Mumbai Concludes Landmark AATM Congress 2025, Driving Global Transfusion Innovation

MUMBAI: The XX Annual Congress of the Asian Association of Transfusion Medicine (AATM) 2025 and the 5th Joint Meeting of AATM-AABB successfully concluded in Mumbai, cementing the city's role as a vital center for global medical dialogue. Held under the theme "INNOVATE. INTEGRATE. IMPLEMENT", the event provided an invaluable opportunity to network and grow at an international level, welcoming over 600 delegates from more than 24 countries, who engaged with 150 faculty delivering high-level scientific lectures.

The congress, chaired by Dr. Gajendra Gupta with Dr. Nidhi Mehta as the Organizing Committee Chair, commenced with a distinguished Inaugural Ceremony on November 14, 2025. The event was honored by the presence of Chief Guest Dr. Santosh Indraksha, Deputy Drugs Controller (India) from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, and Guest of Honour Shri D. R. Gahane, the Drug Controller for the Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra.

The intellectual momentum began on November 13, 2025, with five focused pre-congress workshops providing practical expertise at renowned hospitals including Tata Memorial Hospital, P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Fortis Hospital (Mulund), Dr. LH Hiranandani Hospital, and Nanavati Max Hospital.

Over the two main days (November 14-15), the scientific program covered a comprehensive range of topics including global safety, emerging pathogens, plasma medicines, blood component therapy, donor management, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia prevention, ethics, education, and leadership in transfusion medicine.

The resounding success of the AATM Congress 2025 affirms Transfusion Medicine is rapidly emerging as a central and critical branch of modern medicine, positioned at the forefront of patient care with exciting breakthroughs in personalized blood product delivery, regenerative medicine, and leveraging informatics to ensure universal blood safety.

Congress Programme

20th AATM Congress & 5th AATM-AABB Joint Meeting

Start Time - End Time
Lecture
09:00 - 10:00
Plenary
Inauguration
10:00 - 10:30
Plenary Session
Emerging Pathogens and their impact on the blood supply: Lessons Learned
10:30 - 11:00
Plenary Session
Plasma Medicines: Step wise access to safe plasma protein initiative
11:00 - 11:40
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
11:40 - 12:00
Evidence Based Decision Making
Blood safety: National and International Scene
12:00 - 12:20
Evidence Based Decision Making
Platelets in Practice: Evidence, Protocols, and Pitfalls
12:20 - 12:40
Evidence Based Decision Making
Infusing Clarity: The Current Evidence on Granulocyte Transfusions
12:40 - 13:00
Evidence Based Decision Making
Debate: Less is More? Or More is Better? The Transfusion Threshold Debate
13:00 - 14:00
Break
Lunch break
14:00 - 14:20
Blood Component Therapy: The blood buffet: Separating the good stuff
Chill or Not to Chill? Innovations in Platelet Storage
14:20 - 14:40
Blood Component Therapy: The blood buffet: Separating the good stuff
Blood in, Blood Out: The Inventory Balancing Act
14:40 - 15:00
Blood Component Therapy: The blood buffet: Separating the good stuff
Beyond Basics: Next-Gen Blood Components in Practice
15:00 - 15:30
Blood Component Therapy: The blood buffet: Separating the good stuff
Panel Discussion: New Bags, New Benefits? The Future of Blood Containers
15:30 - 16:00
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
16:00 - 16:15
Donor Management: Keeping the lifeblood flowing
Comfort, Care & Convenience: The New Era of Blood Donation
16:15 - 16:30
Donor Management: Keeping the lifeblood flowing
