In June 2026, the world-renowned European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress grandly opened in Stockholm, Sweden. As one of the largest and most influential academic events in the global field of hematology, this year's EHA Congress not only brought together top-tier academic research results but also defined the development direction for global hematology diagnosis and treatment over the next five to ten years through the release of a series of strategic blueprints. The opening ceremony covered strategic addresses from the Board of Directors, research grant awards, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and Education & Mentoring awards, as well as a highly prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award lecture. Experts showcased the rapid transformation of hematology in the era of precision medicine from a comprehensive perspective, ranging from macro-level industry policies to micro-level molecular biological mechanisms.Part 1: Opening Introduction—The Power of Global Collaboration in Hematology
In June 2026, the northern European city of Stockholm welcomed a “highlight moment” for the global hematology community. The 31st Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) officially commenced here. This year’s congress adopted a highly innovative “online + offline” integrated model, attracting more than 18,000 hematologists, basic science researchers, nursing professionals, and patient advocacy representatives from Europe and around the world.
At the beginning of the ceremony, a visually impactful video demonstrated the soul of hematology research to the attendees: Collaboration, Innovation, and Progress. The congress emphasized that EHA is not only an academic organization but a closely connected Community. Here, discoveries in basic science are rapidly translated into clinical practice, aiming to provide millions of hematology patients worldwide with better prevention plans, more precise treatment methods, and higher-quality survival. The early summer in Stockholm witnessed the boundless passion of hematology professionals for life sciences and their firm conviction to conquer blood diseases.
Part 2: Presidential Address—EHA 2030 Strategic Blueprint and Industry Responsibility
The Congress President, Professor Konstanze Döhner from the University of Ulm, Germany, first delivered a warm opening speech. Professor Döhner noted that the packed venue in Stockholm is a symbol of the global hematology community’s cohesion. EHA’s core mission remains unchanged: to strengthen the common commitment to the cause of hematology through academic exchange and the building of deep connections.
2.1 EHA 2030 Strategic Roadmap: Foresight and Inclusivity
Professor Döhner focused on the “2030 Strategic Roadmap” that EHA is actively promoting. The plan aims to transform EHA into a more modern, inclusive, and forward-looking association. The core of the strategy lies in “Borderless Hematology,” which means breaking down geographical, disciplinary, and professional rank barriers. Under this framework, EHA has expanded its support system from digital education to lifelong learning, with specific initiatives for early-career professionals, scientific breakthroughs, policy advocacy, and health equity being implemented gradually.
2.2 Deep Involvement in European Health Policy Formulation
In addition to academic leadership, Professor Döhner emphasized EHA’s influence at the health policy level. EHA is currently deeply involved in health policy discussions across Europe, particularly regarding the access and assessment of innovative therapies. By participating in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process, EHA ensures that the unique complexity of blood diseases is objectively reflected in European regulatory decisions, thereby shortening the distance for innovative drugs from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside. Furthermore, EHA is actively promoting the improvement of the clinical research environment, calling on researchers and patient representatives to establish more proportional, patient-centered clinical trial regulations to significantly reduce unnecessary complexity while ensuring research quality.
Professor Meritxell Alberich Jorda, Chair of the Scientific Program Committee from Prague, Czechia, provided a comprehensive interpretation of this year’s congress from the perspective of academic planning. She stated that the academic agenda is a crystallization of collective wisdom, covering more than 575 high-level academic presentations. The congress received over 4,700 abstract submissions from around the world, and after rigorous peer review, the selected content represents the highest level of basic research, translational medicine, and clinical validation in the current field of hematology. Professor Jorda specifically recommended the Plenary Session on Saturday and the Late-breaking Session on Sunday, which will disclose several heavyweight research datasets that could change clinical practice.
Part 3: Lifetime Achievement Award Lecture—Professor Claire Harrison’s MPN Scientific Expedition
To thunderous applause, the highest honor of this year’s EHA Congress—the “EHA Lifetime Achievement Award”—was presented to Professor Claire Harrison from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, UK. Professor Harrison is not only a world-renowned expert in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) but also one of the founders of MPN Voice in the UK and the International MPN Advocacy Network.
Professor Harrison delivered a brilliant lecture titled “From Dameshek to Disease Modification: an MPN journey.”
3.1 A Patient Case Spanning 30 Years: Viewing Medical Evolution Through Gina’s Story
Professor Harrison used a patient named “Gina” as the narrative thread of her lecture. In 1997, 12-year-old Gina was diagnosed with Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) due to a significantly elevated platelet count. At that time, the medical community’s understanding of MPN was in a relatively rudimentary stage. Through Gina’s nearly 30-year treatment journey, Professor Harrison demonstrated the epochal leap in MPN diagnosis and treatment: • Initial Phase (1990s): Treatment goals were extremely limited, mainly relying on hydroxyurea or anagrelide to control platelet counts and prevent thrombosis. • Molecular Discovery Era (2000s–2010s): Following the discovery of CALR mutations (Professor Harrison’s team was a core contributor), Gina was confirmed to carry the CALR mutation. This discovery not only clarified the disease’s driver mechanism but also laid the foundation for subsequent precision prognostic stratification. • Disease Modification Era (2020s): Treatment goals are no longer limited to reducing counts but attempt to achieve molecular remission or even reverse the progression of myelofibrosis through immunomodulatory treatments such as interferon or new targeted drugs.
