Published on October 16, 2025
President's Message: Why ASTCT Membership Matters
by David Porter
In this President’s Message, Dr. David Porter reflects on ASTCT’s 32-year history and his own journey with the society since its founding. He encourages members to renew and invite others to join, highlighting the value of membership such as access to educational resources and opportunities for advocacy and shaping the field. He also builds excitement for the 2026 Tandem Meetings | Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT® and CIBMTR® in Salt Lake City, joking that registration launch feels a bit like a Taylor Swift album drop — highly anticipated and worth the buzz. Whether you're new or a longtime member, he invites everyone to stay engaged and connected.
Transcript
Hello ASTCT, and thanks for tuning in to my October President's Message.
ASTCT is 32 years old. I joined the first year it was formed. I was a third-year fellow, and my mentor Joe Anton was one of the original cofounders. He got me to join right at the start. He and others had a vision of what a society for transplant physicians could be.
I just got my reminder email to renew my membership for the 33rd year. I'm sure many of you got the same email. I hope you opened it. But this prompts me to say I hope everybody listening will renew their membership before the end of the year. I also hope you'll share ASTCT with someone in your network and encourage them to join. If you're not a member, consider joining. But share it with your colleagues, your physicians, APPs, social workers and administrators. We really are an inclusive society.
Membership gives you all kinds of advantages. It gives you early access and discounted rates to Tandem Meetings that essentially pays for itself; it pays for the membership. You get free and reduced pricing for the educational programs that are really fantastic; a subscription to our journal Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, which I think is the premier transplant and non-transplant cell therapy journal in the field; eligibility for awards and grants; but mostly, it gives you an opportunity to be involved in shaping our field and shaping the future through our committees, our SIGs and our advocacy. Membership also amplifies our voice.
Especially in these times, it is critical that our community has a strong voice in leadership when it comes to things like promoting access to advocating for research and institutional funding that's so critical to the work we do. To insisting on rigorous science and promoting factual advice and recommendations for our patients. The more inclusive our membership and the larger our membership, the louder and stronger our voice and our advocacy. Please consider joining, and get those who believe in the same things as you to join as well.
I mentioned Tandem Meetings. Registration for the 2026 meeting in Salt Lake City is now open. You should have gotten an email about that. I hate to say it, but think of it like a Taylor Swift album drop. Highly anticipated, something you won't want to miss, and yes, we're hoping it gets people talking and raises lots of excitement. And yes, I have a 14-year-old daughter, so I've been inundated with the new Taylor Swift album. Sorry for the analogy. But come to Tandem Meetings, see old friends, meet new colleagues, get connected with new projects and collaborations. It really is a good and fun meeting. And next month, we'll preview some of the highlights that you'll be seeing at the meeting, so stay tuned for that.
Thank you for listening. Whether you've been with ASTCT for the 32+ years or you're just starting out, I hope you stay engaged, renew your membership or join, register for Tandem Meetings, help keep up all the good work ASTCT does. Thanks for all you do, and I look forward to seeing you all in Salt Lake City. Thanks again.
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