2025-2026 Schedule

June 24, 2025 – Race and Ethnicity Dependent Serological Reactivity of HLA Alleles – presented by Nicole Valenzuela, PhD, F(ACHI), NorDx/MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME

As donor and transplant candidate populations become increasingly diverse in race and ethnicity, current solid-phase antibody assay panels still lack comprehensive representation of all observed alleles. This presentation will explore a study assessing whether expanded allele panels enhance antibody testing accuracy.

July 22, 2025 – Assessing the Clinical Utility of the ExPlex Panel in Highly Sensitized Black Americans – presented by Anna Morris, PhD, F(ACHI), Emory University HLA Laboratory, Atlanta, GA

The ExPlex panel by One Lambda provides additional HLA class I and II alleles with varying frequency in different populations. Participants will hear about a study aimed at assessing the clinical relevance of information obtained from extended bead panels.

August 26, 2025 – An Extended Machine Learning Approach for Binning Donor-Recipient HLA Amino Acid Mismatches to Predict Kidney Graft Failure Risk – presented by Ryan Urbanowicz, PhD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center HLA Laboratory, Los Angeles, CA

Participants will learn about a project aimed at developing new HLA-based clinical decision support tools to improve kidney transplant patient outcomes. They will hear about a data-driven machine learning method to automatically discover which amino acid mismatch combinations associate with the highest graft failure risk.

September 9, 2025 – Analysis of HLA Polymorphism and Disease Susceptibility: A Historical Perspective – presented by Henry Erlich, PhD, Benioff UCSF Children’s Hospital & Research Center, Oakland, CA

Participants will explore early research that established links between specific HLA serotypes and various diseases. The discussion will highlight how advancements in molecular techniques, initially PCR amplification, and more recently next-generation sequencing, have significantly enhanced our understanding of HLA allele associations with particular diseases.

September 16, 2025 – HLA Nomenclature: Moving Toward Integrated and Consistent Approaches for Clinical Practice (Part One) – presented by Marcelo Fernandez-Vina, PhD, F(ACHI), Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA

Participants will hear a review of historical and current processes for achieving standardized HLA nomenclature. They will learn why there is a need for periodic updates to fill current gaps resulting from outdated serological nomenclature.  They will learn about criteria developed for the definition of HLA antigens in silico which will result in assigning serologic antigens corresponding to the vast majority of HLA alleles defined by molecular methods.

September 23, 2025 – HLA Nomenclature: Moving Toward Integrated and Consistent Approaches for Clinical Practice (Part Two) – presented by Marcelo Fernandez-Vina, PhD, F(ACHI), Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA

Participants will hear a review of historical and current processes for achieving standardized HLA nomenclature. They will learn why there is a need for periodic updates to fill current gaps resulting from outdated serological nomenclature.  They will learn about criteria developed for the definition of HLA antigens in silico which will result in assigning serologic antigens corresponding to the vast majority of HLA alleles defined by molecular methods.

September 30, 2025 – Addressing Transplant Disparities: The B46 Story – presented by Carrie Butler, PhD, F(ACHI), UCLA Immunogenetics Center, Los Angeles, CA

Female patients who are HLA-B46 homozygous often become sensitized to two public epitopes, Bw4 and Bw6, which excludes all but 1 in 10,000 potential organ donors. Participants will learn about collaborative studies aimed at identifying desensitization strategies that may allow for more acceptable donors.

October 14, 2025 – Breaking Down CPRA Barriers in Lung Transplantation – presented by Meghan Aversa, MD, MS, FRCPC, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

Participates will learn about the impact of HLA sensitization on access to lung transplant and how sensitized patients are managed internationally.  They will hear about the short-term and long-term outcomes of peri-operative desensitization for lung transplant recipients using the Toronto Lung Transplant Program (TLTP) protocol.

October 21, 2025 – ABO: The Other Major Histocompatibility Antigens – presented by Lori West, OC, MD, DPhil, FRSC, FCAHS, FRCPC, Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Participants will learn about a novel approach to ABO-incompatible (ABOi) transplantation and ABO histocompatibility. The discussion will introduce innovative tools for investigating the role of ABH antigens and ABO antibodies in the context of heart transplantation.

October 28, 2025 – Defining Functional Epitopes of HLA-DQ Antigens – presented by Shi-Yuan (Tina) Meng, PhD, ThermoFisher Scientific, West Hills, CA

Participants will learn about studies aimed at identifying functional DQ epitopes using a new single antigen bead panel designed to maximize allele coverage with the minimum number of antigens.  A prototype HLA-DQ panel for predicting the essential residue (ER) of an epitope was developed and engineered variants were used to aid in deconvolution of ambiguities.

