For the first time, the 2025 Tandem Meetings | Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT® and CIBMTR® will feature a full day of programming for the Infectious Diseases (ID) Track, expanded from a half day of sessions.

“We’re thrilled about this upcoming session,” said Track Vice Chair Zainab Shahid, MBBS, an associate attending physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “We have curated a diverse program for everybody — pharmacists, nurse practitioners, fellows, residents, medical students, TID faculty, transplant physicians, and basic science researchers.”

The Feb. 13 sessions include cutting-edge ID research in the field of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, as well as returning attendee favorites such as an interactive trivia game, a focus on the best ID abstracts, and information on updated guidelines.  

Following the welcome at 8 a.m., the sessions will begin with the plenary Implications of Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Use in HCT/CAR-T Recipients; Role for Antimicrobial Stewardship at 8:15 a.m. Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD, a renowned physician-scientist in the transplant field, will discuss the role of the intestinal microbiome in cancer immunotherapy. The session will be chaired by Sanjeet Dadwal, MD, current TID Special Interest Group (SIG) chair, whose clinical and research interests relate to the epidemiology, prevention, and management of opportunistic infections in patients undergoing chemotherapy and cellular therapy.

At 9:15 a.m., five experts will present the debate-style Point/Counterpoint, highlighting the evidence surrounding pre-engraftment antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of febrile neutropenia and antifungal prophylaxis following allogeneic stem cell transplant.

“There are so many gray areas in the practice of clinical medicine, especially when we talk about immunocompromised patients with altered immune systems, so there may be different approaches to tackle one clinical question,” Shahid said. “This debate will shed light on these nuances and offer differing perspectives.”

At 10:30 a.m., the TID Guidelines Update will provide an overview of the new and revised guidelines shaping clinical practice and formal approaches to infectious diseases and syndromes in transplantation and CAR T therapy.

The ID SIG Meeting at noon will provide an opportunity for networking and idea sharing.

“The ID SIG Meeting is a great way to create mentor-mentee relationships, to see your colleagues, exchange research ideas, and develop a sense of community in this highly specialized field,” Shahid said. “It’s a good way for junior faculty, medical students, research fellows, or any attendees who are interested in building meaningful relationships and connecting with others in the same field.”

At 1 p.m., the highly anticipated Infectious Diseases Jeopardy will return.

“Jeopardy has been a tremendous success,” Shahid said. “It’s an engaging way to share information in digestible bites while encouraging audience interaction.”

The afternoon will continue with panelists discussing real-world cases in Challenging Cases in HCT and Cellular Therapy Viral, Fungal, Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing in TID at 2 p.m., highlights of the Best Abstracts at 3:15 p.m., and New Insights — Top Papers at 3:45 p.m.

Infectious Diseases Track Agenda

The most up-to-date Infectious Diseases Track agenda and the full 2025 Tandem Meetings program are available on the online meeting platform. All Infectious Diseases Track sessions take place in Room 312 of the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, unless noted otherwise.

Thursday, Feb. 13

• 8-8:15 a.m. – Welcome Session
• 8:15-9:15 a.m. – Implications of Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Use in HCT/CAR-T Recipients; Role for Antimicrobial Stewardship
• 9:15-10:15 a.m. – Point/Counterpoint
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. – Morning Break, Exhibit Hall 2
• 10:30 a.m.-noon – TID Guidelines Update
• Noon-1 p.m. – ID SIG Meeting
• 1-2 p.m. – Infectious Diseases Jeopardy
• 2-3 p.m. – Challenging Cases in HCT and Cellular Therapy Viral, Fungal, Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing in TID
• 3:15-3:45 p.m. – Best Abstracts
• 3:45-4:15 p.m. – New Insights — Top Papers
• 4:15-4:30 p.m. – Closing