Our field, our society, touches the lives of others in a multitude of ways.

It is core to what we do. We all entered the health care profession because of our desire to help others, and working in cellular therapy and transplantation in particular shows our dedication to serving some of the most complex and vulnerable patients.

We all know the struggle of trying to make your way through the early years of a career. Our field is ripe with opportunity—from society meetings that help us share our important work to mentor/mentee relationships that can last a lifetime. But for some, those opportunities aren’t as attainable as others.

This is why I ask that you consider contributing to the ASTCT Giving Campaign. Launched late last year, this fund is designed to promote research, education and training in the field of transplantation and cellular therapy. These gifts benefit scholarships, awards and travel grants to advance those striving to move their career forward.

These funds have direct impact. For example, each year, ASTCT presents $500 travel grants to 15 U.S. and Canadian-based fellows and two $750 travel grants to international fellows to attend the TCT Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR. Let me share with you what one of those recipients said about this opportunity:

“Attending ASTCT was of critical importance for my developing career. It allowed me to experience the breadth and depth of cutting edge research going on in the field. I left the meeting with a better sense of where the field is moving over the coming years. Without grant support, it would have been difficult for me to attend the meeting.”

When I hear stories like this, it reinforces how important it is for those of us able to pay it forward to do so. Advancing the entire industry forward is imperative for each of us to succeed individually. Without each other, we won’t be able to accomplish the change needed to care for some of the most complex patients around.

Thank you for your support and for all that you do.

Pavan Reddy, MD

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