July 2024

An update from ASHI about the CMS final rule

Two weeks ago, ASHI President, Dr. Luis Hidalgo, sent this message to ASHI members to provide an update on discussions ASHI leadership had been having regarding the CMS final rule. This remains a hot topic for the ASHI community, so we'd like to invite you to join us for a town hall meeting on July 10th at 2:00 pm ET where we will provide you with the most current information we have on the subject and allow you to express your concerns and ask your questions. We will do our best to respond to your questions and concerns to the best of our current knowledge.

Click here to register

Please note that this session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the live meeting.

ASHI on the Hill

Despite it being a presidential election year, numerous significant policy developments have taken place, and ASHI has worked tirelessly to ensure our members have a seat at the table when critical decisions are made. Read More



ASHI wants to help you organize a Local HLA meeting!

ASHI provides financial support for you to hold a local HLA meeting. The main goal of this effort is to engage technologists in inter-laboratory learning activities. ASHI will provide up to $1,500 in reimbursement to assist with local meeting planning and conduct.

Click here to submit your online funding application before September 1, 2024. The application is also available in our handbook. The ASHI Local HLA meeting handbook has all the tools you'll need to organize your meeting. This will help guide you from start to finish!

ASHI Travel Fund - Consider paying it forward

If you've attended ASHI Meetings over the years, you can attest to the advantages of attending in-person meetings. Technologists, especially, can benefit from the unique opportunities available during ASHI meetings, including, but not limited to:

• skill development and training sessions
• networking and career advancement
• staying up-to-date with the latest research

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we've received a $50,000 donation to the ASHI travel fund! This generous gift is a testament to the incredible support and dedication of our ASHI community and underscores the value of the work you do and the impact HLA has in transplantation. This substantial donation will significantly impact HLA laboratory professionals as the donor has designated the $50,000 contribution specifically to provide more opportunities for technologists to attend ASHI Meetings.

For now, the donor has asked to remain anonymous, BUT they are willing to reveal their identity if the ASHI membership matches their donation. So, we're turning to you, our valued members, to help us double the impact. As we look forward to gifting technologists with this special opportunity this year and for years to come, we would like others to consider paying it forward as this donor has chosen to do. Imagine the possibilities if you were to join forces in this effort to support our wonderful technologists. Click here to donate. Thank you in advance for your support of the ASHI community!

Click here to register

Please note that this session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the live meeting.

Hosted by the Educational Initiatives Committee

Speaker

Ahmed Mostafa

MD, PhD, F(ACHI)

In this session, we will:

1.   Explore different myths and legends surrounding chimerism.

2.   Explore a variety of techniques for engraftment monitoring, including STR, PCR, and NGS.

3.   Validate the effectiveness of NGS in chimerism testing.

4.   Illuminate important concepts through informative case studies.

Continuing education credits are available for attendees. This webinar will be recorded and placed on ASHI University following the event.

Click here to register

Crossing Continents with the Halifaster Crossmatch Protocol:

Insights from the International HLA Community

July 16 at 9:00 am ET

ASHI Speaks Your Language webinar (in English)

Hosted by the International Committee

Click here to register

Speaker

Robert Liwski

MD, PhD, FRCPC, F(ACHI)

This course is designed to help develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence of laboratory instructors to deliver more effective training. Participants will learn how to apply CDC’s Quality Training Standards and Training Developer Checklist to the training they develop for laboratory professionals. The strategies and practices discussed can be adapted to a variety of training types, such as in-person lectures; See-one, Do-one, Teach-one; or eLearning (on-demand). This course is approved for 10 contact hours of P.A.C.E.® credit.

Candidates should be located within the U.S. and have:

• A minimum of one year of experience training laboratory professionals
• An identified training to reference during course activities and apply learned standards
• Access to virtual training equipment (e.g., computer, web camera, headphones) and software (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Reader)
• Approval from their supervisor to attend all sessions

This course consists of five virtual 2-hour sessions. All sessions are held virtually from 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET. See the brochure for additional details.

To express interest, visit the course link below and select the blue “+Get Approval” button under the sessions tab. Note: To access available sessions, you first need to create a CDC TRAIN account or log in if you already have an account. There are a limited number of seats available. Expressing interest does not guarantee a seat in this course. Your registration will be reviewed for eligibility. If approved, you will receive an email notification.

Registration deadline: July 17th.

Click here to register

Please contact the course project team at labtrainingneeds@cdc.gov for more information.

The ASHI Quality Assurance & Standards (QAS) Committee presented their proposed revisions to the 2023 ASHI Standards. The official public comment period opened on July 1 and closes on Friday, July 12. During the public comment period, members can email their comments regarding the proposed revisions to ASHI Headquarters. The webinar recording is available here.