November 4, 2025 – Advancing ABO-Incompatible Organ Transplantation: The State of the Art – presented by Cathi Murphey Half, PhD, HCLD/CC(ABB), F(ACHI), Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratory, Southwest Immunodiagnostics, Inc., San Antonio, TX

This talk will cover ABO incompatible transplantation with specific focus on ABO A2 kidneys into B and O recipients utilizing a new assay for ABO antibody measurement and the necessity of ABO genotyping.

November 11, 2025 – Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Drives Increased Allo Sensitization to HLA-B, -DQB1, and -DPB1 and Leads to Poor Outcomes in Liver Transplant Recipients – presented by Rebecca Sosa, PhD, F(ACHI), UCLA Immunogenetics Center, Los Angeles, CA

Participants will learn about how in the setting of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), a complex interplay of innate and adaptive immunity drives allo sensitization in a typically tolerant liver transplant.

November 18, 2025 – The North Carolina Flow XM Collaboration: Key Insights and Best Practices – presented by Kristina Olack, MS, MLS, Atrium Health Immunology Laboratory, Charlotte, NC

Participants will learn how five HLA laboratories collaborated to compare flow crossmatch results using seven different sera and cell samples provided by the organizers. The discussion will highlight key best practices identified through this collaborative effort.

January 6, 2026 – The Role of HLA in Allogeneic Cellular Therapies – presented by Heather Stefanski, MD, PhD, CIBMTR and Clinical Services NMDP, Minneapolis, MN

Participants will learn about the evolution and current landscape of allogeneic cellular therapies. The discussion will cover key differences between autologous and allogeneic CAR-T cells, along with the criteria for optimizing allogeneic CAR-T cell development. Ongoing clinical trials and unresolved questions in the field will also be addressed.

January 20, 2026 – Best Practices in Choosing a Mismatched Unrelated Hematopoietic Cell Donor – presented by Brian Shaffer, MD, Donor Search & Acquisition Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

Participants will learn key factors that shape decision-making when selecting or prioritizing mismatched unrelated donors. The discussion will provide a comprehensive overview of current best practices, highlight existing knowledge gaps in the field, and offer insights into optimizing donor selection to improve transplant outcomes despite HLA mismatches.

January 27, 2026 – Power BI for HLA – presented by Michiko Taniguchi, PhD, F(ACHI), Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO

Managing data such as quality control metrics and antibody testing results poses a significant challenge for many HLA laboratories. Participants will be introduced to Power BI, a business intelligence tool by Microsoft that enables users to visualize and share data through interactive dashboards and reports. The discussion will highlight how HLA labs can leverage Power BI to optimize data management and improve operational efficiency.

February 10, 2026 – An HLA Overview – presented by Carrie Butler, PhD, F(ACHI), UCLA Immunogenetics Center, Los Angeles, CA

This introductory lecture will provide an overview of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system, a vital component of the human immune system responsible for distinguishing self from foreign invaders. Participants will learn about HLA molecules, the genes that encode them, and their essential role in immune responses, including organ transplant compatibility and disease susceptibility.

February 17, 2026 – OPTN Modernization and Reform Initiative – presented by Luis Hidalgo, PhD F(ACHI), University of Alberta, Vancouver, AB, Canada, Kelley Hitchman, PhD, F(ACHI), University of Texas, San Antonio, TX, Cathi Murphey Half, PhD, HCLD/CC(ABB), F(ACHI), Southwest Immunodiagnostics, Inc., San Antonio, TX

Participants will learn about the OPTN Modernization and Reform initiative which is a multi-year effort by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to improve the US Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the national system for allocating donor organs. The initiative aims to enhance the OPTN’s performance, transparency, and accountability in several key areas.

March 3, 2026 – Will the Real HLA Antibody Please Stand Up – presented by Robert Bray, PhD, F(ACHI), Professor Emeritus, Emory University, Atlanta GA, Howard Gebel, PhD, F(ACHI), Professor Emeritus, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Solid-phase assays have transformed HLA antibody detection and characterization, but recognizing their limitations remains crucial. Participants will hear about key assay constraints and learn how to account for them when interpreting patient antibody profiles to ensure accurate clinical assessments.

March 10, 2026 – Novel Desensitization Strategy in a Highly Sensitized Heart/Liver Transplant Candidate using Imlifidase – presented by Eszter Lazar-Molnar, PhD, D(ABMLI), F(ACHI), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Participants will learn about a complex case involving a highly sensitized female transplant candidate listed for a combined heart and liver transplant. The case presented unique challenges due to the patient’s uncommon HLA type, blood type B, and small stature. After multiple unsuccessful desensitization attempts with various agents, the patient was successfully treated with Imlifidase, which effectively reduced donor-specific antibody (DSA) levels at the time of a donor offer.