Dorine Swinkels is a professor in Experimental Clinical Chemistry at the Iron Expertise Centers of the Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, and Sanquin Blood Bank, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She is trained as a medical doctor and a (bio)chemist and she specialized in Laboratory Medicine. Her research aims at a better understanding of iron metabolism, in particular the identification and characterization of novel factors that affect dysregulation and toxicity in disorders of iron homeostasis. Her specific expertise comprises the translation of novel findings into diagnostic assays, therapeutic strategies and clinical guidelines that can be implemented in the clinic. She participates in several national and international academic societies and committees in the field of hematology and biomedical iron research and development. In addition to these contributions to scientific research and its administration, she shows particular interest to transfer her knowledge of conventional and novel diagnostic tools for iron disorders to the scientific, clinical and pharmaceutical communities. She also has an engagement for teaching diagnostic medicine and translational research to students in medicine and biomedical sciences.

Dr. Narla's scientific interests have long focused on red cell physiology and pathology. In particular, his efforts have contributed to improved understanding of the molecular and structural basis for red cell membrane disorders, developing detailed mechanistic insights into pathophysiology of thalassemia’s and sickle cell anemia, characterizing structural and functional changes induced in red cells by the malarial parasite, plasmodium falciparum and more recently molecular understanding of erythropoiesis with particular emphasis on disordered erythropoiesis in Diamond-Blackfan Anemia and Myelodysplasia. He has authored 340 peer-reviewed publications and 100 review articles and book chapters.

Hasna is an advanced Paediatric Haematology trainee who is completing her RACP/RCPA fellowship through the Royal Childrens Hospital Melbourne. She has recently returned from a Paediatric Haematology fellowship in London and has a special interest in red cell disorders.