Although the virtual crossmatch (VXM) is widely used within the transplant community, there is a large range of information that is provided by HLA labs to the clinical teams. Members of the Director's Affairs Committee compiled VXM reports from their respective centers in order to provide the ASHI community with examples of the format, test results, and clinical interpretive comments that can be provided by a VXM. We hope this is useful as HLA laboratories continue to improve communication with clinical teams. Visit the Education page on the ASHI website, click on Educational Resources, then scroll down to Directors Resources to learn more; or click here: https://www.ashi-hla.org/page/educationresources

2024 HT-1 Reports

The HT-1 Summary and Participant Reports are available in the ASHI PT Data Center.

2024 AC-1 Reports

The review process is underway for AC-1 survey results. Participating laboratories will be notified by email once AC grades and reports are finalized.

2024 VXM-1 Challenge

Labs that participated in the AC-1 survey will receive links and instructions by email mid-July to participate in the optional, educational virtual crossmatch (VXM-1) challenge.

2024 EMO Cell Subset Summary

A summary of the optional cell subset pilot study was emailed to EMO-1 labs in June.

Coffee & Compatibility

Current State of Donor-derived cell-free DNA testing for allograft rejection



Dr. Medhat Askar joins the podcast to discuss the utility and validation of donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) testing for solid-organ recipients. Dr. Askar also discusses the regulatory status of dd-cfDNA in the United States. Click here to listen and receive CECs.

New Segment on Coffee & Compatibility: Tech Talk

The ASHI podcast has launched a new segment called "Tech Talk" to spotlight technologists who go beyond daily lab tasks by performing exceptional HLA work and leading initiatives that advance the field. Submit your suggestions to info@ashi-hla.org with "Tech Talk" in the subject line, and tell us how your suggested guest is impacting the HLA community. If selected, the podcast will give a shout-out to the technologist and highlight their contributions in a future episode.

The Tea: Advice Segment

Do you need professional, career, or lab advice? Send your questions to Drs. Eric Weimer, Kelley Hitchman, and Jeremy Sherrill for a chance to have them featured on the Coffee & Compatibility "The Tea" segment. Whether you want insights on career growth, lab techniques, or professional development, our experts are here to help. You can submit anonymously or include your name and institution for a shout-out. Email your questions to or click here to participate. We look forward to hearing from you!

Application period is open for ASHI's Scientific Awards

Application Deadline: August 1, 2024

Early Career Investigator Award (ECIA) 

The aim of the Early Career Investigator Award is to support future research leaders who are committed to conducting impactful basic or translational science research. This program offers ASHI members an award of up to $40,000 for research related to histocompatibility or immunogenetics in various disciplines such transplantation, cancer, autoimmunity, infectious disease, disease association, or pharmacogenomics.

Click here for eligibility criteria, application process, proposal review criteria, and more.

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Innovation Scholarship Award (ISA)

The goal of the Innovation Scholarship Award is to recognize and further a significant body of work in the fields of HLA, immunogenetics and/or transplant immunology as demonstrated by publications, educational initiatives and/or developed translational tools and analyses. Each of three recipients will receive a $1500 honorarium. These awards will be presented at the ASHI Annual Meeting.

Click here for award categories, application checklist, and selection criteria.

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Michael Schmiederer Research Support Award (MSRSA)

The aim of the Michael Schmiederer Research Support Award (MSRSA) is to support impactful clinical research in the fields of histocompatibility and immunogenetics. This program offers ASHI members an award of $15,000 for one year of research related to various clinical disciplines such as transplantation, cancer, autoimmunity, infectious disease, disease association, or pharmacogenomics. The award is sponsored by Labcorp in memory of a beloved coworker, Michael W. Schmiederer, PhD, S(ACHI).

Click here for eligibility criteria, application process, and more.

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Completed applications and questions can be sent to ASHI Headquarters. Please put the name of the specific award in the subject line. Click here for information on all three awards.

Update from the Laboratory Professionals Recruitment Initiative (LPRIT) Taskforce

Click here for the updates about the following:

• ASCP Annual Meeting Preparation
• International Vacancy Survey
• ASHI Educational Workshop Outreach

These updates highlight LPRIT's proactive efforts in research, international collaboration, and educational outreach, reinforcing our commitment to advancing the field of histocompatibility and immunogenetics

"What are the Areas of Accreditation?"

Click here to view the Accreditation Review Board's response.

ASHI Volunteer Spotlight

"For me, the professional development grew parallel with the ASHI involvement."

Check out our featured volunteer spotlight, Dr. Nick Paris!

Read More

ASHI Member Spotlight

"My work plays a part in helping find life-saving organs and bone marrow transplants for patients"

Check out our featured member spotlight, Ling Li!

Read More

Would you like to be featured as our next ASHI Member or Volunteer Spotlight? Click the links below to answer a few questions about your member/volunteer experience. For more information, or if you would like to nominate someone to be highlighted as our next spotlight, contact Cathy Landolt at clandolt@ashi-hla.org.