From Scarcity to Security: The Path to Sustainable Donation
16:30 - 16:45
Donor Management: Keeping the lifeblood flowing
From One-Time to Lifetime: Changing How We Keep Donors Coming Back
16:45 - 17:00
Donor Management: Keeping the lifeblood flowing
Safe to Give, Safe to Return: The Pillars of Donor Vigilance
17:00 - 17:10
Donor Management: Keeping the lifeblood flowing
Discussion
17:10 - 18:00
Special Event
AATM Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Start Time - End time
Topic
09:00 - 10:00
Plenary
Inauguration
10:00 - 10:30
Plenary Session
Emerging Pathogens and their impact on the blood supply: Lessons Learned
10:30 - 11:00
Plenary Session
Plasma Medicines: Step wise access to safe plasma protein initiative
11:00 - 11:40
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
11:40 - 12:00
Cellular and Transplant therapies: The Engraftment ensemble
Cells, Consent and Compliance: Navigating the Regulatory Maze
12:00 - 12:20
Cellular and Transplant therapies: The Engraftment ensemble
Beyond Matching Blood: Transfusion Medicine in ABO Incompatible Transplants
12:20 - 12:40
Cellular and Transplant therapies: The Engraftment ensemble
Stem Cells 2.0: Pushing the Boundaries of Regenerative Medicine
12:40 - 13:00
Cellular and Transplant therapies: The Engraftment ensemble
Target Acquired: CAR-T in the Fight Against Cancer
13:00 - 14:00
Break
Lunch break
14:00 - 14:20
Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology: Match made in HLAven
Virtual Crossmatch: Cutting Time, Boosting Safety
14:20 - 14:40
Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology: Match made in HLAven
The Algorithmic Art of HLA Matching
14:40 - 15:00
Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology: Match made in HLAven
Haploidentical transplant:
15:00 - 15:20
Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology: Match made in HLAven
Cracking the Code: Epitope-Based Compatibility in Focus
15:20 - 15:30
Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology: Match made in HLAven
Discussion
15:30 - 16:00
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
16:00 - 16:15
AABB- AATM Seminar on Quality Management and Accreditation
Pathway to accreditation of BTS: Opportunities and Challenges in resource limited settings
16:15 - 16:30
AABB- AATM Seminar on Quality Management and Accreditation
AABB Quality Certificate in Cellular Therapy
16:30 - 16:45
AABB- AATM Seminar on Quality Management and Accreditation
Measuring Excellence: Key Quality Indicators in Transfusion
16:45 - 17:00
AABB- AATM Seminar on Quality Management and Accreditation
Quality in Action: Monitoring and Managing Transfusion Risks
17:00 - 17:10
AABB- AATM Seminar on Quality Management and Accreditation
Discussion
17:10 - 18:00
Special Event
AATM Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Start Time - End Time
Topic
09:00 - 10:00
Plenary
Inauguration
10:00 - 10:30
Plenary Session
Evolution of Global Blood Transfusion Services: Over the century!
10:30 - 11:00
Plenary Session
Plasma Medicines: Step wise access to safe plasma protein initiative
11:00 - 11:40
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
11:40 - 11:50
Country Chapter Presentations
India
11:50 - 12:00
Country Chapter Presentations
Bhutan
12:00 - 12:10
Country Chapter Presentations
UAE
12:10 - 12:20
Country Chapter Presentations
Indonesia
12:20 - 12:30
Country Chapter Presentations
Iran
12:30 - 12:40
Country Chapter Presentations
Iraq
12:40 - 12:50
Country Chapter Presentations
Kazakhstan
12:50 - 13:00
Country Chapter Presentations
Laos
13:00 - 13:10
Country Chapter Presentations
Maldives
13:10 - 14:00
Break
Lunch break
14:00 - 14:20
AI, Innovation and Informatics in Transfusion Medicine: Where ideas meet Technology
