Greetings from the New AABB President

Greetings to my fellow AABB members around the world. It is an honor to begin my year of service as your Association president.

Our AABB community has been foundational throughout my career, and I have been a proud member since 2002. I was fortunate to receive a grant from the AABB Foundation in 2005, my first source of peer-reviewed, extramural research funding in the United States. This support had far-reaching benefits; it enabled me to launch the initial studies that shaped the direction and core principles of my research program.

Since then, I have remained deeply engaged in our Association, serving on multiple committees, the AABB Board of Directors and the AABB Foundation Board. I have also benefited greatly from the many opportunities AABB membership provides: attending the AABB Annual Meeting every year, participating in and organizing educational programs, earning the Certified Advanced Biotherapies Professional (CABP) credential, and building enriching collaborations with colleagues across the blood and biotherapies community. In a world full of options, AABB is my home! AABB is our home! It is truly humbling to now lead the organization that has meant a tremendous amount to me for so many years.

Thank You

As I begin my presidency, I must first express my gratitude to my predecessor: Dr. Meghan Delaney, who led our association as president for the past year with remarkable dedication and wisdom. Her leadership helped maintain the stability of our community during a period of considerable challenge; expanded our mission to reach more patients, donors and professionals worldwide; and ensured that AABB continued to support and advocate for its members.

I would also like to thank my colleagues on the AABB Board of Directors, whose thoughtful counsel will continue to guide me and AABB in the year ahead. A big thank you also to the many members of AABB committees and AABB staff who helped make the recent 2025 AABB Annual Meeting in San Diego a success. I found the meeting to be rich with information and a great opportunity to connect with countless colleagues in the field. I know many of my fellow AABB members felt the same way.

Finally, a big thanks to you, AABB members! You are AABB! Your daily contribution to our mission excites me and keeps me focused on what is relevant: our mission of saving lives.

Looking Ahead

As I look ahead to the coming year, my goal is to build on AABB’s success and strengthen our leadership role in the field, both nationally and globally. As the first AABB President who is a native Spanish speaker, I feel a special connection to our international members and am deeply committed to expanding AABB’s global engagement.

This expertise has been evident during recent visits to meetings of the Mexican Society of Transfusion Medicine and the Mexican Association of Clinical Pathology, and more recently during trips to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where AABB accreditation and standards continue to guide the development of robust quality systems in transfusion medicine and biotherapies. The 2025 AABB Highlights conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted in partnership with the Saudi Society of Transfusion Medicine and the Saudi Ministry of Health, truly reflected the warmth, support and shared commitment of Saudi political and medical leadership. Together, we stand united in our lifesaving mission to advance the science and quality of transfusion services.

I also recognize that I begin my term as president during a time of uncertainty. Across the United States and many other countries, professionals in our field are adapting to new regulatory landscapes and working with an evolving culture surrounding science and medicine. AABB is here to help. As president, I will work to ensure that our association identifies opportunities within these new frameworks, provides clarity and stability for our community, and steps into leadership roles along political and regulatory authorities when the field needs us most.

Open to Feedback

Finally, I want to emphasize that AABB is a membership organization. I will welcome your feedback throughout my term as president. Feel free to reach out with any ideas or perspectives on how AABB can best meet the needs of the field. I guarantee you that I will read and consider all your comments, and I will do my best to act on them whenever feasible.

Jose Cancelas, MD, PhD, CABP
AABB President