August 2024

2025 ASHI Membership Renewal

ASHI memberships run on a calendar year, so they expire on December 31, 2024. Renewal for 2025 opens on September 1. On that day, you will be asked to log-in to the ASHI website and click the link to securely renew your membership. You'll first be asked to update your profile information, then submit payment via credit card or by printing an invoice to mail us a check. Click here for a short tutorial on renewing your membership.

The ASHI Quarterly is your gateway to ASHI activities, delivering clinically-relevant scientific articles straight to your inbox. With your ASHI membership, you'll receive the ASHI Quarterly which contains updates on the ASHI's programs and services as well as articles packed with the latest science. With a keen eye on innovation, we bring you new product updates and thoughtfully curated literature reviews, making the ASHI Quarterly your go-to source for staying connected and informed. Click here for a sneak peek at the Q2 2024 issue. Not an ASHI member yet? Join us to receive the ASHI Quarterly and many more member benefits!

Members of the ASHI-University Committee created a course to meet the new CLIA Laboratory Director Training requirements. The first part is now available. Read about it here.

This year's theme is "Challenges and Opportunities in Asian Transplantation". The 54th Asian Transplantation Week (ATW) is currently accepting abstracts until August 25th on their website. To encourage and promote scientific activities, they are offering various awards and prizes including the Best Abstract Award, Vanguard Award, and Best Mini-oral Award. Additionally, a travel grant is available to support presenters from overseas attending ATW 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the secretariat at atweek@insession.co.kr or scientific@atweek.org.

Being a peer reviewer is a rewarding opportunity that will further your career and improve your research. Peer reviewers also play a critical role in advancing science! This webinar will cover:

1. Understand how manuscript submission and the review process works.

2. To learn about the editorial process.

3. To learn how to review a manuscript and submit your reviews.

Click here to register

Moderator

James M. Mathew

PhD, FAST

Speakers:

Danillo Augusto

PhD, MSc

Kelley M.K. Hitchman

MS, PhD, F(ACHI)

Consider becoming a peer reviewer for Human Immunology, ASHI's scientific journal.

Click here for more information.

Hosted by the Educational Initiatives Committee

Immunoassays play a crucial role in histocompatibility testing, and understanding these interferences is vital for achieving reliable results in assessing transplant compatibility.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and improve your testing practices! Join us for an insightful session where you will:

1. Recognize various modes of assay interference in HLA antibody testing by solid phase, and cell-based assays.
2. Propose practical approaches to reduce, or eliminate interference to avoid erroneous test results.

Click here to register

Presented by the Laboratory Professional Recruitment Initiative Taskforce

Hosted by the Technologists' Affairs Committee

The webinar will review the current initiatives of the Laboratory Professionals Recruitment Taskforce, highlighting our goals and strategies. It will also include a briefing on the taskforce's accomplishments and milestones. Additionally, there will be a presentation of the poster from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) meeting, detailing its content and reception.

Click here to register

A town hall meeting was held in July to discuss the CMS final rule and its implications on the ASHI community. Click here to access the recording. Scroll down to the bottom row, far right. Click here for the slide presentation.

Congratulations to the ASHI 2024 award winners who will be celebrated publicly during the 50th ASHI Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA! More winners will be announced closer to the Annual Meeting.

Available in V-neck (black only)

You asked, we listened! Annual Meeting shirts are back! Browse our latest collection of exclusive 50th Anniversary ASHI Store items.

The back the shirt includes the dates and locations of all ASHI Annual Meetings.

The ASHI Quality Assurance and Standards (QAS) Committee thanks everyone who participated in the Public Comment period for this year's revisions to the ASHI Standards. Please click here to review the committee's responses to public comments. If you have any questions, please email contact info@ashi-hla.org. 

ASHI is seeking a volunteer editor, experienced in scientific writing and instructional design, to oversee the quality and consistency of the ASHI-University educational platform long term. This position would ensure that the content of the platform remains relevant and comprehensive to support those seeking credentialing in the fields of histocompatibility and immunogenetics. The editor will work with the ASHI-U committee to identify authors and scientific reviewers and manage the production workflow for the release of updated and new modules. Click here to review the job description and to complete a volunteer application.

2024 AC-1 Report

The review process of the AC-1 report is nearing completion. Participating laboratories will be notified by email once the reports are finalized.

2024 ABO-1 Summary

A summary of the optional ABO molecular challenge was emailed to HT subscribers in July.

2024 Fall Shipment Schedule

EMO-2 shipment: September 10, 2024

HT-2 shipment: October 1, 2024

AC-2 shipment: October 29, 2024 (Tuesday following ASHI’s Annual Meeting)

If your lab has never ordered a survey from the ASHI PT Program, why not give us a try? Contact the ASHI PT Program Manager today at chartman@ashi-hla.org for more information as you consider your PT options for 2025.

Coffee & Compatibility

Molecular Testing in HLA and Beyond



Dr. Zahra Kashi and Russell Martin share how Kashi Laboratory developed their HLA molecular testing menu and how they expanded into non-HLA molecular diagnostics. Click here to listen and receive CECs.

Quality Indicators and How They Benefit the Lab

Click here to view the Accreditation Review Board's response.

ASHI Volunteer Spotlight

"Collaboration with colleagues, publications, developing policies, being in the "know" helps as a laboratory director."

Check out our featured volunteer spotlight, Dr. Philogene!

Read More

ASHI Member Spotlight

"I fell into the job by accident..."

Check out our featured member spotlight, Brittany Kelley!

Read More

Would you like to be featured as our next ASHI Member or Volunteer Spotlight? Click the links below to answer a few questions about your member/volunteer experience. For more information, or if you would like to nominate someone to be highlighted as our next spotlight, contact Cathy Landolt at clandolt@ashi-hla.org.