Scientific Symposium on Bone Marrow Failure and Myelodysplastic Syndromes: From Discovery to Future Strategies

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will host the Scientific Symposium on Bone Marrow Failure and Myelodysplastic Syndromes: From Discovery to Future Strategies on October 25–27, 2026, in partnership with the North American Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Consortium (NAPAAC). NAPAAC is a research consortium established in 2011 to advance research and therapies in pediatric bone marrow failure and myelodysplastic syndromes.

About the Symposium

Bone marrow failure (BMF) disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent over 20 disease entities with at least 150 causative genes. Despite rapid progress in genetic diagnostics, developing targeted therapies and deploying effective surveillance remain a critical challenge.

This symposium brings together >60 academic centers who are members of the NAPAAC consortium. In addition, global leaders in bone marrow failure from Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia will share discoveries and clinical insights on genetics, transplantation, gene therapy, predisposition syndromes, and emerging treatment strategies.

Program Highlights

Sunday, October 25 (from 3pm):

Opening session on international collaboration and patient advocacy.

Monday, October 26 (8am – 6pm) and Tuesday, October 27 (8am – 1pm):

Scientific sessions on hematopoiesis, genomics, disease mechanisms, and emerging therapies including novel transplant strategies and genome engineering. Poster session to showcase basic, translational and clinical research within NAPAAC.

Networking and Collaboration:

This interactive event provides opportunities to network with peers, engage in strategic discussions on emerging treatment approaches, and connect across the global community. Dedicated time will be offered for NAPAAC working groups to discuss progress and define future priorities.

Registration fees and deadlines:

Virtual participation options will be added in August.

1. To bring together expert physicians, scientists, and patient group advocates for a scientific conference that bridges innovation and strategy for BMF research and clinical care for the next decade in the United States. NAPAAC has pledged its support for this initiative, recognizing the critical need for enhanced collaboration and strategic planning. Historically, NAPAAC meetings occurred irregularly as brief sessions before ASPHO annual meetings, with limited scope and no dedicated time for strategic planning or extended collaboration. This symposium represents the first standalone, dedicated NAPAAC conference designed for collaboration and strategic planning.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 12.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Hotel Accommodations

The Peabody Memphis

149 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103

Group Rate: $199/night

Group Name: St. Jude NAPAAC Scientific Symposium

Reservations: 1-800-PEABODY

Reservation Deadline: October 2, 2026

Please reference the group name when booking to receive the discounted rate.

Booking link: https://reservations.peabodymemphis.com/95096?groupID=5315246

The faculty for this activity are listed below. Click to view the faculty member's financial disclosure information and bio. 

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Serine Avagyan, MD, PhD
Pediatric Hematology
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
San Francisco, CA

Daira Babushok, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Rafael Balceiro, MD
Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist
Barretos Children’s Cancer Hospital, Hospital de Amor
Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil

Dana Bellissimo, MD, PhD
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA

Alison Bertuch, MD
Chair of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center
Houston, TX

Nickhill H Bhakta, MD
Assistant Member
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Senthil Velan Bhoopalan, MBBS
Instructor
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Cordova, TN

Michelle Boals, NP
Nurse Practitioner
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Carmen Bonfim, MD, PhD
Senior Consultant
Hospital Pequeno Principe
Curitiba, Brazil

Derek Chan, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow
The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada

Karen M Chisholm, MD, PhD
Hematopathologist, Professor
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, WA

Seth Corey, MD, MPH
Physician-Scientist
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Agnieszka Czechowicz, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, CA

Jill de Jong, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Chicago Medicine and Comer Children’s Hospital
Chicago, IL

Craig Forester, MD, PhD
Boettcher Investigator/Associate Professor
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, CO

Lucy Fox, BCom/BSc, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DMedSci
Associate Professor
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne, Australia

Anita Frisanco Oliveira, MD
Pediatric Hematologist
Barretos Children´s Cancer Hospital
Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil

Biju George, MBBS, MD, DM
Director & Professor of Haematology
Christian Medical College Vellore
Vellore, India

Nick Gloude, MD, FAAP
Director, Bone Marrow Failure Program
Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego
San Diego, CA

Lucy Godley, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Northwestern Univerity
Chicago, IL

Nathan Gray, Physician Assistant
Physician Assistant
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Jane Hankins, MD
Member
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Eszter Hars, PhD
Founder and CEO, SDS Alliance
Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Alliance

Shaoyan Hu, MD, PhD
Professor & Director
Children’s Hospital of Soochow University
Suzhou, China

Gaurav Joshi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

Alyssa Kennedy, MD PHD
LLH Conference
St. Jude Children's research hospital
Memphis, TN

Jane Koo, MD
Physician / Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH

Sara Lewis, MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Riccardo Masetti, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Bologna / Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital
Bologna, Italy

Wojciech Mlynarski, MD, PhD
Professor & Head of Department
The Medical University of Lódz
Lódz, Poland

Hideki Muramatsu, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
Nagoya, Japan

Kasiani Myers, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, OH

Taizo Nakano, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine
Aurora, CO

Susana Navarro, PhD
Senior Researcher / Research Scientist
CIEMAT (Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research)
Madrid, Spain

Ellis J Neufeld, MD
EVP/Clinical Director
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Charlotte Niemyer, MD
Professor Emerita
Medical Center – University of Freiburg (University Medical Center Freiburg)
Freiburg, Germany

Bhavisha Patel, MD
Associate Research Physician
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Jessica Pollard, MD
Clinical Director
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center / Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Michael Pulsipher, MD
Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology
University of Utah / Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital
Salt Lake City, UT

Kristie Ramos, MD
Instructor of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH

Raul C Ribeiro, MD
Member
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Charles Roberts, MD
EVP/Cancer Center Director
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Sushree Sahoo, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cancer Research Center–D.C., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Washington, DC

Anjali Sharathkumar, MBBS, MD, MS
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine / University of Iowa Health Care
Iowa City, IA

Akshay Sharma, MBBS
Assistant Member
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis , TN

Akiko Shimamura, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics; Director, Bone Marrow Failure and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Program
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center/Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Cristian Sotomayer, MD
Physician, Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant and Oncology Unit
UC CHRISTUS Health Network (Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS)
Santiago, Chile

Brittany Stewart, CGC PhD
Hematology/Oncology Genetic Counselor
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Brigitte Strahm, MD
Deputy Head; Head of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation; Senior Physician
Medical Center – University of Freiburg
Freiburg, Germany

Shruthi Suryaprakash, MD
Clinical MD Fellow
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Jennie Vagher, MD
Senior Manager of Genetic Counseling Research and Adjunct Assistant Professor
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

Michael Vido, MD
Instructor of Pediatrics
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Adrianna Vlachos, MD
Chief of Hematology
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
St. Petersburg, FL

Yang Wan, MD, PhD
Associate Chief Physician
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College
Tianjin, China

Julia Warren, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology)
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA

Franziska Watcher, MD
Attending Physician
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Boston, MA

Mitchell J. Weiss, MD
Chair/Member
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
MEMPHIS, TN

Jonathan Yen, PhD
Associate Member, Director, Therapeutic Genome Engineering (TGEn)
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN

Helena Yu, MD
Attending Physician and Ning Zhao & Ge Li Endowed Chair
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY

Haijiao Zhang, MD
Assistant Professor
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicin
Portland, OR