s quite humbling to look back and see that not only did we accomplish those goals, we knocked them out of the park.

Here are just some of the highlights:

• In November, we achieved a major milestone for our community when we reached 3,000 members, thanks in part to so many of you sharing the value of ASTCT membership with your peers.
• In January, ASTCT representatives met with the White House COVID-19 Response Team to discuss engaging our members and patient community on COVID-19 booster vaccinations, including eligibility of immunocompromised individuals for up to a fourth dose – an important step in prioritizing transplantation patients in the fight against COVID-19.
• We increased the amount of educational content we’re creating, including 24 webinars on topics like sickle cell, CAR T, and access to transplant.
• We launched the Titans of Transplant series on our ASTCT Talks podcast to celebrate the physicians, nurses, pharmacists and more who accomplished major achievements in the early days of transplant. The series ensures we document our history, honor our leaders and inspire the next generation.
• Our Tandem Meeting dates changed, but I am glad to say that we have record high registration and most will now be able to attend in person.

I’ve started each message with the same greeting: Colleagues and Friends. I use this greeting because it’s exactly what each and every one of you is to me, a colleague and a friend. Leading this amazing group of talented physicians, nurses, pharmacists, researchers and social workers has been the honor of a lifetime. You have all inspired me with your volunteerism, idea sharing and your passion for this field. I’ll cherish that forever.

As my hometown band The Beatles say, “I don’t know why you say ‘Goodbye,’ I say ‘Hello.’” I look forward to seeing many of you soon – and saying hello – at Tandem Meetings and beyond.

Stella Davies, MBBS, PhD

Tags: astct, president's message, transplantation, Cellular therapy, President, 2021, tandem meetings, 2022, Stella Davies, Board of Director