Published on June 14, 2022
For Me: Spring has Sprung
by Brenda M. Sandmaier, MD
ASTCT Colleagues,
It's been two months now since I became ASTCT's President. Let me share that I am continually amazed at the number of activities that ASTCT leads, supports, or facilitates, including events, online education and government relations. ASTCT's work on behalf of our community doesn't stop, no matter the season.
Yet, we know it's important for all of us to embrace moments, look around, take a deep breath and reflect. Living in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., many of you know that one of my favorite things to do when I'm not working is spending time outdoors – hiking, biking or sometimes just going for a long walk. I have been taking advantage of the longer days to get in shape for my upcoming walk this month that takes me on the Portuguese Coastal Way, from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. These long walks have given me time to reflect on how Spring represents a time of reawakening, renewal and growth.
Those three words mean a lot as our world is working toward a reawakening from the COVID-19 pandemic. They also mean a lot for ASTCT. Everywhere I look within ASTCT, I see signs of growth. We've weathered and learned so much these past two years. Now, we're taking what we've learned and are committed to even greater growth in the ways that serve you and your patients,
Take a look at these examples:
- Our Board of Directors continue to make major strides in our strategic planning process, which will guide how we align our resources for maximum impact and accelerated growth in the next three years.
- In May, we held our first ever Joint ASTCT + EBMT Basic and Translational Scientific Retreat. The attendance exceeded our expectations. By all accounts, attendees walked away inspired.
- Our 2022 Tandem Meetings in April were a huge success. I heard such positive feedback and excitement from attendees who were able to reconnect, learn and share, virtually or in person. We have already initiated our planning for the 2023 Tandem meeting agenda, so stay tuned.
I encourage all of you to take a few moments (or a long walk) and reflect. Share your thoughts with me, our Board members, our community. How can we build on this momentum? What more can we do to grow? Individually, consider reaching out to the new connections you made at the Scientific Retreat or Tandem Meetings. Invite a colleague to check out ASTCT. Share our community's latest research on Twitter.
For me, “Spring has Sprung!” It's a season of growth, both personal and professional, and each of us can contribute. I plan to come back refreshed from my trek and ready to continue moving forward the many important ASTCT initiatives that have been initiated and new ones that arise from our meetings over the next several months. I'm grateful for your commitment to ASTCT and all we collectively seek to achieve. It's amazing what we can accomplish when we all act together.
Brenda M. Sandmaier, MD

Brenda M. Sandmaier, MD
Dr. Brenda Sandmaier’s goal is to extend the benefits of transplant immunotherapy to a broader range of patients, including hematopoietic cell transplant patients who are older or have medical complications, and those who don’t have donors with complete genetic matches. She has developed less-toxic conditioning regimens, which are the preparatory treatments given to patients about to undergo hematopoietic cell transplants, also known as blood stem cell transplants. She established the curative potential of these new conditioning regimens in patients with blood cancers and related blood disorders. Her lab continues to investigate and establish the applications of these less-intense regimens.
Dr. Sandmaier also investigates a treatment known as radioimmunotherapy, or RIT. This approach, pioneered at Fred Hutch, uses immune system molecules called antibodies to deliver radiation directly to the blood cells, including the cancer cells, without damaging other healthy cells. While the first generation of RIT is being tested in clinical trials, Dr. Sandmaier’s lab is refining the next generation to be even more precise. First-in-human clinical trials of one such next-gen therapy, directly translated from her lab’s work, are underway. Her lab is also investigating the use of this approach to eradicate the HIV reservoir.
Dr. Sandmaier has also developed numerous clinical trials based on her preclinical findings for preventing graft-vs.-host disease, or GVHD, a serious complication caused when the donor cells attack the patient’s body. These include trials to evaluate novel approaches for GVHD prevention in combination with reduced intensity conditioning regimens developed at Fred Hutch. Many of these trials are multi-institutional, enrolling patients in Seattle and around the world.