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Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]
ABMDR achieves extraordinary milestones
by participating in European scientific symposium
Thanks to ABMDR efforts, Armenia is chosen as first country in
Caucasus to host meeting of European Federation for Immunogenetics
later this year
Los Angeles, February 11, 2011 - The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor
Registry (ABMDR) reached two significant milestones recently. On
January 22, the organization participated in a meeting of the
European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI). The second success came
when, at the conclusion of the event, Armenia was chosen as the first
country in the Caucasus to host an EFI meeting, in November of this
year.
The EFI provides technical support to immunogenetics laboratories
across the world, sets operational standards and methodologies, and
awards accreditation. A full member of the EFI, the ABMDR is
accredited by the federation for its HLA tissue typing laboratory in
Yerevan.
At the January 22 meeting, held in Athens, Greece, the ABMDR was
represented by Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the registry's Board
of Directors, and Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director of the
registry. The event was devoted to Histocompatibility and
Immunogenetics Laboratories in the EFI's Region 8, which includes the
Balkans. The meeting was attended by over 200 participants from 14
countries, comprising Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia,
Switzerland, and Turkey.
DR. Jordan addressed the meeting with a presentation titled
`Organizing a Bone Marrow Donor Registry in a Small Country.' Her
lecture, which detailed the work and goals of the ABMDR, received
high praise from attendees. Organizers and participants alike
congratulated the ABMDR for its many achievements since its launch in
1999, specifically commending the registry's global networking,
grassroots recruitment drives, and groundbreaking accomplishments
through its Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan.
The Stem Cell Harvesting Center reached a watershed in June 2010,
when, for the first time in the history of Armenia, it performed a
stem cell harvesting procedure. Thanks to the procedure, a bone
marrow transplant was later performed in Belgium, saving the life of
a patient who suffered from a potentially terminal blood-related
disease.
At the conclusion of the EFI meeting in Athens, organizers discussed
venue and date options for the next Histocompatibility and
Immunogenetics Laboratories meeting. Several countries, including
Armenia, had presented their candidacy for hosting the meeting. After
careful consideration, Armenia emerged as the clear favorite. As it
announced its decision, the EFI committee cited the scope and quality
of the ABMDR's work as the main factor in its selection of Armenia.
Furthermore, the committee entrusted the ABMDR to organize the
meeting, under the auspices of the EFI. The meeting is slated to be
held in Yerevan in November 2011.
`In addition to the ABMDR's participation at the EFI meeting in
Athens, the selection of Armenia as the host of the next
Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratories meeting is a major
achievement for our registry,' Dr. Jordan said. `For the first time
in history, Armenia will be hosting such a high-profile,
international scientific symposium. The meeting will also be the
first of its kind in the region. I think it's likewise important to
note that Armenia is the only country in the region to have a
laboratory, namely the one at the ABMDR Stem Cell Harvesting Center,
which is accredited by the EFI.'
Dr. Jordan added that the Yerevan meeting will be a great boon to
global cooperation in the immunogenetics field. For many years, she
explained, the ABMDR has been building collaborative relationships
between the scientific communities of Armenia and its neighbors. Such
broad cooperation will further encourage scientists from Russia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran to participate in the EFI meeting in
Yerevan, effectively enabling Armenia to function as a science bridge
between these countries and Europe, she said.
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
the ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide
survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and
matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.
To date, the registry has recruited over 20,000 donors in 13
countries across three continents, identified 1,696 patients, found
1,419 potential matches, and facilitated 12 bone marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.
# # #
From: A. Papazian
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]
ABMDR achieves extraordinary milestones
by participating in European scientific symposium
Thanks to ABMDR efforts, Armenia is chosen as first country in
Caucasus to host meeting of European Federation for Immunogenetics
later this year
Los Angeles, February 11, 2011 - The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor
Registry (ABMDR) reached two significant milestones recently. On
January 22, the organization participated in a meeting of the
European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI). The second success came
when, at the conclusion of the event, Armenia was chosen as the first
country in the Caucasus to host an EFI meeting, in November of this
year.
The EFI provides technical support to immunogenetics laboratories
across the world, sets operational standards and methodologies, and
awards accreditation. A full member of the EFI, the ABMDR is
accredited by the federation for its HLA tissue typing laboratory in
Yerevan.
At the January 22 meeting, held in Athens, Greece, the ABMDR was
represented by Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the registry's Board
of Directors, and Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director of the
registry. The event was devoted to Histocompatibility and
Immunogenetics Laboratories in the EFI's Region 8, which includes the
Balkans. The meeting was attended by over 200 participants from 14
countries, comprising Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia,
Switzerland, and Turkey.
DR. Jordan addressed the meeting with a presentation titled
`Organizing a Bone Marrow Donor Registry in a Small Country.' Her
lecture, which detailed the work and goals of the ABMDR, received
high praise from attendees. Organizers and participants alike
congratulated the ABMDR for its many achievements since its launch in
1999, specifically commending the registry's global networking,
grassroots recruitment drives, and groundbreaking accomplishments
through its Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan.
The Stem Cell Harvesting Center reached a watershed in June 2010,
when, for the first time in the history of Armenia, it performed a
stem cell harvesting procedure. Thanks to the procedure, a bone
marrow transplant was later performed in Belgium, saving the life of
a patient who suffered from a potentially terminal blood-related
disease.
At the conclusion of the EFI meeting in Athens, organizers discussed
venue and date options for the next Histocompatibility and
Immunogenetics Laboratories meeting. Several countries, including
Armenia, had presented their candidacy for hosting the meeting. After
careful consideration, Armenia emerged as the clear favorite. As it
announced its decision, the EFI committee cited the scope and quality
of the ABMDR's work as the main factor in its selection of Armenia.
Furthermore, the committee entrusted the ABMDR to organize the
meeting, under the auspices of the EFI. The meeting is slated to be
held in Yerevan in November 2011.
`In addition to the ABMDR's participation at the EFI meeting in
Athens, the selection of Armenia as the host of the next
Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratories meeting is a major
achievement for our registry,' Dr. Jordan said. `For the first time
in history, Armenia will be hosting such a high-profile,
international scientific symposium. The meeting will also be the
first of its kind in the region. I think it's likewise important to
note that Armenia is the only country in the region to have a
laboratory, namely the one at the ABMDR Stem Cell Harvesting Center,
which is accredited by the EFI.'
Dr. Jordan added that the Yerevan meeting will be a great boon to
global cooperation in the immunogenetics field. For many years, she
explained, the ABMDR has been building collaborative relationships
between the scientific communities of Armenia and its neighbors. Such
broad cooperation will further encourage scientists from Russia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran to participate in the EFI meeting in
Yerevan, effectively enabling Armenia to function as a science bridge
between these countries and Europe, she said.
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
the ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide
survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and
matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.
To date, the registry has recruited over 20,000 donors in 13
countries across three continents, identified 1,696 patients, found
1,419 potential matches, and facilitated 12 bone marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.
# # #
From: A. Papazian