Basic and Specialist Histocompatibility Course Agendas

April 11-13, 2026

Name Date Time Speakers
ReceptionSunday, April 12, 20265:00 PM - 7:00 PM 
ReceptionSunday, April 12, 20265:00 PM - 7:00 PM 
Name Date Time Speakers
BreakfastSaturday, April 11, 20267:00 AM - 7:55 AM 
WelcomeSaturday, April 11, 20267:55 AM - 8:00 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Pre-Analytic, Analytic and Post-Analytic SystemsSaturday, April 11, 20268:00 AM - 9:00 AMJohn Gerlach, Michigan State University
Basic ImmunologySaturday, April 11, 20269:00 AM - 10:00 AMJohn Gerlach, Michigan State University
BreakSaturday, April 11, 202610:00 AM - 10:15 AM 
Basic ImmunogenticsSaturday, April 11, 202610:15 AM - 11:15 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Transplant ImmunologySaturday, April 11, 202611:15 AM - 12:15 PMKelley Hitchman, University of Texas Health San Antonio
LunchSaturday, April 11, 202612:15 PM - 1:15 PM 
Molecular GeneticsSaturday, April 11, 20261:15 PM - 2:15 PMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Molecular HLA TypingSaturday, April 11, 20262:15 PM - 3:15 PMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
BreakSaturday, April 11, 20263:15 PM - 3:30 PM 
Hematopoeitic Stem Cell TransplantationSaturday, April 11, 20263:30 PM - 4:30 PMRobert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
Typing and Genotyping Challenges, Cases & TroubleshootingSaturday, April 11, 20264:30 PM - 5:30 PMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Kelley Hitchman, University of Texas Health San Antonio
Robert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
Arianne Mankey, Stanford Blood Center
BreakfastSunday, April 12, 20267:00 AM - 7:50 AM 
AnnouncementsSunday, April 12, 20267:55 AM - 8:00 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Regulatory ComplianceSunday, April 12, 20268:00 AM - 8:45 AMArianne Mankey, Stanford Blood Center
Laboratory Safety and Risk ManagementSunday, April 12, 20268:45 AM - 9:30 AM 
Basic BioinformaticsSunday, April 12, 20269:30 AM - 10:30 AMNicholas Brown, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
BreakSunday, April 12, 202610:30 AM - 10:45 AM 
Flo Cytometry & Luminex Antibody TestingSunday, April 12, 202610:45 AM - 11:45 AM 
Overview: Solid Organ TransplantationSunday, April 12, 202611:45 AM - 12:45 PMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
LunchSunday, April 12, 202612:45 PM - 1:45 PM 
Crossmatching for Solid Organ TransplantSunday, April 12, 20261:45 PM - 2:45 PM 
Alleles, Epitopes, Genotypes, & Disease AssociationsSunday, April 12, 20262:45 PM - 3:45 PMJohn Gerlach, Michigan State University
BreakSunday, April 12, 20263:45 PM - 4:00 PM 
Antibody Testing and Crossmatching Challenges, Cases, & TroubleshootingSunday, April 12, 20264:00 PM - 5:00 PMKelley Hitchman, University of Texas Health San Antonio
Robert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
John Gerlach, Michigan State University
BreakfastMonday, April 13, 20267:00 AM - 7:55 AM 
AnnouncementsMonday, April 13, 20267:55 AM - 8:00 AM 
QAPIMonday, April 13, 20268:00 AM - 9:00 AMElaine O'Shields, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center HLA/ Immunogenetics and Immunodiagnostics
Laboratory AccreditationMonday, April 13, 20269:00 AM - 10:00 AMArianne Mankey, Stanford Blood Center
BreakMonday, April 13, 202610:00 AM - 10:15 AM 
CHA/CHT Examinations SessionMonday, April 13, 202610:15 AM - 11:45 AM 
Evaluation/ Closing RemarksMonday, April 13, 202611:45 AM - 12:00 PM 
Name Date Time Speakers
BreakfastSunday, April 12, 20267:00 AM - 7:50 AM 
WelcomeSunday, April 12, 20267:50 AM - 8:00 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Introduction to Transplant ImmunologySunday, April 12, 20268:00 AM - 9:00 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Innate ImmunitySunday, April 12, 20269:00 AM - 10:00 AMKelley Hitchman, University of Texas Health San Antonio
Adaptive ImmunitySunday, April 12, 202610:00 AM - 11:00 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
BreakSunday, April 12, 202611:00 AM - 11:15 AM 
Genetic Concepts Applicable to Immunogenetics- Part 1Sunday, April 12, 202611:15 AM - 12:30 PMLoren Gragert, Tulane Cancer Center
LunchSunday, April 12, 202612:30 PM - 1:30 PM 
Genetic Concepts Applicable to Immunogenetics- Part 2 Sunday, April 12, 20261:30 PM - 3:00 PMLoren Gragert, Tulane Cancer Center
BreakSunday, April 12, 20263:00 PM - 3:15 PM 
Molecular BiologySunday, April 12, 20263:15 PM - 4:15 PMPeter Lalli, Carolinas Pathology Group