Coding Compatibility: AI-Powered Serological Analysis
14:20 - 14:40
AI, Innovation and Informatics in Transfusion Medicine: Where ideas meet Technology
From Forecast to Fulfillment: Building Smart Blood Centres with Data
14:40 - 15:00
AI, Innovation and Informatics in Transfusion Medicine: Where ideas meet Technology
AI as a Clinical Partner: Enhancing Transfusion Outcomes Through Data
15:00 - 15:20
AI, Innovation and Informatics in Transfusion Medicine: Where ideas meet Technology
Getting started with data: The foudation for AI readiness
15:20 - 15:30
AI, Innovation and Informatics in Transfusion Medicine: Where ideas meet Technology
Discussion
15:30 - 16:00
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
16:00 - 16:20
Recent Advances in Transfusion Medicine
T Cells as Targeted Therapies: Harnessing Donor and Engineered Immunity
16:20 - 16:40
Recent Advances in Transfusion Medicine
Bioprinting for advanced wound care: Role of transfusion services
16:40 - 17:00
Recent Advances in Transfusion Medicine
From Blood to Cure: Translational Application of CIK cells as a Platform
17:00 - 17:10
Recent Advances in Transfusion Medicine
Discussion
17:10 - 18:00
Special Event
AATM Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Start Time - End Time
Topic
08:00 - 08:10
Oral Presentations
OP1: Active Hemoglobinopathy Screening by HPLC in Young Adults: A Preventive Strategy Toward Zero Thalassemia Births
08:10 - 08:20
Oral Presentations
OP2: Comparison of Post-Transfusion Effectiveness and Safety Between Cryopreserved Platelets (CPPC) and Liquid-Stored Platelets (LSPC) in Patients with Hematological Malignancy: A Pilot Study
08:20 - 08:30
Oral Presentations
OP3: Fueling the Flames: Cytokine-Driven Inflammation in Acute Pain Transfusion Reactions
08:30 - 08:40
Oral Presentations
OP4: Anxiety in First-Time Blood Donors: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial Using Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches to Compare Concealed vs. Open Blood Collection Materials
08:40 - 08:50
Oral Presentations
OP5: Efficacy of Buffycoat derived Granulocyte Transfusion to terminally ill hemato-oncology patients in a tertiary care hospital in North India : A Retrospective Study
09:00 - 09:30
Plenary
Standardization of information in blood supply: Why and How?
09:30 - 10:00
Plenary
Challenges of alloimmunisation against red blood cells in sickel cell disease in Africa
10:00 - 10:40
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
10:40 - 11:00
Hemoglobinopathies: New horizons
Transfusion management in Thalassemia patients
11:00 - 11:20
Hemoglobinopathies: New horizons
National goal of prevention of Sickle Cell Anemia and Thalassemia
11:20 - 11:40
Hemoglobinopathies: New horizons
Turning the Tide: Innovative Solutions for management in Hemophilia
11:40 - 12:00
Ethics, Education and Leadership in Transfusion Medicine
Informed Consent: Empowering Patients in Transfusion Decisions
12:00 - 12:20
Ethics, Education and Leadership in Transfusion Medicine
Blood Boundaries: Ethical Challenges in Transfusion Medicine
12:20 - 12:40
Ethics, Education and Leadership in Transfusion Medicine
Leading the Change: Transformational Leadership in Transfusion
12:40 - 13:00
Ethics, Education and Leadership in Transfusion Medicine
Ethics, Education & Leadership: The Triad Shaping Transfusion’s Future
13:00 - 13:45
Break
Lunch break
13:45 - 14:05
ISBT Academy Session; Advances in Immunohematolgy
Alloimmunisation and Autoimmune Antibody in Pediatric Thalassemia Patient
14:05 - 14:25
ISBT Academy Session; Advances in Immunohematolgy
Cracking the Code of HDFN: How Well Do Our IH Tests Tell the Story?
14:25 - 14:45
ISBT Academy Session; Advances in Immunohematolgy
Red Cell Genotyping: How Do We Implement It?
