Francisco Cervantes, MD, PhD

Hematology Department

Hospital Clínic

University of Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Dr Francisco Cervantes is senior consultant at the Hematology Department of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and professor at the University of Barcelona. His scientific interest has been focused on the study of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), mainly their natural history, prognosis, biology, and treatment. As a result of the activity in this field, he has published over 300 articles in peer-review journals. He was coauthor of the publications of the IRIS study that allowed the approval of imatinib as frontline treatment of CML, participated in the introduction of the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and is a member of the expert panels of the European LeukemiaNet for CML and MPN treatment. In the MPN field, he was the leading author of the prognostic classification of primary myelofibrosis or IPSS. Dr Cervantes is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the European Hematology Association, the International Working Group for MPN Research and Treatment, the European LeukemiaNet, and the PETHEMA Spanish Collaborative Group.

Andrzej Hellmann MD, PhD
Head of the Department of Hematology

University of Gdańsk, Poland

Andrzej Hellmann is Professor of Medicine and head of the Department of Hematology of Medical University of Gdańsk since 1991. He received his medical degree in 1971 and PhD in 1976 from Medical University of Gdańsk.
Dr Hellmann completed a postdoctoral fellowship in leukemia biology at the Hammersmith Hospital in London in 1978 – 80. He is a specialist in internal medicine, hematology and clinical transplantology.  From 1982 to 1990 he was associate professor at Department of Medicine. In 1991 he organized and was appointed head of the new established Department of Hematology with BMT Unit at University of Gdańsk. Prof. Hellmann is author and co- author of more than 300 peer–reviewed articles in medical journals including NEJM and Blood. During a period 2005 – 2008 Prof. Hellmann was acting as a vice – rector of Medical University of Gdańsk. From   2003 till 2011Prof. Hellmann was the president of the Polish Society of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine. He is also the chairman of CML Study Group within the Polish Adult Leukemia Group. He is also the member of European Leukemia Network, American Society of Hematology, European Hematology Association, European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and International Society of Hematology. His special practical and research interest is still focused on myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Professor Nicolas Novitzky, FCP(SA), PhD

Department of Haematology

University of Cape Town, South Africa

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Diploma in Medicine, La Plata University, Buenos Aires, Argentina (December 1974).
• Residency in Internal Medicine (3 year course).  Teodoro Alvarez Teaching Hospital belonging to the University of Buenos Aires (May 1975 – April 1978).
• Postgraduate Fellowship in Clinical Haematology, Haematology Section, Hospital Clinico, Catholic University, Santiago, Chile (August 1978 – November 1978).
• Postgraduate Fellowship in Clinical and Laboratory Haematology, Groote Schuur Hospital/University of Cape Town, South Africa (January 1979 – January 1982).
• Registrar in Internal Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital/University of Cape Town, South Africa (February 1982 – July 1983).
• Fellow of the College of Physicians of South Africa FCP(SA) (College of Medicine) – May 1984.
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Certificate (ECFMG).  Visa Qualifying Examination (VQE), United States of America – January 1989.
• Certification (Sub-specialty) in Clinical Haematology (College of Medicine) – 1998.
• Specialist in Internal Medicine (Master in Medicine – MMed) - May 1993.
• Philosophy Doctor in Medicine (PhD), University of Cape Town, South Africa - June 1994.

RESEARCH OUTPUTS:

Professor Novitzky has contributed to chapters in books and 89 research publications in local and international peer-reviewed and educational journals.  He has been a Principle Investigator for over 25 clinical trials relating to Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia (CML), Multiple Myeloma (MM), Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, etc.

His main areas of interest include haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, immune reconstitution following immune depleting therapies, stem cell biology and clonal malignant disorders.

Professor Peter Valent, MD

Senior Researcher and Senior Clinician 
Medical University of Vienna, Austria 

Professor Dr. Peter Valent is M.D. and a Senior Researcher as well as Senior Clinician at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. He is the Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Cluster Oncology (LB-CO) and leads a Special Research Program on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in his University. He also coordinates a Clinical Study Group working in the field of myeloid neoplasms (focusing on CML, MDS, AML and mastocytosis) and is head of the Outpatient Clinics and Hematology Ambulatory in his institution. Professor Valent also participates in several other Research Programs in Vienna, including one dedicated to Cardiovascular Biology (10 years) and one dedicated to Allergic Diseases (20 years). Professor Valent is coordinator of the Vienna Cancer Stem Cell Club (VCSCC), coordinator of an International Working Group on Eosinophil Disorders (ICOG-EO), and coordinator of the European Competence Network on Mastocytosis (ECNM). He also coordinates the CML-Platform and MDS-Platform of the Austrian Society for Hematology and Oncology (ÖGHO), runs a Center of Excellence of the MDS Foundation, a Center of Excellence and Reference Center of the ECNM, and a Reference Center in CML. During the past 15 years, Professor Valent has organized a number of scientific meetings in Vienna, including several Consensus Conferences on Diagnostic Criteria and Diagnostic Standards. A special focus in his research are neoplastic stem cells; the identification of novel markers and targets in myeloid neoplasms; the development of disease-related criteria and targeted drug therapies in myeloid neoplasms; and the evaluation of target interaction profiles and side effects of novel drugs. Professor Valent is member in diverse Medical Societies, including the American Society of Hematology (ASH), and serves on various editorial boards and as a reviewer in most top hematology journals. He published more than 500 peer-reviewed articles and numerous review articles in his areas of expertise, lectured widely in Europe, North America, and Japan, and received numerous scientific awards. His h index arrived at 74, first-author h index at 32, and total citations at >21,000.