A Time of Reflection

Soon, many members of our community will convene in San Diego for the 2025 AABB Annual Meeting. It’s always a pleasure to attend our field’s premier event. I look forward to reconnecting with old friends, making new connections and engaging in thoughtful discussions. I am confident that our time in San Diego will be meaningful, informative, rewarding and memorable.

As I reflect on my year as AABB president, I am proud of what we have accomplished together and of our shared dedication of advancing the field. This year, we launched two new standards programs: Cell and Gene Therapy Standards for Pharmacy, and Standards for Emergency Prehospital and Scheduled Out-of-Hospital Transfusions. We also continued our international work to advance blood safety worldwide.

In addition, we were thrilled to welcome members from the Cord Blood Association to join our AABB community. We also strengthened our advocacy efforts by championing policies that reduce barriers to blood donation, promote the advancement of safe and effective biotherapies and improve coverage and reimbursement policies across the field. Earlier this year, we hosted a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. to educate policymakers on the importance of the blood supply and spotlight critical issues and opportunities in blood banking, transfusion medicine and biotherapies.

Our field continues to work tirelessly to drive meaningful change and address pressing issues. This commitment will remain a priority for years to come, and AABB is dedicated to continuing its advocacy on behalf of our members.

Thank You

At the close of the 2025 AABB Annual Meeting in San Diego, I will hand the president’s gavel to my successor, Jose Cancelas, MD, PhD, CABP. Dr. Cancelas is a hematologist with a broad background in transfusion medicine, biotherapies, hematology and stem cell biology. He currently serves as the executive director of the Connell and O’Reilly Cell Manipulations Core Facility at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. I am confident the Association will be in excellent hands under Dr. Cancelas’s leadership, and I look forward to supporting him in my new role as past president. I wish him all the best as he begins his term.

As I end my term, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my fellow Board members, my colleagues at Children’s National Hospital, AABB staff and, most importantly, you, my fellow AABB members. I could not have done this important work without your support.

I want to end my final president’s column with a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt that speaks to the heart of our community amid uncertainty:

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

This year has tested and challenged many of us in unprecedented ways, from strained budgets and staff shortages to new regulatory landscapes and policies that have affected us both personally and professionally. Yet through it all, I’ve witnessed our community’s resilience and unwavering commitment to this profession and to AABB’s global mission. These turbulent times have not overpowered us. They have strengthened and unified our community.

I am excited about the future of blood and biotherapies. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your association president this past year. And I look forward to continuing to be a part of this amazing community of colleagues as I continue my journey.

Meghan Delaney, DO, MPH
AABB President