As we close this year, I invite you to reconnect colleagues with ASPHO and encourage them to renew their membership. Only together can we advance our mission. And to our volunteers—the time and expertise you generously give to ASPHO through your service is inspiring and deeply appreciated. We are fortunate to have members from across the country and from international sites who proudly represent a diverse and inclusive community dedicated to serving children and families while advancing our collective educational and scientific goals.

There are many meaningful ways to become involved if you are not already: consider joining one of our Special Interest Groups (SIGs), participating as a mentor or mentee through the Mentoring Program, applying for the AAP/ASPHO Joint PHO Policy Review Working Groups, or contributing an article for our bi-monthly eNewsletter.

We have heard your feedback and are actively incorporating your input to elevate ASPHO’s educational initiatives. Many of you have already participated in focus groups as part of our ongoing strategic assessment. We look forward to sharing more about what is ahead for ASPHO in 2026, so please stay tuned for updates.

The 2026 ASPHO Conference will be held in Minneapolis April 29 through May 2. Please, save the dates! We encourage you, your colleagues, and your trainees to submit an abstract.

Finally, I am both humbled and inspired by the resilience, compassion, and leadership demonstrated by our members. Thank you for the work you do every day as clinicians, scientists, educators, and advocates for children with hematologic and oncologic disorders. I look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026 as we strive for innovative therapies, equitable access to care, and excellence in service to our patients and their families.

Wishing you a happy holiday season and a great and very happy New Year!

To be considered for work group placement, volunteers must be both AAP-SOHO and ASPHO members and be board certified or board eligible in PHO. To broaden volunteer opportunities, participants will typically serve on only one work group. The term of service is one 3-year term with the option for an additional term(s).
There are currently eleven work groups, and we are particularly looking for individuals to serve on the groups noted with an asterisk (*) below:

• Coagulation disorders*
• Hemoglobinopathies*
• Non-malignant hematology*
• Leukemia/lymphomas/lymphoproliferative disorders
• Solid tumors
• Stem cell transplantation and gene therapy*
• Transfusion medicine
• Neuro-oncology*
• Oncology supportive care*
• Healthcare delivery and health policy*
• Survivorship and late effects*

Individuals interested in being considered to serve on one of the joint AAP-SOHO/ASPHO work groups should access the application here. The deadline to submit is Friday, December 12, by 3:00pm CT. Applicants will receive notification regarding the outcome of their application by early 2026.

Responsibilities and requirements of work group volunteers:

• Review draft policies by the assigned deadline (typically 2–4 weeks; expedited reviews possible).
• Provide feedback based on PHO policy and clinical guidelines, with references where possible.
• Represent the PHO community in the review process.

Distinguished Career Award

Peter E. Newburger, MD, UMass Chan Medical School

From their nominators: Peter is exceedingly bright, dedicated, highly effective, and unassuming. Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Defense for 45 years—an extraordinary record—his scientific contributions in the field of neutrophil biology and rare neutrophil disorders have changed our approach to understanding and treating neutrophil disorders. His contributions of volunteerism and advocacy through professional service efforts have impacted patients internationally. As editor-in-chief of Pediatric Blood and Cancer, his leadership has raised the journal’s level of scholarship and magnified a niche for pediatric hematology and oncology.

George R. Buchanan Lectureship Award

Kim E. Nichols, MD, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

From their nominators: A pioneering clinical scientist, mentor, and leader. Her work in cancer predisposition has redefined how we diagnose and care for children with hereditary risk for cancer. The Nichols Lab aims to better understand how germline genetic variants can lead to cancer and particular hyperinflammatory disorders. She invests deeply in the development of young physician scientists. A gifted educator, she has the ability to distill complex genomic science into clinically actionable insights.

Frank A. Oski Memorial Lectureship

Vijay G. Sankaran, MD PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School

From their nominators: Dr. Sankaran has the potential to be a world leader in pediatric hematology and oncology genetics. His initial PhD work convinced him that human genetic variation could illuminate both fundamental aspects of hematopoiesis and enable new therapies. This insight has guided everything his laboratory has pursued since. Frank’s [Oski] spirit exists in Vijay. The work of the Sankaran lab has resulted in a number of therapies for blood diseases, including work that led to the development of exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy) for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.

Both Vijay Sankaran and Kim Nichols will provide lectures associated with their awards during the 2026 ASPHO Conference, while Peter Newburger’s award will be presented and a reception will be held in their honor.

