Published on February 13, 2026
ASTCT Presents Distinguished Honors at the 2026 Tandem Meetings
by ASTCT Press Release
Chicago, Feb. 13, 2026 – The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy® (ASTCT®) presents top awards to leaders and organizations in the field of transplantation and cellular therapy at the Tandem Meetings | Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT® and CIBMTR®, Feb. 4–7 in Salt Lake City.
ASTCT Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert S. Negrin, MD
Dr. Robert S. Negrin is recognized for his outstanding contributions to transplantation and cellular therapy through research, clinical innovation and leadership. A professor of medicine and former chief of the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at Stanford University, Dr. Negrin joined the Stanford faculty in 1990 following medical training at the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard Medical School and Stanford University.
His research has focused on immune-mediated mechanisms underlying graft-versus-host and graft-versus-tumor responses, with discoveries from his laboratory translating directly into clinical trials, including work incorporated into Orca Bio’s cellular therapy platform. Dr. Negrin has authored more than 300 manuscripts and 44 book chapters and has received numerous honors, including awards from the Damon Runyon Walter Winchell Cancer Fund, the José Carreras International Leukemia Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation. He is a past E. Donnall Thomas Lecturer and an elected member of the Association of American Physicians.
In addition to his scientific contributions, Dr. Negrin has provided exceptional service to the field, including leadership roles as past president of the International Society of Cellular Therapy, past president of ASTCT and current president of the American Society of Hematology.
ASTCT Public Service Award: NMDP
Accepted by Amy Ronnenberg, MBA, Chief Executive Officer
The NMDP is recognized for its longstanding commitment to advancing transplantation and cellular therapy and expanding access to life-saving care for patients worldwide. For nearly four decades, NMDP has played a central role in clinical research, patient support and advocacy efforts that have strengthened the field and improved patient outcomes.
Through its partnerships with CIBMTR, ASTCT and the global transplant community—and stewardship of the most diverse donor registry serving U.S. patients—NMDP has helped guide more than 140,000 patients from diagnosis through survivorship. Its continued investment in research and patient-centered programs has transformed access to transplant for generations. The award was accepted by Amy Ronnenberg, MBA, chief executive officer of NMDP.
E. Donnall Thomas Lecture: James Ferrara, MD
Dr. James Ferrara is honored as the 2026 E. Donnall Thomas Lecturer for his pioneering contributions to the immunology of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). He is the Ward-Coleman Professor of Cancer Medicine and director of the Center for Translational Research in Hematologic Malignancies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Ferrara pioneered the use of proteomic approaches to identify and validate serum biomarkers for acute GVHD and founded the Mount Sinai Acute GVHD International Consortium (MAGIC), creating a multicenter database and biorepository that has transformed biomarker-driven clinical care. His mechanistic studies have advanced understanding of interactions between the innate and adaptive immune systems and led to new therapeutic strategies designed to make transplantation safer and more effective for patients.
Additional information about the 2026 award recipients is available on the 2026 Tandem Meetings website.
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