Welcome Letter

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the HTRS Board of Directors, we look forward to welcoming you virtually to the HTRS 2021 Scientific Symposium (“HTRS 2021”).

Just two years ago we met in New Orleans, LA for our 2019 symposium. That meeting now seems like a distant memory. COVID-19 has forever changed our world, but what hasn’t changed is our determination to provide HTRS members and all healthcare professionals interested in hemostasis and thrombosis with access to diverse and engaging programs for continuing medical education, mentoring, research funding, and career development.

HTRS was closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on our plans for March 2021 and, for the health and well-being of our attendees, the event will be held virtually for the first time. With this change, the meeting dates have also been moved. The new dates are Wednesday, March 10 – Friday, March 12, 2021 to be mindful of participants’ personal lives and avoid a weekend day (previously scheduled Thursday through Saturday). Pre-conference events will take place earlier in the week. HTRS offers a full week of virtual programming for all career levels including the Trainee Workshop (Residents or Fellows), Research Colloquium (Junior Faculty and Early-Stage Investigators, plus other interested attendees), and the Multidisciplinary Pre-Conference. The revised schedule of events can be found on the program page.

NEW for the Virtual HTRS 2021 Scientific Symposium:

• 17 “Abstract Awards” (formerly Travel Awards for the in-person meeting). 

  • Selected were those who have met the following criteria:

    • First authors of an abstract submitted by trainees or early career investigators working at non-commercial institutions

    • First authors of an abstract submitted by an undergraduate student at any stage in his/her career, working  at a non-commercial institution

    • First authors of an abstract submitted by allied health professionals at any stage in their careers, working at a non-commercial institution

    • First authors of an abstract submitted by individuals who qualify as an underrepresented minority (https://diversity.nih.gov/about-us/population-underrepresented) at any stage in their careers, working at a non-commercial institution

    • First authors of an abstract submitted by an investigator at any stage of his/her career from North or Central America, working at a non-commercial institution

  • These awards will be featured as either Oral or Poster Presentations.

  • Award recipients receive:

    • Complimentary Registration to participate and present their abstracts during the HTRS 2021 Scientific Symposium

    • NEW HTRS Publishing Fund. Awardees can request HTRS to support the costs to publish their abstract in the professional journal of their choice for up to 23 months following the HTRS 2021 Scientific Symposium. The HTRS Board of Directors and Symposium Planning Committee are passionate about this new benefit, as it can help many investigators pay the required publication fees.

    • COVID-19 PPE.  HTRS-branded, CDC-approved safety goggles, face masks, and other items will be sent directly to our awardees to keep them safe at work and promote their HTRS involvement.

• 6 high-scoring abstracts designated as “Abstract of Distinction” in which the first author is a mid-career or senior investigator. First authors of these abstracts will give Oral Presentations.  They will have name recognition on the meeting’s mobile app and other marketing acknowledgments.

• NEW Oral Session Formatting. Oral Presentations will be concurrent sessions, with a total of 4 sessions overall and 4 presentations per timeslot. Below are the session topics:

  • Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM ET

    • Concurrent A: vWF/Hemophilia A

    • Concurrent B: Novel Mechanisms & Trials
       

  • Thursday, March 11, 2021 - 3:10 PM - 4:10 PM ET

    • Concurrent A: Thrombosis

    • Concurrent B: Hemophilia B

• NEW Poster Speed Sessions. To facilitate face-to-face interactions between poster presenters and meeting attendees, each poster presenter will pre-record a 2-minute presentation, which will be added to a continuous deck for their sessions. The presentations will play back to back, then attendees can access the “roundtable” for the presentation of their choice to interact with the presenter for 20-minutes of discussion. A timer will sound and the attendees will move to the next table of their choice. 

• New Sponsor/Exhibitor Speed Breaks. One-hour breaks will feature the supporters of the HTRS 2021 Scientific Symposium. Similar to the Poster Speed Sessions, conversations will take place at small 8-person tables, with attendees selecting which sponsor/exhibitor with whom they wish to meet. After 15-minutes, attendees will move to a new table to facilitate the experience of browsing exhibit booths in person.

• Enduring Continuing Medical Education. HTRS has partnered with Postgraduate Institute for Medicine to offer CME credits during the live-virtual meeting and as enduring content for up to one year post-conference. 

Regardless of format, we look forward to exploring hot topics in hemostasis and thrombosis during HTRS 2021, including COVID-19 and its impact on our field. This Symposium will also feature new opportunities for early-stage physician-scientists and researchers, including additional oral abstract and poster sessions, interactive breakouts, and mentoring. Our goal is to ensure that the lively scientific exchange you expect from HTRS meetings can and will continue as we adapt to this “new normal.”

We thank you for your flexibility. Please know that whatever meeting format is necessary, the dynamic and collegial experience that is the HTRS Scientific Symposium will endure.

Stay well and we will connect with you soon!

Your HTRS 2021 Scientific Symposium Planning Committee

Jordan A. Shavit, MD, PhD - Chair

Ayesha N. Zia, MD - Vice Chair

Gowthami Arepally, MD

Alan Mast, MD, PhD

Suman L. Sood, MD, MS

Alisa S. Wolberg, PhD

Loren D’Angelo, RN-BC, BSN, MSN, CPNP-PC - Team Lead, Allied Health Professionals

Mary Lesh, PNP, MSN

Caitlin J. Montcrieff, CPNP, CPHON

About HTRS 2021

HTRS 2021 will continue to be a comprehensive scientific meeting dedicated to continuing medical education and the advancement of clinical, translational, and basic science research related to non-malignant blood disorders in both pediatric and adult medicine for a target audience of:

• Clinicians and physician-scientists in pediatric and adult medicine, including related fields like cardiology, pulmonology, and obstetrics/gynecology

• Medical students, trainees, and junior faculty

• Basic and translational scientists 

• Nurses and nurse practitioners

• Physician assistants

• Pharmacists

• Any allied health professionals interested in hemostasis and/or thrombosis

• Industry colleagues

Highlights and Important Dates

• Registration - for the virtual conference is now open! The early-bird deadline is Friday, January 15, 2021. Register early and save!

• Travel Awards - formerly HTRS Travel Awards for the in-person meeting. HTRS has increased the number of abstract awards in 2021 for trainees, early-stage investigators, minorities, and allied health professionals who submit outstanding abstracts to the meeting.

• Continuing Education Credits - are offered through the joint providership of the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and HTRS, including AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for physicians, ANCC Contact Hours for nurses, and ACPE Contact Hours for pharmacists. New in 2021, enduring materials will be offered so attendees can submit for continuing education credits up to one year post-conference.

• Sponsorship and Exhibits - HTRS Corporate Colleagues and other industry supporters will offer exhibits, satellite symposia, and other special events to enhance the experience for full conference attendees.

We highly encourage you to join the HTRS mailing list to stay up-to-date on the latest developments over the next few months by emailing contact@htrs2021.org to be added.