Title: Tanya Siddiqi, MD, and Lisa Lee, MD, Named Co-Chairs of Irvine Program on Emerging Therapies in Hematologic Malignancies
Article:
A comprehensive, in-person educational program focused on advancing the care of patients with hematologic malignancies will take place August 13–14, 2026, in Irvine, California, bringing together hematologists, oncologists, pathologists, and other healthcare professionals to examine emerging therapies, multidisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based treatment strategies. The two-day meeting, presented in partnership with City of Hope Orange County, is part of the broader Advancing Precision Oncology and Advancing Pathology Education event series, which has built a track record of convening specialists around specific disease areas across the diagnostic-to-treatment continuum.
Hematologic malignancies, which include a wide range of blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic system cancers, have seen a wave of therapeutic innovation in recent years, from cellular therapies to novel targeted agents. That pace of change has made it increasingly difficult for practicing clinicians to stay current on treatment paradigms without dedicated, focused educational programming, a gap this Irvine program is explicitly designed to address.
Co-chairs bring complementary expertise in lymphoid malignancies and clinical care
The program is co-chaired by Tanya Siddiqi, MD, Medical Director of Lymphoma and IEC Programs at City of Hope Orange County and Professor in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. A nationally recognized leader in lymphoid malignancies and cellular therapies, Dr. Siddiqi brings extensive experience in clinical research and the development of novel treatment approaches for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma, two disease areas that have been at the center of recent advances in targeted and cellular therapy.
Joining her as co-chair is Lisa Lee, MD, Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope. Dr. Lee’s expertise in hematologic malignancies and multidisciplinary patient care is positioned to help bridge emerging science with practical clinical application, ensuring the program’s agenda remains grounded in the realities of day-to-day patient management rather than purely theoretical advances. Together, the two co-chairs bring a combination of research-driven and clinically applied perspectives that reflects the program’s stated emphasis on both scientific progress and real-world care.
A clinically focused agenda across myeloid and lymphoid disease
Under Dr. Siddiqi and Dr. Lee’s direction, the program will feature a clinically focused agenda exploring contemporary management strategies across hematologic malignancies, with a deliberate emphasis on practical decision-making and real-world patient care rather than purely academic discussion. The two-day format, combining expert-led presentations with interactive panel discussions, is designed to give attendees both structured educational content and the opportunity to engage directly with faculty on the complex cases they encounter in their own practices.
Topics on the agenda include advances in both myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, reflecting the breadth of disease types that fall under the hematologic malignancies umbrella. The program will also address cellular therapies, including CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific antibodies, two of the most significant treatment innovations to reach the clinic for blood cancers in recent years. Rounding out the agenda, sessions will cover emerging treatment approaches in multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, and monoclonal gammopathies, disease areas that have similarly benefited from a growing pipeline of novel therapeutic options.
A partnership with City of Hope Orange County
The program’s presentation in partnership with City of Hope Orange County reflects the institution’s standing as a major center for hematologic malignancy research and care, and situates the Irvine meeting within a broader regional ecosystem of specialized cancer treatment expertise. For attendees, that institutional backing offers a level of assurance that the program’s content will reflect current, practice-relevant approaches drawn directly from an active clinical and research environment rather than secondhand or dated material.
Complimentary registration and continuing education credit
The in-person conference offers complimentary registration and has been approved for up to 7.0 hours of combined CE/CME/CPE credit, along with ABPath MOC credit. This accessible structure is intended to lower the barrier to attendance for practicing clinicians, allowing hematologists, oncologists, pathologists, and other healthcare professionals to participate without registration cost serving as an obstacle, while still earning credit toward their ongoing continuing education requirements.
A program addressing a fast-moving field
As treatment options for hematologic malignancies continue to expand, particularly in the areas of cellular therapy and targeted treatment for conditions like CLL, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, programs like this one serve an increasingly important function in helping practicing clinicians translate rapidly evolving science into concrete changes in patient management. By pairing nationally recognized research leadership with clinicians focused on practical application, the Irvine program aims to give attendees both a clear picture of where the field is heading and actionable guidance for applying that progress in their own practices.
Those interested in attending can view the full agenda and register for the conference, with additional details available for those looking to learn more about this in-person program as part of the broader Advancing Precision Oncology and Advancing Pathology Education series.