Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim is the New President-elect of European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) elected Professor Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim as its new president-elect.

The EBMT presidential election was conducted online starting on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, allowing members to participate in selecting the society’s next leader.

The results were officially announced during the General Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, 1 April, as part of the 51st Annual Meeting of the EBMT.

Professor Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim, a renowned expert in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy, will bring his leadership and vision to EBMT, ensuring continued advancements in research, innovation, and patient care.

Professor Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim’s Career and Achievements

Before the election, Professor Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim shared his vision for EBMT, stating:

“Together we shape the future of EBMT. With over 30 years of experience in hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy, I have dedicated myself to bridging clinical care and scientific research. If elected as EBMT President, I aim to simplify the organization, enhance its scientific role, and ensure its financial sustainability.

I will advocate for regulatory changes and strengthen collaborations with industry and healthcare systems to ensure innovative therapies are accessible to all. EBMT must be a transparent, dynamic force, bringing value to all members and advancing the therapies that improve patient care across Europe and beyond.”

As a highly respected expert in hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy, Professor Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim has held numerous leadership positions, including Chair of the EBMT Practice Harmonisation and Guidelines Committee and Chair of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party (2018–2022). He also served as President of the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (2012–2016).

Since 2008, he has led the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit at Lille University Hospital, contributing significantly to research and clinical advancements. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Current Research in Translational Medicine and has authored or co-authored over 600 scientific publications in the field, with a particular focus on CAR T-cell therapy, allogeneic cell transplantation, myelodysplastic syndrome, and multiple myeloma.

With his election as President-Elect of EBMT, Professor Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim is set to lead society toward a future of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in patient care.

During the election, new EBMT Working Party Chairs were also selected. Maria Ester Bernardo was elected as the new Chair of the EBMT Inborn Errors Working Party (IEWP), and Olaf Penack was elected as the Chair of the EBMT Transplant Complications Working Party (TCWP).

Maria Ester Bernardo is a pediatrician and physician-scientist specializing in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and gene therapy. Since joining SR-Tiget in 2014, she has advanced HSC-GT for rare genetic defects, contributing significantly to the clinical implementation of HSC-GT for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I, Hurler variant (MPSIH), with results published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021.

Dr. Bernardo has authored over 120 peer-reviewed papers and received multiple research grants, including from the Italian Ministry of Health and Telethon Foundation. She has been an active member of scientific societies, including the European Hematology Association (EHA), where she served as Councilor and Vice-Chair of the Pediatric Working Group.

Her expertise in clinical trials and regulatory aspects of gene and cell therapy equips her to address challenges in the field and drive collaborative research.

Olaf Penack is a senior physician and Director of the Advanced Cellular Therapy Program at Charité Berlin University Medicine, where he focuses on improving cellular therapies through optimized clinical management and novel therapeutic approaches. He earned his M.D. from the University of Göttingen in 1999 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2009.

Dr. Penack’s research investigates the role of the endothelium in cellular therapies, with applications in stem cell transplantation. He holds a Ph.D. in Physiology and completed his habilitation in 2010, after leading the experimental stem cell transplantation research group. His work has earned several awards, including the ‘Best Abstract Award for Basic Science’ and the ‘Chugai Science Award’.

He is actively involved with the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the German Society of Hematology/Oncology.

About EBMT

The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) is a non-profit medical and scientific organization established in 1974. It hosts a unique patient registry that provides valuable data for studies and tracking new trends in cellular and stem cell-based therapies. EBMT serves as a bridge between patients, researchers, and other stakeholders, aiming to shape the future of these therapies.

As one of the leading organizations in this field, EBMT focuses on innovation, research, and the advancement of therapies to save and improve the lives of patients with blood-related disorders. Through collaboration and expertise, it fosters progress in cellular and stem cell-based therapies for the benefit of patients worldwide.

For more updates, stay tuned to OncoDaily.