Keynote Address | Blood Products as Pharmaceuticals: Should That Be Our Goal?

Steven L. Spitalnik, MD
Professor Emeritus
Columbia University

Speaker Bio: Dr. Spitalnik, a board-certified pathologist with subspecialty expertise in transfusion medicine, has been a Professor in the Department of Pathology & Cell Biology at Columbia University since 2003, after holding faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Rochester. Following undergraduate studies in mathematics at Princeton University (A.B., 1974) and medical education at the University of Chicago (M.D., 1978), he pursued residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Rochester (1978–1983), and fellowship training in molecular biology and glycobiology at the University of Rochester (1980–1981) and the NIH (1983–1985), respectively. He held multiple committee and leadership positions in various organizations, including the AABB, the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists, and the American Society of Hematology. He has published >250 papers, edited two books, and serves on the Editorial Boards of Transfusion, Blood Transfusion, and Transfusion Medicine Reviews. He also chaired and served on multiple NIH Study Sections. Dr. Spitalnik’s research initially focused on basic questions in glycobiology. However, over the last ~20 years, he has investigated the causes and consequences of RBC clearance. He is also involved in efforts to eradicate Rh disease with the Worldwide Initiative for Rh Disease Eradication (WIRhE).

Abstract: Many advances in blood transfusion therapy over the last ~50 years have enabled the use of specific blood products to target specific disease processes more precisely, with a goal of obtaining better patient outcomes. As one example, this is especially true since advent of the use of recombinant Factor VIII to treat patients with hemophilia A. However, one could argue that more needs to be done with complex “biologicals,” such as platelet products and packed red blood cells. This lecture will explore how approaches from pharmacology may be useful for producing complex blood products that function more like well-defined pharmaceuticals, thereby enhancing the practice of precision transfusion medicine to improve patient care.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Learn the components of the “medical model of a pharmaceutical”.
2. Describe how a unit of packed red blood cells fits the “medical model of a pharmaceutical”.
3. Describe different aspects of the “transfusion quality” of a blood product.

All Bases Covered: The Expanding World of Blood Group Genotyping

Sunitha Vege, MS
Senior Technical Director, Genomics Lab
New York Blood Center Enterprise

Speaker Bio: Sunitha Vege is the Senior Technical Director of the Genomics Laboratory at the New York Blood Center. She received her Master’s in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and, later, in Bioinformatics. She has been working in the blood group genotyping field for over 20 years with particular interest and passion in the RH and MNS systems and their genetic diversity. She has presented at state and national conferences and has co-authored numerous publications in the area.

Abstract: Blood group genotyping has evolved considerably over the past two decades, from gel-based assays to commercial SNP platforms to targeted next-generation sequencing. Each generation of technology has broadened what laboratories can resolve, yet the evolution is not simply a story of replacement but rather an expansion of available tools. This presentation provides a broad overview of common genotyping approaches, followed by real-world cases where the availability of multiple methods helped resolve genotypes and guide patient care. Cases will illustrate both the power and limitations of current tools and why maintaining multiple approaches remains important. Looking ahead, an emerging high-density array platform capable of predicting comprehensive antigen profiles across donor and patient populations holds promise for further advancing precise transfusion care.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Describe the evolving landscape of blood group genotyping technologies and their respective clinical applications.
2. Analyze real-world cases to illustrate how the availability of complementary genotyping methods informs complex predictions and transfusion decisions.
3. Discuss the potential of an emerging high-density genotyping platform to advance more precise antigen profiling across donor and patient populations.
   

Decoding Efficiency: Automation and Computational Workflows in a Genotyping Laboratory

June Joseph Fuertes, MS, MLS(ASCP)
Lead Technologist
New York Blood Center

Speaker Bio: June Fuertes is a New York State-licensed medical technologist with a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from Stony Brook University and a master’s degree in Bioinformatics from NYU. He currently serves as the lead technologist in the Genomics Laboratory at the New York Blood Center, where he has worked for the past seven years. His combined expertise in wet lab techniques and programmatic problem solving enables him to integrate cutting edge assay data with custom built code, driving automation, efficiency, and innovation throughout the laboratory.