3.2 Review of Heavyweight Clinical Research: PT-1 and Magic-PV
Professor Harrison detailed two milestone studies she led: • PT-1 Study: This is one of the largest academic studies in the field of ET, establishing the status of hydroxyurea combined with aspirin as the standard treatment for high-risk ET patients. The study found that compared to anagrelide, hydroxyurea has a more significant advantage in reducing the rate of transformation to myelofibrosis and decreasing thrombotic events. • Magic-PV Study: This study explored the application of long-acting interferon in patients with Polycythemia Vera (PV). Data showed that approximately 50% of patients achieved a significant reduction in allele burden, and this molecular response was closely related to the patient’s Event-Free Survival (EFS) and Overall Survival (OS). This marks a new phase in MPN treatment: the pursuit of “deep remission.”
3.3 Looking to the Future: Disease Modification and CALR Targeted Therapy
At the end of the lecture, Professor Harrison looked forward to new horizons in MPN treatment. Currently, new targeted therapies for CALR mutations and combination therapies targeting Janus Kinase (JAK) (such as the Centauri study) are in full swing. She emphasized that future hematology research must possess the quality of being “Brave”—not only to establish scientific research projects but also to build scientific communities and always listen to the voice of the patients. She attributed this award to the entire MPN research team (Team MPN), demonstrating the demeanor of a humble yet rigorous scholar.
Part 4: Awards for Excellence—Comprehensive Encouragement for Talent, Education, and Diversity
During the opening ceremony, EHA also presented a series of important awards to honor leaders who have promoted progress in hematology across different dimensions.
4.1 Funding Ceremony: Supporting the New Generation of Scientific Forces
Professor Dominique Bonnet from London hosted the grant awards. In 2026, the EHA Grants program showed unprecedented breadth: • Scale and Distribution: Grants were awarded to a total of 47 applicants from 16 different countries, including Central and Eastern European countries such as Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, fully reflecting EHA’s efforts to close regional research gaps. • Gender Equality: Notably, more than half of the grant recipients were female scientists, which is a milestone significance in previous large-scale medical congresses.
4.2 DEI Award (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion):
Professor Gianluca Gaidano from the University of Eastern Piedmont (Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy) won the award for his contribution to promoting inclusivity in the field of hematology. Professor Gaidano has long been committed to disseminating advanced knowledge of hematology diagnosis and treatment to areas with relatively scarce medical resources through academic exchange projects. In his speech, he specifically quoted Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He emphasized that “Reciprocity” is the core of DEI, and hematology professionals should regard patients in underdeveloped areas as “our patients,” narrowing the global gap in survival benefits through knowledge sharing.
4.3 Education & Mentoring Award:
Professor Raul Cordoba from the Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital (Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain) received this award. He has made outstanding contributions to the construction of hematology education and training systems. Professor Cordoba remarked that Mentoring is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about companionship and guidance. He believes that behind every successful hematologist, there is a bond linked by mentors at different stages, and this bond supports the continuous passing of the torch in the cause of hematology.
4.4 Young EHA Award:
Dr. Nico Gagelmann from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, won this award. In his speech, he expressed deeply profound sentiments, emphasizing that young physicians should not only focus on the Deadline for clinical trials but also safeguard the “Freedom of Science.” He pointed out that in today’s era full of contradictions and challenges, we need to maintain critical thinking, sincerity toward others, and reverence for science.
Part 5: Journal Annual Award—HemaSphere Paper of the Year and Breakthroughs in Multiple Myeloma
As the official academic journal of EHA, the Editor-in-Chief of HemaSphere, Professor Jan Cools from KU Leuven, Belgium, announced the Best Paper Award for 2024-2025 at the opening ceremony.
5.1 Focus on the MagnetisMM-3 Study and Elranatamab
The award was granted to a heavyweight study on Elranatamab published by Professor Michael Thomasson and his team (with Professor Alexander Leshokhin as the senior author). Elranatamab is a bispecific antibody targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and the CD3 receptor on the T-cell surface. • Research Data and Granularity: The award-winning paper disclosed detailed follow-up data from the MagnetisMM-3 study. In trials for patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM) who had previously received multiple lines of therapy (including proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies), Elranatamab demonstrated extremely powerful and durable clinical benefits. Data showed that in this highly refractory subject population, the Objective Response Rate (ORR) reached a significant level, and the median Duration of Response (mDOR) and Overall Survival (OS) were substantially improved compared to previous standard treatment regimens. • Clinical Significance: Professor Michael Thomasson emotionally recalled during the award ceremony that at the beginning of his career, multiple myeloma was almost equivalent to a “death sentence,” with a median survival of only 3-5 years. Today, with the advent of bispecific antibodies and CAR-T therapies, the hematology community has begun to seriously discuss the possibility of a “cure” for multiple myeloma. The publication of this study provides crucial evidence-based medical grounds for RRMM patients worldwide.
Part 6: Conclusion and Industry Significance—Academic Echoes of a Stockholm Summer
The opening ceremony of the 2026 EHA Annual Congress was not just an award gala, but a collective declaration of the spirit of hematology. From Professor Claire Harrison’s 30-year MPN follow-up to Professor Michael Thomasson’s reflections on the survival miracle of myeloma, a clear signal was conveyed: hematology research has entered a new stage—from “qualitative” to “quantitative,” from “experience” to “precision,” and from “control” to “modification.”
As the congress summary stated, progress in hematology depends not only on high-throughput sequencing in laboratories or precise designs in clinical trials but even more so on the close connection of the global hematology community. The grand opening of this year’s EHA Congress in Stockholm has set the tone for the academic storm of the next four days. We have every reason to believe that under the guidance of the EHA 2030 strategy, the development of hematology will become more equitable, more scientific, and more filled with humanistic care.
(This summary was compiled by the Oncology Horizon (Tumor Lookout) Mediamedic editorial team based on live content to ensure rigorous medical terminology and verifiable data.)
