Published on August 06, 2026
President's Message: The People Who Shape Our Careers
by Margy MacMillan
When I look back on my career, I don't remember every lecture I attended or every meeting I participated in, but what stands out the most are the people. The colleague who encouraged me to pursue an idea when I wasn't sure it was worth pursuing. The mentor who took the time to review a grant application, challenge my thinking, or make an introduction that opened a new door. The junior faculty and colleagues from whom I have learned just as much as they may have learned from me.
Those experiences remind me that careers in transplantation and cellular therapy are not built alone. We advance because others invest their time and expertise in us. As our field continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace, that investment in people remains just as important as our investment in science.
That is the reason I always leave ASTCT's training programs feeling optimistic about our future.
This July, we welcomed a new group of amazing scholars to the Clinical Research Training Course, and to the Translational Science Training Course.
The Clinical Research Training Course has been a cornerstone of ASTCT's commitment to career development for nearly two decades. The first cohort of 12 scholars entered the program in 2007. Since then, the Clinical Research Training Course has completed 18 iterations of the course and has graduated 216 scholars. Over those years, the program has helped cultivate a generation of incredibly bright and productive clinical investigators who have made important contributions to transplantation and cellular therapy, many of whom are now leaders in our field.
Years ago, an evaluation of the Clinical Research Training Course suggested that ASTCT should consider expanding these opportunities to reach more scholars. Today, we have done exactly that by extending this model to support early-career translational scientists as well with the creation of the Translational Science Training Course is an important reminder that mentorship must continue to evolve alongside our field. The Translational Science Training Course represents the next step in our commitment to career and research development. First launched in 2024, the course was created to support emerging investigators pursuing bench and translational science. While still in its early years, the program is already helping to build a community of scientists who will shape the future of our field.
What impresses me about these training courses is that the curriculum is only part of the story. Participants certainly learn about study design, grants, publishing, statistics, and career development. But they also gain access to mentors who share their own experiences honestly—the successes, the setbacks, the failures and the lessons learned along the way. Mentorship is a two way relationship. The mentors benefit as much as the mentees. Additionally, the scholars meet a new group of colleagues many of whom become important collaborators, and good friends. Lifelong relationships are developed during these courses which are precious.
The value of that investment has been measurable. A review of the Clinical Research Training Course, which I contributed to in 2020, found that former scholars remained highly engaged in cellular therapy research and academic medicine. Participants reported a meaningful impact on their professional development and career paths. Many former scholars have later returned as faculty members themselves, including Drs Melody Smith, Rayne Rouce, Nirali Shah, Jonathan "Tsoni" Peled, Mazyar Shadman, Alan Hanash, and Carlos Ramos. It is gratifying to see evidence supporting what many of us have observed firsthand over the years: mentorship matters.
The Clinical Research Training Course also recognizes exceptional achievements through the Dr. Jean Khoury Award for Scholarly Excellence, which honors scholars who have emulate his exemplary academic accomplishments, thoughtful collaboration, commitment to the success of colleagues, and promise. Recent recipients include Agne Taraseviciute, MD, PhD (2017); Tania Jain, MBBS (2018); Akshay Sharma, MD (2019); John Ligon, MD (2021); Sandeep Raj, MD (2022); Chenyu Lin, MD (2023); Maria Pereda Ginocchio, MD (2024); Natalia M. Tijaro Ovalle, MD (2025); and Hrishikesh Srinagesh, MD (2026). This award serves as a reminder of the remarkable talent emerging through these ASTCT courses and the bright future ahead for our specialty.
The Clinical Research Training Course and the Translational Science Training Course reflect a longstanding commitment of ASTCT to developing the next generation of leaders, regardless of whether their work begins at the bedside, in the clinic, or in the laboratory.
As I think about where our field of medicine is headed, I’m especially encouraged by our ASTCT members. Every mentor who takes the time to guide a trainee, every investigator who shares honest feedback, and every colleague who helps elevate another person's career is helping to shape the future of transplantation and cellular therapy. Thank you to all of you.
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Margy MacMillan, MD, MSc, FRCPC