14:45 - 15:20
ISBT Academy Session; Advances in Immunohematolgy
Workshop and Discussion: Navigating Complex Transfusion Scenarios / Dry
15:20 - 15:30
ISBT Academy Session; Advances in Immunohematolgy
Discussion
15:30 - 15:45
Break
Tea break/ Poster Walk
15:45 - 16:05
ISBT Academy Session; Rare Donor Program in Asian Region
Intrauterine Transfusions with Rare Blood Group
16:05 - 16:20
ISBT Academy Session; Rare Donor Program in Asian Region
Challenges in Transfusion Management of Patient with Rare Blood Group
16:20 - 16:45
ISBT Academy Session; Rare Donor Program in Asian Region
Molecular basis of Rare blood group phenotypes in Indians
16:45 - 17:05
ISBT Academy Session; Rare Donor Program in Asian Region
Complex cases: Unique scenario and clinical significance
17:05 - 17-30
ISBT Academy Session; Rare Donor Program in Asian Region
Valedictory
Start Time - End Time
Topic
08:00 - 08:10
Oral Presentations
OP6: Impact of Standard-Dose Fresh Frozen Plasma on INR Correction at Varying Pre-Transfusion INR levels at a tertiary care centre
08:10 - 08:20
Oral Presentations
OP7: Development and Preclinical Evaluation of a Silver Nanoparticle-Based Dermal Patch for Blood Donor Phlebotomy Site Disinfection
08:20 - 08:30
Oral Presentations
OP8: ARIMA-Based Forecasting Platform for PRBC and Platelet Demand in Blood Banks: Integrating Seasonal Trends and Machine Learning for Smarter Inventory Management
08:30 - 08:40
Oral Presentations
OP9: Process Improvement Through Lean-Six Sigma in the Donor Complex in a Quaternary Care Centre.
08:40 - 08:50
Oral Presentations
OP10: Development and Validation of a Novel Severity Scoring System for Assessing the Severity of Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN)
08:50 - 09:00
Break
Break for Hall rearrangement
09:00 - 09:30
Plenary
Standardization of information in blood supply: Why and How?
09:30 - 10:00
Plenary
Challenges of alloimmunisation against red blood cells in sickel cell disease in Africa
10:00 - 10:40
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
10:40 - 11:00
Transfusion Transmissible Infections: Transfusion Intrusions
Catching the Silent Passenger: HBV NAT and Serology Yield – What’s Next
11:00 - 11:20
Transfusion Transmissible Infections: Transfusion Intrusions
Hub and Spoke Model for NAT testing
11:20 - 11:40
Transfusion Transmissible Infections: Transfusion Intrusions
Invisible Enemies, Visible Solutions: Innovations in Pathogen Inactivation
11:40 - 12:00
Transfusion Transmissible Infections: Transfusion Intrusions
Second Chances? Debating Donor Re-Entry Across Borders
12:00 - 12:15
IPFA - AATM session on Plasma Sourcing
Plasma for All: Enhancing Public Sector Access to Medicinal Products
12:15 - 12:30
IPFA - AATM session on Plasma Sourcing
Plasma on the Frontlines: Overcoming Barriers in LMICs
12:30 - 12:45
IPFA - AATM session on Plasma Sourcing
Ethics, Efficiency, and Safety: Debating Plasma Donation Models
12:45 - 13:00
IPFA - AATM session on Plasma Sourcing
Role of regulatory supervision on safety, quality & efficacy of Plasma products
13:00 - 14:00
Break
Lunch break
14:00 - 14:15
Making a difference in Blood Transfusion Services
Regional model of Plasma Fractionation for Developing Countries
14:15 - 14:30
Making a difference in Blood Transfusion Services
Invasive Hemoglobin POCT
14:30 - 14:40
Country Chapter Presentations
Armenia
14:40 - 14:50
Country Chapter Presentations
Nepal
14:50 - 15:00
Country Chapter Presentations
SriLanka
15:00 - 15:10
Country Chapter Presentations
Turkey
15:10 - 15:20
Country Chapter Presentations
Uzbekistan
15:20 - 15:45
Break
Tea break/ Poster Walk
15:45 - 16:00
Clinical Transfusion Practices: From Lab to Bedside
Smart Blood: How RFID Tech is Transforming Transfusion Safety
16:00 - 16:15
Break
Coordinated Team Response to Massive Blood Loss
16:15 - 16:30
Clinical Transfusion Practices: From Lab to Bedside
Closer to the Patient: The Rise of Point-of-Care Tools in PBM
16:30 - 16:45
Clinical Transfusion Practices: From Lab to Bedside
Right Order, Right Time: Tackling MSBOS Implementation Hurdles
16:45 - 17:15
Clinical Transfusion Practices: From Lab to Bedside
Valedictory
Start Time - End Time
Topic
08:00 - 08:10
Oral Presentations
OP11: Detection of HLA Alloantibodies by Flow Cytometric (FXM) cross match and comparison of results with CDC (Complement Dependent Cytotoxicity), CDC - AHG (Anti Human Globulin) & Luminex (LumXM) cross matching methods.
