The 2026 AABB Annual Meeting's General Session will feature keynote speaker Frederick Appelbaum, MD, a leader in blood and biotherapies whose work has helped shape the field of bone marrow transplantation. His research advanced the use of transplantation as a treatment for blood cancers and other hematologic diseases and contributed to several landmark advancements in patient care.
In his keynote address, Appelbaum will trace the evolution of bone marrow transplantation from its earliest days to the emerging field of in vivo gene therapy. He will discuss the critical role the blood banking and transfusion medicine community has played in advancing transplantation and highlight the longstanding relationship between bone marrow transplantation and transfusion medicine, including AABB's early role as a model for regulation and self-governance within the field.
Join fellow attendees for an energetic and insightful afternoon on the first day of the 2026 AABB Annual Meeting. In addition to Whitehead's keynote speech, the AABB Annual Meeting's General Session will feature remarks from AABB leadership - including the presentation of the President's Awards by AABB President Jose Cancelas, MD, PhD, CABP - and an update on recent advancements and future directions in the field with AABB CEO Debra BenAvram, FASAE, CAE. This session will lead into the Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall.
"I attend the AABB Annual Meeting every year for the fresh perspectives offered by the speakers and my colleagues. I always return home with a wealth of knowledge to help push my practice forward. The number of times I've said, 'Huh, I never thought about it that way' after talking with other attendees would be impossible to count. My bench of content experts who I can count on in a pinch continues to grow after each AABB Annual Meeting."
- Zach Thompson, MD, FCAP, CABP
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