Recognizing Excellence in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Nursing

Nurses

During the 2026 Tandem Meetings of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research in Salt Lake City, UT, the Oncology Nursing Foundation (ONF) recognized three nurses by awarding each a $500 stipend for their abstracts in the nursing track. Recipients of the Foundation’s 2025 Josh Gottheil Stem Cell Transplantation/Bone Marrow Transplantation Career Development Award attended the Tandem Meetings and were featured at the ONS booth at the event.   

2026 Best Abstract, Nursing Track, Recipients at the Tandem Meetings:  

  • Vivian Huang, MS, RN, CNS, AGCNS-BC, TCTCN™, OCN® 

  • Kathleen Lee, BA, MSN, RN, CPN, CPHON® 

  • Kelly Terrell, MBA, BSN, RN, TCTCN™  

Huang’s abstract, “Pumping up Safety and Efficiency: Modernizing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Infusion,” presented a quality improvement initiative focused on modernizing hematopoietic progenitor cell infusion. Her research demonstrated that transitioning from gravity infusion to pump delivery enhanced safety and efficiency without compromising cell integrity. The findings support the adoption of pump infusion as a safe and effective method for cellular therapies.  

Lee was recognized for her abstract, “Improving First Dose Antibiotic Times for Febrile Transplant and Cellular Therapy Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department.” Lee et al. detailed a project to reduce the time to first dose IV antibiotics for patients receiving cellular therapy in the emergency department. The researchers successfully implemented multidisciplinary strategies to significantly shorten antibiotic administration times and improve outcomes. 

“Impact of Motixafortide on Apheresis Chair Utilization and Mobilization Efficiency Compared to Plerixafor in Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Candidates,” which Terell presented, examined the impact of motixafortide, a CXCR4 inhibitor, in combination with filgrastim (G-CSF) on apheresis chair use and stem cell mobilization efficiency in recipients  undergoing autologous stem cell transplants for multiple myeloma. Through a retrospective analysis, Terrell found that this mobilization strategy offered comparable operational efficiency and collection outcomes to plerixafor-based regimens, suggesting that both approaches are equally effective in clinical practice settings.  

ONF is dedicated to advancing excellence in oncology nursing and supports nurses who are specializing in transplantation and cellular therapy. By facilitating opportunities like these, ONF fosters professional growth and highlights outstanding achievements for oncology nurses.