Northwestern Mutual Award for Excellence in Childhood Cancer Survivorship

Karen E. Effinger, MD MS, Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

From their letters of support: Drawn to the field of cancer survivorship, she has dedicated her career to helping patients not only survive but thrive in the years following treatment. Her application of technology-based solutions to address a major challenge in survivorship clinical care—extracting treatment data to generate the survivorship care plan and enabling survivors to share these plans with their providers—is transformative. She is an enthusiastic researcher who is mentoring and educating the next generation of pediatric oncologists interested in survivorship.

For more information about ASPHO’s awards, please visit http://aspho.org/career-development/awards/overview.

End Cancer Drug Shortages Coalition—Drug Shortage Consensus Statement

ASPHO is a member of the End Cancer Drug Shortage Coalition, comprising 21 professional societies and patient advocacy organizations including the American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA). The Society participated in the development of the coalition’s Drug Shortage Consensus Statement, which urges Congress and the administration to find solutions to the continued drug shortage issue. The statement outlines the key drivers of these ongoing cancer drug shortages, including limited supply chain transparency, insufficient manufacturing incentives, and instability in the generic drug market. The Practice Committee completed two reviews of the statement, adding pediatric-specific language and providing feedback on specific sections of the statement. The ASPHO’s board reviewed the final draft of the consensus statement and approved the organization’s support of the document.

Support for ASH’s Letter to AAHRPP on Inclusive Clinical Trials

ASPHO was invited by ASH to support a letter to the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). The letter urges AAHRPP to amend its accreditation guidelines and Institutional Review Board (IRB) resources to better promote fair representation in the selection of research participants—reinforcing the justice principle outlined in the Belmont Report. It also calls for AAHRPP to provide a framework to address whether and when payment constitutes coercion or undue influence. The Practice Committee and leadership from the Physician Scientist Special Interest Group (SIG) reviewed the letter and recommended ASPHO sign on; however, they did note some concerns that new or additional regulations/requirements for IRBs may hinder vulnerable patient populations from being included in studies. After considering this recommendation, ASPHO’s board subsequently approved signing the final letter while sharing these concern with ASH.

In its continuing commitment to diversity and selecting leaders with the appropriate skills and competencies to ensure an effective and high-performing board, candidate criteria include identified characteristics and competencies.
The following are open positions for the 2026–2027 slate:

• Vice president (position will succeed to president and past president)
• Secretary-treasurer
• Trustee-at-large member

Regular and international members in good standing who have demonstrated achievement in desired competencies are encouraged to apply. Learn more about the related competencies, characteristics, and responsibilities on the Leadership Development & Election webpage.

The committee application process is open year-round, with application review occurring in the winter months and formal appointments completed in early spring.

Appointees will officially begin their committee terms immediately following the 2026 ASPHO Conference. When determining committee placement, we focus on maintaining diverse geographic, demographic, and specialty representation on our committees to reflect the diversity of our membership. Opportunities for the 2026-2027 term include a new volunteer role of social media ambassadors as part of the Member Engagement Committee.

To learn about the different ASPHO committees and complete an application for consideration, please access our volunteer opportunities page. The deadline to be considered for 2026 committee appointment is January 23, 2026.

Earlier this year, the Advocacy Committee sent a letter to Congress urging full funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The letter outlined the agency’s importance to vital research in the development of cures and treatments that benefit pediatric hematology/oncology patients, such as cures for pediatric leukemia, increased lifespan of patients with sickle cell disease, and revolutionary treatments in bone marrow transplant.

ASPHO is a member of the Alliance for Childhood Cancer (Alliance), and two Advocacy Committee members—Zachary Prudowsky, MD, and Louis Rapkin, MD—serve as ASPHO liaisons to the Alliance. ASPHO has worked with the Alliance to advocate for strong federal funding for pediatric cancer research and funding for the NIH and the National Cancer Institute and in requesting full funding for several pediatric cancer research programs, including the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act and the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI). We also worked in partnership with the Alliance on efforts to protect the Medicaid program.

We are a member of the Sickle Cell Disease Coalition (SCDC), with our liaison, Titilope Fasipe, MD PhD, serving as an active participant in ongoing meetings and subgroups. We joined the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in seeking the reinstatement of the Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics (DBDPHG) after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the entire DBDPHG on administrative leave. We worked with multiple groups, such as Sick Cells and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), in asking Congress to protect the Medicaid program and the Sickle Cell Disease Partnership (SCDP) in reaching out to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to protect SCD patients on Medicaid from the work requirements in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

As the policy environment continues to evolve, ASPHO’s Advocacy Committee will continue its important work in standing up for our members and the patients they serve. Please visit our Health Policy & Advocacy web page for continued updates.

