From Central Office
Reflections from some of our Barcelona Harold Gunson Winners
Aimed at young professionals under 40, the Harold Gunson Fellowship provides travel grants for those with accepted abstracts at congresses. Grants are awarded based on the quality of the abstracts and regional fairness. Fellowship winners are urged to participate in all congress activities to optimise their learning and network with other attendees and ISBT members globally.
Alissa Soudry - France / Israel
It was a great pleasure to participate in this incredible ISBT Congress in Barcelona. As a PhD student, it was a great opportunity to make contacts and discuss with the best professionals in the field. The organisation of the congress was awesome and ISBT office people were very kind and welcoming. I mostly appreciated the young professional breakfast. It was very interesting to share experiences with other young professionals from around the world… Blood banking can be very different in each region of the globe and I was glad to learn about it… I think the most incredible thing is that I realized how wide and rich the transfusion medicine’s world is. Moreover, I’m very grateful to ISBT committee for granting me the prestigious Harold Gunson fellowship award and for the great opportunity to share my thesis work with all the transfusion medicine experts.
Brunilda Dakavelli - Albania
Participating in the Barcelona Congress as a Harold Gunson Award recipient has been an extraordinarily enriching experience. The congress provided a unique platform to engage with leading experts in transfusion medicine, broadening my knowledge and inspiring innovative approaches in my field. One of the most informative sessions was on controversies in prenatal serological testing. Additionally, the session on career possibilities in transfusion medicine opened my eyes to various pathways and opportunities within the field. The discussions on AI and transfusion medicine were particularly fascinating, highlighting how technology can revolutionize our practices. I also found the session on blood safety incredibly informative, especially the part revisiting the big three viral transfusion-transmitted infections (HIV, HBV, HCV) and new emerging pathogens. The lunch welcoming Harold Gunson Fellowship winners allowed me to connect with fellow young scientists and meet the ISBT board. Networking with fellow recipients from around the world fostered a sense of global community and collaboration.
Alejandro Cáceres - Colombia
As a researcher in the Virology Group at Universidad el Bosque, located in Bogotá, Colombia. I would like to thank the ISBT for granting me the Harold Gunson Fellowship and giving me the opportunity to present my work at the 38th ISBT International Congress held in Barcelona. This was my first time attending an ISBT congress in person, and it was a unique experience that helped strengthen my knowledge of current infectious agents that can be transmitted through blood transfusion and existing tools to mitigate these risks.
At this congress, I presented our latest research on analyzing the risk posed by dengue virus, Zika virus, and chikungunya virus to blood component safety in Colombia. I had the chance to meet many experts who have worked on similar research lines as mine individuals who have been references since I started working on this topic and it was fascinating to hear their perspectives regarding blood component safety. Additionally, thanks to the Harold Gunson Fellowship grant during lunch at welcome reception also allowed me met other young researchers; for me, new generations of researchers are a fundamental pillar in generating new knowledge. Thank you once again for allowing me participate congress; undoubtedly very important motivation continue advancing as transfusional medicine researcher.
Wing Kit Lam – Hong Kong
I am a laboratory haematologist working at Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) for awarding me the “Harold Gunson Fellowship”, which enabled me to attend my first ISBT Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
The Congress was an inspiring event that provided me with a valuable opportunity to update my knowledge in transfusion medicine and connect with experts in the field. It was interesting to learn that many other countries were facing exactly the same challenges to those we encountered in Hong Kong. I particularly enjoyed attending the Young Professionals Breakfast and the welcome lunch, where I had the chance to interact with other young professionals and fellow Harold Gunson winners from around the world. Presenting my work at the Congress, both through oral and poster presentations, was a rewarding experience. I received insightful feedback from transfusion researchers and experts that will help me improve my future studies. Overall, the Congress significantly enriched my knowledge and experience in transfusion medicine, providing me with insights into both current best practices and the future of the field. I am eager to share and apply this knowledge to enhance our transfusion service and patient care in Hong Kong.
Harold Gunson Barcelona winners with ISBT board members and regional directors
Ben Winskel-Wood - Australia
It was an absolute pleasure to attend this years Congress in the amazing city of Barcelona and worth travelling half way round the world from Australia. For me a key highlight was getting the chance to participate in the Blood Components working party as part of the first meeting of the extracellular vesicles sub-group. It was great to finally meet my fellow members face to face and get to talk shop with subject matter experts from a diverse range of countries and organisations. It was also incredibly rewarding to attend the Young Professionals breakfast and Harold Gunson lunch, which allowed me to talk with my peers and ISBT Congress veterans. Each person I interacted with was incredibly knowledgeable and very welcoming. It is hard to state how open and friendly everyone was, which made it easy to make the most of this amazing opportunity. I am incredibly grateful to ISBT organising committee, my fellow attendees and the citizens of Barcelona for making this years Congress such an enjoyable experience. I am looking forward to attending future ISBT Congresses and ensuring that new participants receive the same warm welcome I did.
Wambi Wilson - Uganda
It was an absolute pleasure to attend this years Congress in the amazing city of Barcelona and worth travelling half way round the world from Australia. For me a key highlight was getting the chance to participate in the Blood Components working party as part of the first meeting of the extracellular vesicles sub-group. It was great to finally meet my fellow members face to face and get to talk shop with subject matter experts from a diverse range of countries and organisations. It was also incredibly rewarding to attend the Young Professionals breakfast and Harold Gunson lunch, which allowed me to talk with my peers and ISBT Congress veterans. Each person I interacted with was incredibly knowledgeable and very welcoming. It is hard to state how open and friendly everyone was, which made it easy to make the most of this amazing opportunity. I am incredibly grateful to ISBT organising committee, my fellow attendees and the citizens of Barcelona for making this years Congress such an enjoyable experience. I am looking forward to attending future ISBT Congresses and ensuring that new participants receive the same warm welcome I did.