Abstract: Blood group genotyping laboratories generate considerable data with every run. Laboratories that treat that data as an asset have much to gain in efficiency, consistency, and interpretive quality. This presentation uses before-and-after examples to examine how manual, time-intensive interpretation and reporting steps have been replaced by computational workflows and automated pipelines across a range of genotyping applications. Automated comment generation, exception flagging, and results reporting are among the tools that now streamline routine workflows while ensuring that complexity is surfaced for expert review rather than bypassed.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Describe how computational workflows and automated interpretation and reporting have been implemented across genotyping applications to improve turnaround time and quality.
2. Compare the effectiveness of automated approaches against manual methods using real laboratory examples.
   
3. Recognize how automated workflows and expert review function together to ensure the reliability of genotyping results.
   

How to Catch a Transfusion Reaction When We Can

Nalan Yurtsever, MD
Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine

Speaker Bio: Nalan Yurtsever is an assistant professor of laboratory medicine at Yale. She is also the medical director of clinical labs and associate medical director of blood bank at Bridgeport Hospital.

Abstract: This session will evaluate cost-effective means to improve identification of transfusion reactions, particularly those that can be severe in nature such as Transfusion-Associated Circulatory Overload (TACO). A transfusion reaction dataset will be demonstrated as a way of auditing transfusions that had a reaction that was not reported.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Identify all the parties involved in establishing a system-wide transfusion reaction initiative.
2. Demonstrate the effectiveness of an automated dataset to audit transfusions.
3. Apply the outcomes of data to daily practice.

The Role of Vital Signs in Transfusion Monitoring and Recipient Safety

Eric A. Gehrie, MD
Deputy Chief Medical Officer
New York Blood Center

Speaker Bio: Dr. Eric A. Gehrie is Deputy Chief Medical Officer of New York Blood Center Enterprises in Rye, New York and director of the Transfusion Medicine fellowship. Dr. Gehrie received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, NY. He completed his transfusion medicine training at Yale University. Prior to joining the New York Blood Center, he was on faculty at Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT), followed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD), and the American Red Cross (Washington, DC).

Abstract: This session will explain how transfusion monitoring has progressed over time and highlight some recent initiatives that show promise in the improvement of early recognition of transfusion-related adverse events.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Identify the key barriers to transfusion reaction recognition and reporting via the examination of several critical studies in these domains.
2. Describe a practical, successful, multi-disciplinary quality improvement approach that can improve transfusion reaction recognition, reporting, and transfusion safety.
3. Identify the issues associated with over-reporting transfusion reactions.

Now accepting awards nominations through May 29, 2026!

Screening and Management of Isoimmunization in Pregnancy

Scott Shainker, DO, MS
The Annie and Chase Koch Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Director, New England Center for Placental Disorder
Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School

Speaker Bio: Scott A. Shainker, DO, MS, is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, USA. He is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. In 2018 he became the first incumbent of the Annie and Chase Koch Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at BIDMC, an honor he continues to hold.

Dr. Shainker completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine and his fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Shainker is the co-founder and director of the New England Center for Placental Disorders, an international referral center for patients with placenta accreta spectrum and other complex placental disorders. In addition, Dr. Shainker serves as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital working on the fetal intervention team.

Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of the most recent evidence-based work-up and management of alloimmunization. We will describe the clinical work-up, including how to incorporate the recently updated clinical guidelines highlighting the role of cell free DNA in the diagnosis approach. In addition, we will review the management of alloimmunization and the recommended work-flow in managing a pregnancy with fetal isoimmunization.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Highlight concerns associated with HDNF.
   
2. Review a stepwise approach to clinical work-up for isoimmunization.
3. Provide overview of clinical management of all isoimmunization.

