With thanks and gratitude to the support of the HaemStar Legacy Fund, I was able to attend the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting in 2025, held in Glasgow. Looking back on this experience I feel incredibly fortunate to have had my E-Poster accepted for the event, as it has positively influenced my decision to pursue haematology as a future career.

Making the transition from being a medical student to entering the working world was something I initially found challenging. Attending the conference and meeting peers who shared a passion for haematology and research was both reassuring and motivating, encouraging me to continue developing my interest in the field.

I began the day by attending a session titled: “Chances and challenges: The Haematology Laboratory of the Future”. Here, I learned about the efforts to standardise morphological blood film and histology teaching for haematology trainees on the Pathology Portal. Having a wealth of high-quality resources when preparing for challenging FRCPath exams is something of a relief and it is inspiring to see how there are opportunities to improve medical education even at the level of senior Haematology registrars.

I attended the BSH Medal Lecture and Presidential Session and listened to talks given by Professor Paul Moss and Lord James O’Shaughnessy. These talks provided valuable insight about the context and history of haematological and immunological advances and highlighted where the forefronts for further molecular research are. In addition, Lord O’Shaughnessy’s provided important perspective about the clinical trial pipeline and how the UK compares to its European and International counterparts when it comes to research output.

My E-Poster detailed a case of Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma which presented with a range of immune dysregulatory features, which I encountered while working at a district general hospital. I have subsequently been fortunate enough to publish this work as a case report.

The day also provided an excellent opportunity to network and speak to other attendees about their experiences. The poster-walk highlighted research efforts particularly in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis, which is an area of research that I am interested. I want to explore pharmacological strategies that could potentially untie thrombosis (or rather anti-thrombosis) from haemostasis. In this regard, I am excited to read more about the potential for glycoprotein VI as a novel target that interrupts platelet adhesion without necessarily increasing bleeding risk.

Overall, my time at the BSH Annual Scientific meeting 2025 was extremely educational. I will always be grateful for to have had this opportunity as it has provided me with the greater clarity and strengthened enthusiasm for pursuing a career in haematology.