The ASPHO Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) SIG was founded in 2018 with a mission to improve the care of adolescents and young adults with cancer and blood disorders by increasing education, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the past year, AYA SIG members were able to attend multiple AYA-focused sessions at the 2025 ASPHO Conference in addition to gathering at the AYA SIG meeting to plan the next steps for our SIG. We currently have over 500 members in our online community.

We continue to pursue multiple avenues of growth and collaboration. Since the 2025 conference, under the leadership of Dr. Peter Shaw and Dr. Pinki Prasad, we have polled SIG members to rank the top 13 AYA-specific topics to discuss at bimonthly open forums, and we reviewed them with the group during our July meeting. We held the first open forum in September, where the topic was “Transition of AYA Survivors to Adult Programs/Practitioners.” All participants presented what their respective centers had available, and the transcript is available to ASPHO AYA SIG members in the community library.

We will continue to review the most popular topics every 2–3 months in the same manner, while also helping plan ASPHO educational webinars focused on AYA-specific topics. We are also continuing to develop focus groups within AYA hematology (a discipline often overlooked when the term “AYA” is used) and AYA oncology to lead efforts in their respective specializations.

The AYA SIG will continue to focus on improving education and advocacy for AYAs with cancer and blood disorders in the coming year. We wish to thank all of our current members and look forward to having more join us in the years to come. We always welcome new ideas for improving the SIG.

Most pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) and bone marrow transplant clinicians have experienced firsthand the suffering that these diseases can cause for patients, families, and caregivers. Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is a medical subspecialty aimed at reducing suffering, which can stem from physical, emotional, social, psychological, or spiritual domains.

Pediatric hematologist/oncologists and PPC physicians have a natural partnership in caring for children with refractory symptoms, a need for home-based services, and those approaching end of life. With this constructive collaboration in mind, the Palliative Care (PC) SIG is open to all PHO providers who want to learn more about PPC for the patients and families in their care.

PC SIG’s mission is to accelerate the availability of high-quality PC services to PHO patients across the nation. Specific objectives for this mission include collaborating for PC program building; sharing resources regarding clinical pathways, policies, and procedures; educating faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students; and establishing research priorities and networks.

The PC SIG sent members a survey to determine educational priorities. SIG members are interested in learning about research or clinical training opportunities in PPC and about methods of integrating PPC into the care of their pediatric patients. Both educational topics will be addressed by national experts in two upcoming webinars currently being planned; additional information will be posted on our SIG Connect page when available.

The leadership of the PC SIG is also working to create a space for mentorship for students and junior faculty members with interest in practicing clinically or undertaking research programming at the intersection of the fields of PHO and PPC. Check out our Connect Library for a list of potential mentors who are dual trained in both specialties.

Any ASPHO member is eligible to join our SIG, and we welcome all clinicians and scientists who have an interest in providing high-quality symptom management, palliation, and/or end-of-life care for their patients.

Take the quiz.

Zhongbo Hu, MD PhD
Haley Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando Health
Florida State University College of Medicine, Orlando Regional Campus
Orlando, FL

2026 Award Opportunities

Young Investigator Award

The Young Investigator Award formally recognizes excellence in clinical and basic science research in pediatric hematology/oncology. These awards will be presented as oral paper presentations at the ASPHO Conference.

Advanced Practice Provider Travel Award

The Advanced Practice Provider Travel Award provides funding for a deserving APP to attend the ASPHO Conference, present their work, and learn about the many benefits of ASPHO programming and networking.

Early Career Travel Award

The Early Career Travel Award provides funding for deserving young investigators to attend the ASPHO Conference to present their work and be introduced to the many benefits of ASPHO's education and networking programs.

Through the generous support of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a $2,000 honorarium, conference registration, and travel support will be awarded to up to five individuals receiving the Early Career Travel Award; and up to $2,000 in travel support will be awarded to up to six individuals receiving the Travel Award. (EOS)

All awardees are expected to register and attend the conference in person.

*Fee: There will be a $30 USD (ASPHO Member) or a $45 USD (nonmember) nonrefundable fee per abstract to be paid by credit card through PayPal. The fee will be collected at the end of the submission process, before the abstract can be submitted. Payment must be made online within the system at the time of submission (payment will not be taken in any other form, such as by phone or check). Your submission will not be considered “complete” until the payment is processed and the proposal is submitted, so please take this step into consideration when you submit your proposal.