Pneumatic Tube Transport (or Not?): Perspectives from Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine

Julie Katz Karp, MD
Professor, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine
Director of Transfusion Medicine
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Speaker Bio: Dr. Julie Karp is the Director of Transfusion Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine. Since this is the meeting of the Blood Banks Association of New York State, it seems relevant to note that Dr. Karp was born and raised in Rockland County, New York. She received a Bachelor of Science with distinction from Cornell University and her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was also chief resident. She completed a fellowship in Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Her interests include undergraduate and graduate medical education specifically related to transfusion medicine, as well as blood donor health and recruitment. She is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine.

Abstract: Pneumatic tube systems have been used for years as an effective way to transport items, including blood bank specimens and products. This presentation will explore this oft underappreciated technology and discuss various aspects of its use in blood banking/transfusion medicine. Join us as we review how the presence (or absence) of pneumatic tubes can change workflows and impact patient care.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Recognize a brief history of pneumatic tubes and pneumatic tube technology.
2. Discuss the evidence supporting the use of pneumatic tubes in blood banking/transfusion medicine.
3. Compare workflows in blood bank patient care, both with and without a pneumatic tube system, using real-life data.

Bleeding Risks Associated with Therapeutic Plasma Exchange: Debunking Old Myths and Advancing Understanding

Jay S. Raval, MD
Professor, CLIA Director, Division Chief
University of Vermont Medical Center

Speaker Bio: Dr. Jay Raval is a board-certified Clinical Pathologist with sub-specialty certification in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a Howard Holderness Distinguished Medical Student Research Scholar. He completed a surgical internship, clinical pathology residency, and blood banking and transfusion medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and The Institute for Transfusion Medicine.

Currently, Dr. Raval is a Tenured Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Vermont and an Adjunct Professor of Pathology at the University of New Mexico. He serves as University of Vermont Medical Center CLIA Director and Division Chief of Laboratory Medicine where he guides operations for the laboratory, helps direct the Cellular Therapy Laboratory, and attends on the transfusion medicine and apheresis services.

Dr. Raval is an active member of the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) and Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB); sits on the Editorial Boards of relevant journals in his field including Journal of Clinical Apheresis and Transfusion; and is a member of the ASFA Board of Directors and JCA Special Issue in Therapeutic Apheresis Writing Committee. His research interests include exploring evidence-based therapeutic apheresis practices with a focus on clinical and translational investigations; he has written over 400 publications, abstracts, and book chapters.

Abstract: Selection of plasma as a replacement fluid during therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is typically influenced by whether the pathogenesis of a particular disorder is favorably mitigated by a plasma constituent or if there is concern for bleeding risk. Albumin is typically selected as the exclusive replacement fluid for most indications, though this replacement fluid does not contain any coagulation factors and thus coagulation factor levels, particularly fibrinogen, expectedly decrease.

There is anecdotal concern associated with performing TPE using exclusively albumin replacement fluid for multiple days and/or in patients with low fibrinogen levels due to iatrogenic bleeding risk. Thus, many apheresis practitioners routinely assess fibrinogen levels to determine whether fibrinogen supplementation should be utilized as part of fluid replacement or peri-TPE transfusion therapy. However, this practice has been variably demonstrated to be an evidence-based strategy to either reliably identify those at risk of bleeding or generate meaningful fibrinogen thresholds. In this session, we will review the risks of bleeding associated with TPE, explain the evidence surrounding empiric fibrinogen testing and/or fibrinogen supplementation, and highlight the importance of serially eliciting bleeding history, performing medication reviews, and being aware of interventional procedural plans to accurately ascertain bleeding risk. These findings will help audience members develop evidence-based evaluation, testing, and replacement fluid strategies for their patients undergoing TPE with which they can be confident.

Objectives – the learner will be able to:

1. Describe bleeding risk associated with TPE and debate the utility of empiric fibrinogen testing and/or fibrinogen supplementation.
   
2. Defend the importance of meaningful initial and serial bleeding risk assessments in those receiving TPE and justify the use of evidence-based laboratory testing, replacement fluid selection, and treatment schedule strategies.

Introductions & Abstracts (15 min pres. + 5 min Q&A per speaker)

Now accepting abstract submissions through May 29, 2026!

Vendor Exhibit Hall / Reception
Hallway in front of Murphy Auditorium/Alumni Hall