STSM Experience in Coimbra, Portugal – 2026
Written by Dr Jelena Roganovic, Children’s Hospital Zagreb, Croatia I recently completed a Short-Term Scientific Mission at the Laboratory of Erythropathy and Iron Metabolism, University of Coimbra, under the mentorship of Prof. Celeste Bento. During this intensive training, I gained hands-on experience with advanced diagnostics for rare and complex hemoglobinopathies, including HPLC, Gap-PCR, MLPA, and […]
Advancing Care in Hemoglobinopathies: Transcranial Doppler Training in Ulm
On September 18, 2025, the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University Medical Center Ulm hosted a specialized training on Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography in the context of hemoglobinopathies. The event was organized by Prof. Holger Cario, a leading figure in pediatric hematology, and brought together esteemed trainers: Dr. Matthias Schaal, Dr. Wolfgang […]
Inspiring Experience at the COST Academy – Young Researcher Training (2–3 September 2025)
We are delighted to share that our Grant Holder Manager. Dr Sotiroula Chatzimatthaiou attended the COST Academy – Young Researcher Training, held on 2–3 September 2025. The event brought together a vibrant community of young researchers and innovators from different COST Actions, creating an inspiring space for learning, networking, and collaboration. Building Connections Across COST […]
Short-Term Scientific Mission on the Ethical and Regulatory Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence in Rare Haemoglobinopathies
Written by Dr Coralea Stephanou, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics In July 2025, I had the opportunity to carry out a 4-day Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) in Bari, hosted by the Fondazione per la Ricerca Farmacologica Gianni Benzi Onlus (FGB). The STSM was supported by the HELIOS COST Action (CA22119) and organized through […]
Reflections on the ESH Conference by Dr Liri Seraj: Advancing Haemoglobinopathy Research Through HELIOS and Collaborative Innovation
This article is written by Dr. Liri Seraj. You can explore more of her insights on haemoglobinopathy research on her blog: hemalily.com. Did you know that approximately 2.5 million reticulocytes are produced every second in our bone marrow? The recent conference I attended was not your typical large-scale event with thousands of attendees, and that […]
HELIOS at ASCAT Conference 2024: Advancing Hemoglobinopathy Research Through Collaboration
During the ASCAT Conference 2024, HELIOS held its inaugural scientific meeting on October 3, 2024, titled “Fostering Collaboration and Harmonisation in Haemoglobinopathy Research and Training through Synergistic Networking,” in London. This milestone event took place during the renowned Annual Sickle Cell and Thalassemia (ASCAT) Congress, a three-day gathering from October 2-5 at the ETC Venue. […]
HELIOS fourth Short-Term Scientific Mission “Training in Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis of Monogenic Disorders: A Focus on Haemoglobinopathies”
Written by Dr Burak Durmaz, Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, Izmir, Turkiye I recently had the opportunity to participate in a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) funded by the COST Action CA22119. My mission took place at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, St. Sophia Children’s Hospital, Choremeio Research Laboratory – Laboratory […]
HELIOS Mission: Optimizing Geospatial Models for Global Hemoglobinopathy Forecasting
Written by Ms Mikaella Kontopoulou, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Cyprus The HELIOS-funded Short-Term Scientific Mission at the WorldPop research group significantly advanced the geospatial modelling framework for forecasting the global burden of hemoglobinopathy. Improved data pre-processing strategies were implemented to address data heterogeneity and ensure that the most reliable data points are used […]
HELIOS second Short-Term Scientific Mission: Long-read-amplicon haplotyping for β-thalassaemia preimplantation genetic testing for couples with no additional family history
Written by Ms Florentia Romanou, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Cyprus Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic Disorders (PGT-M) involves examining nuclear or mitochondrial DNA pathogenic variants that cause monogenic disorders with autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked transmission patterns. It also includes exclusion testing and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-typing with or without simultaneous testing […]
HELIOS first Short-Term Scientific Mission for standardising annotation of structural haemoglobinopathies
Written by Ms Maria Xeniphontos, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Cyprus Structural haemoglobinopathies are genetic disorders characterized by abnormalities in the structure of haemoglobin (Hb), the oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells. These abnormalities result from pathogenic variants affecting the amino acid sequence of the globin chains causing alterations in the functional […]