08:10 - 08:20
Oral Presentations
OP12: Trends in TTI Co-Infections Among Blood Donors Across the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study
08:20 - 08:30
Oral Presentations
OP13: Initiating a Stability Program to determine the expiry of cryopreserved Hematopoietic Progenitor Products at an Indian Transplant Center
08:30 - 08:40
Oral Presentations
OP14: In-House Validation and Quality Control of Platelet-Rich Plasma Using DEPA Classification: A Significant Step Towards Ensuring Quality Assurance in Clinical Therapy
08:40 - 08:50
Oral Presentations
OP15: Correlation Between ABO Blood Group and Coagulation Factor Levels in Cryoprecipitate: A Study Conducted at a Tertiary Care Centre
08:50 - 09:00
Break
Break for Hall rearrangement
09:00 - 09:30
Plenary
Standardization of information in blood supply: Why and How?
09:30 - 10:00
Plenary
Challenges of alloimmunisation against red blood cells in sickel cell disease in Africa
10:00 - 10:40
Break
Tea Break & Informal Discussions/ Poster Walk
10:40 - 11:00
Adverse Events and Haemovigilance
TRALI, TACO, TA-GVHD: The Hidden Risks of Transfusion -Hemovigilance
11:00 - 11:15
Adverse Events and Haemovigilance
From Near Miss to No Miss: Proactive Error Management
11:15 - 11:30
Adverse Events and Haemovigilance
Bacterial Safety Nets: Strategies to Prevent Contamination in Transfusion
11:30 - 12:00
Adverse Events and Haemovigilance
Hemovigilance Uncovered: Improving Safety Through Surveillance
12:00 - 12:15
Apheresis: The art of extraction
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Auto-immune disorders
12:15 - 12:30
Apheresis: The art of extraction
Keeping Current: Key Changes in Therapeutic Apheresis Recommendations
12:30 - 12:45
Apheresis: The art of extraction
Cascade Plasmapheresis: Cutting-Edge Techniques Explored
12:45 - 13:05
Apheresis: The art of extraction
Centrifugal or Membrane? The Great Plasmapheresis Debate
13:05 - 13:45
Break
Lunch break
13:45 - 14:00
Beyond blood: Unlocking new horizons
Beyond Blood and Blood Components, New uses of SoHO (substance of human origin)
14:00 - 14:15
Beyond blood: Unlocking new horizons
Diagnosing Platelet Function Defects: Case based approach
14:15 - 14:30
Beyond blood: Unlocking new horizons
Repair, Renew, Restore: Transfusion Medicine Meets Regeneration
14:30 - 15:00
Beyond blood: Unlocking new horizons
Panel discussion: Navigating New Techologies in Transfusion Medicine
15:00 - 16:45
Special Event
AATM QUIZ
16:45 - 17:15
QUIZ
Valedictory