Molecular Basis of AllorecognitionSunday, April 12, 20264:15 PM - 5:15 PMKelley Hitchman, University of Texas Health San Antonio
BreakfastMonday, April 13, 20267:00 AM - 8:00 AM 
Immunoregulation and ToleranceMonday, April 13, 20268:00 AM - 8:45 AMKelley Hitchman, University of Texas Health San Antonio
Basic BioinformaticsMonday, April 13, 20268:45 AM - 9:45 AMNicholas Brown, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
MHC Genetics Part 1Monday, April 13, 20269:45 AM - 10:45 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
BreakMonday, April 13, 202610:45 AM - 11:00 AM 
ChimerismMonday, April 13, 202611:00 AM - 12:00 PMPeter Lalli, Carolinas Pathology Group
DNA Based HLA Typing MethodsMonday, April 13, 202612:00 PM - 1:00 PMChang Liu, Washington University in St. Louis
LunchMonday, April 13, 20261:00 PM - 2:00 PM 
Next Generation SequencingMonday, April 13, 20262:00 PM - 2:45 PMChang Liu, Washington University in St. Louis
HLA InformaticsMonday, April 13, 20262:45 PM - 3:30 PMLoren Gragert, Tulane Cancer Center
BreakMonday, April 13, 20263:30 PM - 3:45 PM 
Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationMonday, April 13, 20263:45 PM - 4:45 PMPeter Lalli, Carolinas Pathology Group
Typing Case StudiesMonday, April 13, 20264:45 PM - 5:30 PM 
BreakfastTuesday, April 14, 20267:00 AM - 8:00 AM 
HLA Diss. Assoc & PharmacogenomicsTuesday, April 14, 20268:00 AM - 9:00 AMJohn Gerlach, Michigan State University
ABO Basics and Blood Bank IssuesTuesday, April 14, 20269:00 AM - 10:00 AMRobert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
BreakTuesday, April 14, 202610:00 AM - 10:15 AM 
MHC Genetics Part IITuesday, April 14, 202610:15 AM - 11:15 AMMichael Gautreaux, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Laboratory ManagementTuesday, April 14, 202611:15 AM - 12:15 PMArianne Mankey, Stanford Blood Center
LunchTuesday, April 14, 202612:15 PM - 1:15 PM 
Laboratory Accreditation Tuesday, April 14, 20261:15 PM - 2:00 PMArianne Mankey, Stanford Blood Center
BreakTuesday, April 14, 20262:00 PM - 2:15 PM 
Implementing an Effective QA ProgramTuesday, April 14, 20262:15 PM - 3:00 PMArianne Mankey, Stanford Blood Center
Transition to ACHI Tutorial SessionsTuesday, April 14, 20263:00 PM - 3:15 PM 
Optional: Tutorials for ACHIU Exams CHS & Dipl.Tuesday, April 14, 20263:15 PM - 4:45 PM 
Tutorials for ACHI Exams CHS & Dipl.Tuesday, April 14, 20263:15 PM - 5:15 PM 
BreakfastWednesday, April 15, 20267:00 AM - 8:00 AM 
Solid Phase Assay BasicsWednesday, April 15, 20268:00 AM - 9:00 AMAnnette Jackson, Duke University Clinical Transplantation Immunology Lab
Optimizing Solid Phase AssaysWednesday, April 15, 20269:00 AM - 10:00 AMRobert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
BreakWednesday, April 15, 202610:00 AM - 10:15 AM 
Antibodies: Mechanisms of Action and New ToolsWednesday, April 15, 202610:15 AM - 11:30 AMAnnette Jackson, Duke University Clinical Transplantation Immunology Lab
Basic Principles of Flow CytometryWednesday, April 15, 202611:30 AM - 12:45 PMRobert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
LunchWednesday, April 15, 202612:45 PM - 1:45 PM 
Advanced Flow CytometryWednesday, April 15, 20261:45 PM - 3:15 PMRobert Liwski, Dalhousie University, Queen Elizabeth II HSC
BreakWednesday, April 15, 20263:15 PM - 3:30 PM 
Epitope Analysis for Interpreting HLA Antibody ResultsWednesday, April 15, 20263:30 PM - 4:45 PM 
Antibody/Crossmatch Case StudiesWednesday, April 15, 20264:45 PM - 5:30 PM 
BreakfastThursday, April 16, 20267:00 AM - 8:00 AM 
Antibody IssuesThursday, April 16, 20268:00 AM - 9:15 AMAnnette Jackson, Duke University Clinical Transplantation Immunology Lab
BreakThursday, April 16, 20269:15 AM - 9:30 AM 
Transplanting The Sensitized PatientThursday, April 16, 20269:30 AM - 10:45 AMAnnette Jackson, Duke University Clinical Transplantation Immunology Lab
Solid Organ Transplant Immunology Part 1Thursday, April 16, 202610:45 AM - 12:00 PMJames Lan, Vancouver General Hospital
LunchThursday, April 16, 202612:00 PM - 1:00 PM 
Solid Organ Transplant immunology Part 2Thursday, April 16, 20261:00 PM - 2:15 PMJames Lan, Vancouver General Hospital
BreakThursday, April 16, 20262:15 PM - 2:30 PM 
Clinical Intervention in TransplantationThursday, April 16, 20262:30 PM - 3:30 PMJames Lan, Vancouver General Hospital
Emerging Technologies in the HLA LabThursday, April 16, 20263:30 PM - 4:30 PM 
Closing Remarks, Certificates, & EvaluationsThursday, April 16, 20264:30 PM - 5:00 PM