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Haematology Association of Ireland, Annual Meeting, Radisson Hotel, Athlone, Co Westmeath, 10-11 October 2025
The upcoming Haematology Association of Ireland Annual Meeting will showcase the latest clinical and research developments in the specialty
Prof Paul Browne
The Haematology Association of Ireland (HAI) will hold its Annual Meeting on 10-11 October at the Radisson Hotel, Athlone, Co Westmeath. The programme brings together Irish and international experts to highlight developments in haematology ranging from myeloproliferative neoplasms and leukaemia to CAR T-cell therapies. The meeting also provides a platform for oral and poster presentations, trainee education, and professional networking.
HAI President Prof Paul Browne will open the meeting. In his address, Prof Browne will set the stage for what is expected to be a highly practical and clinically relevant event.
Following the address, the first session will begin with oral abstract presentations, giving researchers an opportunity to showcase current work.
State-of-the-art lectures
Attention then shifts to the first state-of-the-art lecture, where Prof Andreas Reiter of the University Medical Centre, Mannheim, Germany, will speak on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Prof Reiter is internationally recognised for his work in this field. He has contributed to several landmark studies, including the JAKARTA and RESPONSE trials, a multicentre study of imatinib in hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), and the development of a MPN patient registry to support more precise treatment decisions.
Dr Nina Orfali
His research also focuses on rare MPNs, applying modern sequencing approaches and examining organ involvement to improve the distinction between chronic eosinophilic leukaemia, HES, and reactive eosinophilia.
Following a short break after Prof Reiter’s talk, Dr Nina Orfali, Consultant Haematologist, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, will take the podium to review advances in relation to transplantation and leukaemia. Dr Orfali is a medical graduate of the University of Galway. After completing her internal medicine training between Galway University Hospital and the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, US, she branched into laboratory research, spending three years in laboratories at the Cork Cancer Research Centre and Weill Cornell University, New York, US. Dr Orfali was awarded a PhD from University College Cork for her work on the role of autophagy in leukaemic cell differentiation.
Dr Orfali trained as a haematology specialist here in Ireland and then returned to Cornell University to undertake further specialist training in stem cell transplantation for two years. She moved to Dublin in 2020 to take up her position on the adult bone marrow transplant team at St James’s Hospital.
Her lecture promises to provide practical insights from a frontline clinical perspective.
The next lecture will feature Dr Maeve O’Reilly, Honorary Lecturer, University College London. Her presentation will address CAR T-cell therapy and lymphoma, an area where clinical trials and real-world data continue to evolve rapidly.
Following the HAI Annual General Meeting and lunch, Dr Catherine Cargo, Consultant Haematologist, Leeds University Hospital, UK, will speak about myelodysplastic syndromes. This state-of-the-art lecture is expected to highlight recent diagnostic criteria and their implications for patient care.
Next on the agenda is another state-of-the-art lecture and then the President’s Symposium.
Liam O’Connell Lecture
The first day will close with the Liam O’Connell Lecture, one of the traditional highlights of the HAI meeting.
The first day will close with the Liam O’Connell Lecture, one of the highlights of the HAI meeting
This year’s lecture will be given by Dr Mohandas Narla, Head, Laboratory of Red Cell Physiology, New York Blood Centre, US.
Dr Narla will speak about red cell disorders, drawing from decades of laboratory and translational research.
Dr Mohandas Narla
His work has advanced understanding of the molecular and structural basis of red cell membrane disorders, as well as the mechanisms underlying thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia. He has characterised how Plasmodium falciparum infection alters red cell structure and function. Dr Narla’s research has also focused on the molecular regulation of erythropoiesis, with particular attention to disordered red cell production in conditions such as Diamond-Blackfan anaemia and myelodysplasia.
Following the lecture, there will be an official poster viewing and adjudication, providing younger researchers and trainees a platform to share their work in an interactive format.
Day two
The second day again begins with oral abstract presentations. These sessions are often the most diverse part of the meeting, reflecting the breadth of clinical and scientific activity across Ireland.
The opening state-of-the-art lecture of the day will be delivered by Dr Mary Gleeson, Consultant Haematologist, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Her topic is T-cell lymphoma, with a focus on current treatment challenges and research directions. Dr Gleeson has a special interest in lymphoma, clinical research, and lymph node diagnostics.
Following specialist training in haematology, she completed a clinical research Fellowship at the Royal Marsden, where she worked on UK National Cancer Research Institute clinical trials in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and earned a Doctorate in Medical Research from the University of London.
Dr Gleeson is a member of the RCPI, the Royal College of Pathologists (UK), and the European Haematology Association. She is Research and Development Lead for Haematology at Guy’s Hospital, Principal Investigator for lymphoma clinical trials, and also leads early-phase trials at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in London.
After the mid-morning break, the programme turns to clinical vignette presentations, a format that allows trainees to present instructive or unusual cases. This session continues to be a valued educational part of the HAI Annual Meeting.
The final state-of-the-art lecture of the conference will be given by Dr Michael Desborough, Consultant Haematologist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. He will discuss foetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopaenia (FNAIT).
Dr Michael Desborough
Dr Desborough leads a research programme focused on developing and trialling new treatments for platelet disorders, with a particular emphasis on identifying alternatives to platelet transfusion.
His work spans several key areas, including clinical trials to reverse antiplatelet drugs in intracerebral haemorrhage, optimising the management of FNAIT, and advancing therapies in transfusion medicine and immunohaematology. This includes conditions such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, immune thrombocytopenia, warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, and cold agglutinin disease.
Through these projects, Dr Desborough is building the evidence-base to refine platelet transfusion practice and support the development of effective alternatives.
The formal programme concludes with the awarding of educational prizes, recognising excellence in both abstract presentations and posters.
After lunch, there will be a dedicated educational session for specialist registrars, registrars, and trainees in haematology, reinforcing the HAI’s commitment to professional development and mentoring.
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