March 2025

ASHI Quarterly Preview

Issue 1 is coming to your inbox soon! Check out this exclusive interview by incoming ASHI President, Dr. Anne Halpin, covering what to expect with Drs Chang Liu and Lori West.

Watch it here.

New requirements for reporting HLA critical discrepancies

Starting March 5, histocompatibility labs must report specific HLA discrepancies and crossmatching events to the OPTN within 72 hours of discovery via the OPTN Patient Safety Reporting Portal (UNetSM). Required reporting includes HLA critical discrepancies, incorrect samples for physical crossmatches, and incorrect HLA antibody tests for virtual crossmatches. Educational resources on reporting requirements are available in UNOS Connect under “Reporting HLA Critical Discrepancies” and “Reporting Safety Events.”

Click here to learn more.

Career Pathways Study Published

Most laboratory professionals find their work energizing, intellectually stimulating, and rewarding. Despite this level of personal fulfillment, educating potential recruits about medical laboratory professions can be challenging. To find out more about the various ways people enter the field of laboratory medicine and climb through the ranks, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies (UW CHWS) collaborated with the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) on a ground-breaking survey of laboratory professionals. To read more, click here. 

OPTN Board of Directors Special Election Update

A recording of the February 28th webinar can be found here.

Call for ASHI Award Nominations

Each year the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics sponsors awards to recognize scientific accomplishments and contributions to the fields of histocompatibility and immunogenetics as well as service to the society. ASHI is currently accepting nominations for the following awards:

• J. Marilyn MacQueen Rising Star Award
• Distinguished Service Award
• Bernard Amos Distinguished Scientist Award
• Rose Payne Award
• Outstanding Technologist Award

Send nominations and supporting information to Jeana Hoffman. The nomination deadline for all ASHI awards is May 19, 2025. To view former award winners, please click here.

More information to come about three special scientific awards:

• Early Career Investigator Award
• Innovation Scholarship Awards
• Michael Schmiederer Research Science Award

Connecting Talent with Opportunity

The ASHI Career Center is the go-to resource for professionals in histocompatibility and immunogenetics looking to advance their careers or find top talent. Job seekers can explore the latest job postings, receive free resume reviews and career coaching, and gain insights into salaries and job trends.

Employers can also advertise job openings on the Coffee & Compatibility podcast, reaching a specialized audience of HLA professionals. Start your career journey today at

ashi-jobs.careerwebsite.com or email info@ashi-hla.org with "Careers in HLA" for details.

Unlock Unlimited Access to ASHI University with an ASHI Membership!

As of January 1, 2025, ASHI University (ASHI U) modules are now $45 each. However, ASHI members enjoy unlimited access to all modules - at no additional cost!

For those regularly using ASHI U, an ASHI membership quickly pays for itself. Plus, members unlock exclusive benefits and resources to enhance their learning.

Why settle for just one module at $45 when an ASHI membership gives you access to everything? Join ASHI today and maximize your educational opportunities!

See if you are eligible for one of our ASHI discount programs.

Send questions to

info@ashi-hla.org.

The presentation by Nicholas Brown, PhD, F(ACHI) will cover the importance of library preparation in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, and how hybrid capture-based library preparation fits in. The audience will understand how PCR is used in NGS assays, and how its limitations affect HLA genotyping assays.

Click here to register!

In the latest Coffee & Compatibility episode "What Should We Be Doing Better?", two-time transplant recipient and patient advocate Valen Keefer shares her healthcare journey and insights for improvement. The episode, was released February 24, 2025, and includes a special 10-minute AFDT segment with Dr. Mike Gautreaux exploring practical healthcare solutions.

Listeners can find the episode on all major podcast platforms and watch on YouTube. Subscribe to Coffee & Compatibility's channel for more healthcare discussions.

2025 EMO-1 Survey Shipment – March 5th

The first ASHI PT shipment of 2025 - the EMO-1 survey - will ship according to the new Wednesday shipping schedule. EMO-1 is scheduled to ship on Wednesday, March 5th.

2024 AC-2 Report

The AC-2 Summary Report was released at the end of February and is available on the PT page of ASHI’s website: https://www.ashi-hla.org/page/PT. AC-2 Performance reports are available in the PT Data Center.

2024 VXM-2 Analysis

The data for the second virtual crossmatch (VXM-2) of 2024 was submitted by participants in February and is currently being analyzed. Laboratories will be notified once the VXM-2 report is available.

The Science and Technology Initiatives Committee (STIC) is pleased to continue highlighting a key initiative aimed at promoting relevant external research funding opportunities within the ASHI community. We hope to spark the translation of your scientific ideas into productive, funded research projects that advance knowledge in immunogenetics, histocompatibility, and transplantation biology. Requests for applications (RFAs) will be highlighted routinely as new opportunities are announced. Highlighted grants will span all eligible career levels, as well as basic, translational, and clinical science.

Click here to view the opportunities!

Send a picture or two of the view from your laboratory and ASHI Quarterly readers will join the mystery challenge for a chance to win ASHI swag. Send pictures to info@ashi-hla.org.

Are you a Senior Technologist, Supervisor, or Manager who is looking to share knowledge, experience, and advice with those seeking mentorship? Consider signing up to be a mentor! Mentors must have at least 3 years of HLA experience and be a current member of ASHI.

Learn More

ASHI Volunteer Spotlight

"Volunteering for ASHI provided me with invaluable experiences and the opportunity to collaborate with peers."

Check out our featured volunteer spotlight, Dr. Prabhakar Putheti! Read More

ASHI Member Spotlight

"It was so very exciting to be introduced to ASHI...early on in my HLA career"

Check out our featured member spotlight, Christle Moore!

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.

A tribute to Professor Claas, former Associate Editor of Human Immunology, was recently published, honoring his contributions as an accomplished scientist, and cherished friend of ASHI. Written by his colleagues and friends, Dave L. Roelen and Sebastiaan Heidt, the tribute reflects on his lasting impact and the legacy he leaves behind.

Read the full tribute here.