HSANZ Free Communications 5: Stem cell transplantation
Tracks
HSANZ
| Monday, October 19, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM |
| 515 |
Speaker
Mrs Loretta Huckstepp
Senior Scientist, Bmt
Canberra Hospital
Autologous stem cell harvests are compromised by high platelet load
2:00 PM - 2:15 PMBiography
Loretta is Senior Scientist in the Bone Marrow Transplant Laboratory at Canberra Hospital. She has over two decades of experience spanning laboratory, regulatory and quality roles, and is a council member of the BMT Scientists Association of Australasia. As a laboratory scientist she remains passionate about quality systems and improvements.
Dr Sarah Abdelhafeez
Registrar
Health New Zealand
Post-allogenic stem cell transplant outcomes in myelofibrosis in a New Zealand cohort
2:15 PM - 2:30 PMBiography
Dr Sarah Abdelhafeez is a haematology registrar at Auckland City Hospital. She completed her medical training in Ireland and holds a Master of Medicine in Molecular Medicine. Her interests include clinical haematology, transplantation, and outcomes research, with a focus on improving patient care through evidence-based practice and collaborative clinical research.
Dr Marzia Rahman
BMT / Haematology Fellow
The Alfred Hospital
Renal function at the time of stem cell infusion predicts cyclosporine associated acute kidney injury in alloHSCT recipients receiving PTCy–CsA based GVHD prophylaxis
2:30 PM - 2:45 PMBiography
Dr. Marzia Rahman is a BMT Fellow at Alfred Health, Melbourne, with interest in transplantation, CAR-T cell therapy, and early-phase clinical trials.
Dr Safia Belbachir
Fellow
Fiona Stanley Hospital
HLA evolutionary divergence (HED) in Allogeneic stem cell transplantation: A time-varying bidirectional effect on relapse, chronic GvHD, and survival
2:45 PM - 3:00 PMBiography
Dr Safia BELBACHIR is an Adult Haematology Fellow at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Australia, specialising in allogeneic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies. She completed haematology training in Algeria and France. Her research focus is CAR-T cell therapy and allogeneic transplantation. She is supported by an HSANZ/ALLG Clinical Trials Fellowship.
Assoc Prof Andrea Henden
Haematologist
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Faecal microbial transplantation for graft-versus-host disease
3:00 PM - 3:15 PMBiography
A/Prof Andrea Henden is a clinician-scientist with appointments as a senior staff specialist at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and as a senior research officer at QIMR Berghofer. A/Prof Henden's translational research program seeks to address complications of transplantation and cellular therapy.
Ms Amanda Tey
Haematology Pharmacist
Monash Health
Plerixafor administration within three hours prior to apheresis results in successful haematopoietic stem cell collection
3:15 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Amanda is a haematology pharmacist at Monash Health, Victoria, with experience in clinical practice and research. Her interests include healthcare quality improvement and supportive care. She is committed to improving patient outcomes through collaborative research, innovation, and practical application of findings within healthcare and academic settings.
Clinton Lewis
Consultant Haematologist
Auckland City Hospital
Chairperson
Biography
Clinton is an allogeneic stem cell transplant physician and haematologist at Auckland City Hospital. After completing his medical and haematology training in Canada he was BMT fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston prior to taking a consultant role in Auckland. He has an interest in transplant for MF, GVHD prevention, and health system improvement.
Dr Shu Min Wong
Consultant Haematologist
The Alfred Hospital
Chairperson
Biography
Shu Min is an allogeneic stem cell transplant and CART haematologist at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. After completing her training in Melbourne she undertook a BMT and CART fellowship at University College London Hospital and Kings College prior to her consultant role in Melbourne.
