I will always be incredibly grateful to HaemSTAR for providing the funding that enabled my trip to Washington, D.C. (the destination for coagulation—if you believe the posters!) for ISTH. So, first and foremost, thank you!

I was a little apprehensive beforehand, but the conference was exceptionally well-organised and intellectually stimulating, covering a broad range of topics—from cutting-edge scientific research to clinical studies with direct relevance to patient care. The results from the first head-to-head study of Apixaban versus Rivaroxaban in VTE are likely to drive meaningful changes in clinical practice.

I had the honour (albeit one I briefly wished on someone else) of presenting our analysis of a 15-year cohort of patients with acquired haemophilia A treated at the Royal London Hospital. Presenting to a room of 500 people, with the session chaired by none other than Professor Tiede—an expert in the field—certainly added to the pressure. But the conference environment was thankfully both supportive and encouraging. It was a surreal, yet invaluable, experience to have world-leading experts commenting on my work.

I would wholeheartedly encourage other trainees to consider submitting their work to ISTH in the future.

There’s something truly special about being surrounded by experts from across the globe, all equally committed to education and improving patient care. The exchange of ideas—through oral presentations, poster sessions, and even informal conversations over coffee—has given me a great deal of inspiration and food for thought.