Editor’s Note: For this issue, we amended the column name to “presidents” (plural) to highlight the special nature of this message, which comes from two association presidents: ASH’s Belinda R. Avalos, MD, and Konstanze Döhner, MD, president of the European Hematology Association.
Milan, Italy — the site of the recent 2025 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress — is home to the Duomo Museum, with its beautiful Gonzaga Tapestries that enrich the cultural heritage of the cathedral. Delicate, individual threads are woven together to tell a story and create works of art that impress and inspire.
In the wake of June’s successful EHA meeting and in anticipation of the 2025 ASH Annual Meeting in December, it seems appropriate to consider the word “tapestry” in a broader context — one that recognizes the work of our two organizations and the many threads that characterize the field of hematology.
Much like a tapestry, hematology is full of interconnections, intricacies, and individual contributions. Much like a tapestry, our respective organizations are greater than the sum of their parts, thanks to the unique perspectives and experiences our members bring to the table. And much like a tapestry, there is meaning and purpose behind all that you see.
As we witness global collaboration being undermined and science itself coming under attack in some quarters, celebrating the contributions of hematologists and what connects us has never seemed more important. Our two organizations believe in scientific integrity and in promoting excellence in hematology education and research. In that spirit, we want to affirm and celebrate the longstanding partnership between ASH and EHA — and share examples of how our work together is making a positive difference.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of ASH and EHA holding joint symposia at our respective annual conferences. At the recent EHA Congress in Milan, our two organizations hosted a symposium on Langerhans cell histiocytosis and other histiocytosis neoplasms.
Also at the EHA Congress, we hosted a joint workshop on the hematology crisis in Ukraine. The workshop brought together key representatives from the Ukrainian hematology community and international stakeholders to share their experiences and strategies in navigating a protracted crisis. Independent of that workshop, ASH and EHA have donated funds to Helping to Leave, a small, nongovernmental organization that facilitates the transport of hematology and oncology patients, and their families, to hospitals where they can receive treatment. The funds donated by ASH and EHA provided more than 100 patients with either evacuation services to receive medical treatment outside of Ukraine or humanitarian and medical assistance within Ukraine itself. Additionally, the funds covered evacuation services for family members of patients.
Coming up in December, we will join forces again for the 20th ASH-EHA Joint Symposium at the ASH annual meeting. The title of this year’s event: Menin Inhibitors: Novel Targeted Agents for Treatment of AML.
We are longstanding partners in the Translational Research Training in Hematology program, which focuses on helping early-stage researchers develop the tools to build and support successful careers. A total of 285 individuals have been trained in the program in the 15 years since its launch, and its impact on careers is notable. One participant, Antoniana Batsivari, PhD, with the Francis Crick Institute in London, called it “a very prestigious program” that introduced her to the insights and expertise of principal investigators from all over the world. “You get all the attention that you want, [not only] on your projects but also your career development,” she said. “And you can get amazing advice on both things.”
In addition to these specific initiatives, our two organizations hold regular leadership discussions to explore opportunities for other collaborations. We collaborate because we know that medical breakthroughs and advances in science are not the provenance of any one geographic region or country. Our knowledge and understanding grow exponentially when we work together. Whether we are talking about gene editing, artificial intelligence, or nanotechnology, the further development and use of these technologies and others in hematology depend on a rigorous and sustained embrace of research and robust cooperation across borders among clinicians and scientists.
By working together, we resist the forces that seek to create divisions and thwart scientific progress. Stitch by stitch, we can help to create our own work of art — a world in which support for hematology research only grows, collaboration thrives, the education and career development of hematologists flourishes, and the pain of suffering or lives lost from blood diseases and disorders is vanquished.
