Report from The Young Professionals Council
Council Leadership and Membership
Representative for Europe: Cvetanka Kochovska (North Macedonia)
Representatives for Western Pacific: Maria Roussakis (Australia) and Paula Janica M. Montañano (Philipinnes)
Representatives for Eastern Mediterranean: Amira Z. Badawy and Zainab Harb (Bahrain)
Representatives for South-East Asia: Suhasini Sil and Kriti Batni
Representatives for Northern America: Tayler Van Denakker (USA) and Poojan Joshi (Canada)
Representative for Latin America: Jannison Ribeiro (Brazil)
Representative for Africa: Abiy Ambaye (Ethiopia)
The Young Professionals Council (YPC) continued to grow during this reporting period with the addition of new members in January 2026, including Suhasini Sil (South-East Asia), Amira Z. Badawy (Eastern Mediterranean), and Kriti Batni (South-East Asia), further strengthening regional representation.
The Council expresses its sincere appreciation to Saikat Mandal and Nour Almozain for their valuable contributions, as they completed their terms during this period.
During this time, Cvetanka Kochovska (Europe) assumed the role of Chair, succeeding Abiy Belay, and Zainab Harb (Eastern Mediterranean) became the new Secretary.
Meetings
The YPC continued to meet on a monthly basis via teleconferences to exchange updates, discuss ongoing initiatives, and plan future activities. These regular meetings remain central to maintaining engagement and coordination across regions.
Activities during the period
Knowledge Sharing and Educational Activities
The YPC continued to support the dissemination of research and professional engagement among young professionals in transfusion medicine through a range of educational initiatives.
A series of Live Journal Clubs (LJCs) were organized throughout the reporting period to facilitate the presentation and discussion of current research. In April 2025, a session on “JAK2-V617F mutation among blood donors: A meta-analysis” was moderated by Nour Almozain, with contributions from Maha Badawi. In July 2025, Suhasini Sil presented on autoimmune hemolytic anemia, focusing on the aetiology and severity of hemolysis associated with immunoproteins on red cell surfaces, moderated by Tayler Van Denakker. An additional session, “Applying Universal Tools: From Problem Identification to Health Program Implementation in Blood Management and Health Systems,” was delivered by Juan Manuel Cisneros Carrasco and moderated by Poojan Joshi. In December 2025, the YPC organized an ISBT webinar titled “Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in Transfusion Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study”, delivered by Prateek Srivastava and moderated by Zainab Harb.
The YPC also highlighted an “Article of the Month” in December 2025, featuring work on community-engaged approaches to improving diversity in stem cell donor recruitment, as part of its efforts to promote relevant publications and amplify the work of young professionals.
During the reporting period, the YPC conducted an international survey examining global patterns in physician training in transfusion medicine. Responses were collected between July 2025 and January 2026, with broad representation across all WHO regions. The results were analysed and will be presented at the upcoming ISBT Congress as an abstract.
Congress-Related Activities
The YPC actively contributed to engagement and networking initiatives at ISBT congresses during the reporting period.
At the ISBT Congress in Milan (June 2025), the YPC organized two key events. The Young Professionals Breakfast, organized by Maria Roussakis, provided an informal and inclusive setting for early-career participants to connect with peers and senior colleagues, facilitating discussions on career development, mentorship, and research opportunities.
In addition, a Young Professionals Lunch & Learn session, featuring trivia and team-based activities, was organized by Cvetanka Kochovska and Abiy Belay. This interactive session fostered networking and collaboration in an engaging and informal environment.
A Young Professionals Breakfast was also held during the joint meeting of Blood 2025 and the ISBT Regional Congress in Perth (26–29 October 2025), organized by Maria Roussakis, further extending opportunities for connection and engagement at the regional level.
