BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ICCBBA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of leading experts in blood transfusion, cellular therapy, and tissue transplantation from around the world. Board positions are advertised publicly and Board members normally serve six-year terms. The current Board of Directors has members from Belgium, Egypt, India, Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS &
THEIR ROLE IN LICENSING FEES
There is growing recognition of the importance of a single global standard for the coding and labelling of medical products of human origin, and of the unique position of ISBT 128 to fulfil this role. The ISBT 128 Standard is well established and widely endorsed and is already in use in over 5,000 facilities in over 77 countries.
ICCBBA was created specifically for this role in 1994 in order to both manage the ISBT 128 Standard and to ensure its availability to the global healthcare community in a cost effective manner.
The unique structure of the organization delivers these objectives through an effective separation of responsibilities between the Board of Directors and the Executive Director and staff. The Board is responsible for governance which includes approval of the budget and fee schedule. The Executive Director and staff are responsible for operational management.
The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers from the user or regulator community and in many cases Board members are themselves managing organizations that are ISBT 128 users. Board Members receive no remuneration, and serve for a maximum of seven years. Replacements are identified through a public recruitment process and ICCBBA is fortunate to have many internationally recognised experts as past or current Board Members.
The governance role of the Board ensures that ICCBBA is managed in an effective and efficient manner and is appropriately staffed and funded whilst at the same time ensuring a fee structure that is fair and appropriate. As Board Members receive no remuneration, and have no long term association with ICCBBA (max 7 years) they can maintain the necessary balance and independence to ensure stakeholders receive good value for money.
In this way the ICCBBA Board of Directors has ensured that ICCBBA has developed in a sustainable and responsible manner since its creation in 1994, and will continue to ensure effective controls and efficiencies as ISBT 128 moves forward as the International Standard for Blood and Transplant.
Staff
For general inquiries, questions related to registration, invoices, licensing, other financial matters, and technical issues related to ISBT 128, please contact our help desk at support@iccbba.org.
Directors
Global DevElopment Officer
Dr. Shivanand Kumatagi
Global Development Officer – India
Accounting
Allison Hiebert
Administrative Assistant II – Accounting
Cristina Villegas
Administrative Assistant II- Accounting
Global Development
Wendy Becerra
Operations Coordinator
Robbie Eich
Creative Services Coordinator
Education & Support
Kayla Perez
Education Specialist
Betty Perez
Project Coordinator
Technical
Ryan Ruiz
Lead Information Standards Specialist
Alex Garlets
Information Standards Specialist II
Precious Oweiss
Information Standards Specialist
CHAIR: Mohammed Farouk
Dr. Farouk is a medical doctor graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the Faculty of Medicine of Cairo University, Egypt and received a post graduate Master’s in Healthcare Business Administration (MBA) from Clarkson University, NY, USA. He further holds certificates in Patient Blood Management from the Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management and Epidemiology and Research Methodologies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
Dr. Farouk has almost 25 years of professional experience, he implemented many EU, WHO, USAID, GIZ, and Swiss Red Cross projects in Eastern Europe, Balkans, Middle East, Africa, and the Far-East in fields of blood transfusion, Human tissues and cells, HIV, and maternal health. He has authored, co-authored, and reviewed many research papers, book chapters, and guidelines in the field of blood transfusion.
Currently, Dr. Farouk is the managing director of the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion and the key expert of the EU project of restructuring Ukraine’s public health system. In addition, he is the Chair of the ICCBBA Board, a member of AABB Global Transfusion Forum, and a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Transfusion Medicine Institute (IDTM), Netherlands.
VICE CHAIR: Zbigniew M Szczepiorkowski
Zbigniew (Ziggy) M. Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, FCAP, is currently an associate professor of pathology and of medicine at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth as well as section chief of laboratory medicine, medical director of the Transfusion Medicine Service, medical director of the Center for Transfusion Medicine Research, and director of the Cellular Therapy Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, N.H, USA. Szczepiorkowski also directs the fellowship program in transfusion medicine at DHMC, which he established in 2007. He also is an investigator at Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center) and a consultant in pathology services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston as well as a visiting professor in Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
Szczepiorkowski has served in many leadership capacities with organizations and professional societies. He is past president of AABB; past president of the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA); chair of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion Collaborative (BEST), a past treasurer of the World Apheresis Association; a past member of the board of directors of the National Marrow Donor Program (Be The Match); Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation Research (CIBMTR); National Blood Foundation (NBF) and NBF Research Education Trust. He also has served on multiple National Institutes of Health review panels as well as various committees of AABB, American Society for Apheresis, College of American Pathologists, International Society of Blood Transfusion, Faculty 1000, International Committee on Transfusion Medicine Guidelines; Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, International Council for Commonality in Blood Bank Automation, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and the National Marrow Donor Program. He has been the chair of CTCLAG since 2014.
He has authored or co-authored more than 110 peer-reviewed publications; over 30 book chapters; and edited 3 books in the fields of laboratory medicine, cellular therapy, apheresis and transfusion medicine. He serves as section editor of (Cellular Therapy and Reviews) “Vox Sanguinis.” and associate editor of the “Journal of Clinical Apheresis”. He participated in research funded both by government and industry sources. He is currently a consultant for Fresenius Kabi and Grifols, Inc.
His current research includes studies of adaptive immunotherapy in cancer, the clinical use of apheresis and cellular therapy products.
A graduate of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, Szczepiorkowski was an intern in Mokotowski Hospital in Warsaw, then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He obtained his doctorate in medicine at the Medical Center for Postgraduate Education in Warsaw. He was a resident and chief resident in clinical pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also was a Grove-Rasmussen transfusion medicine fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital.
SECRETARY: Jelena Holovati
Dr. Jelena Holovati is a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta, Canada, and a Laboratory Director for the Stem Cell Manufacturing Program at the Canadian Blood Services, including Ottawa and Edmonton stem cell manufacturing centres. She also serves as a director of the Graduate Program at University of Alberta, scientific consultant with the Alberta Health Services Tissue Transplant Program and an accreditation inspector for International Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. Dr. Holovati received her BSc in Medical Laboratory Science and MLT(CSMLS), MT(ACP) certification in 2002 and completed her PhD in Medical Sciences at the University of Alberta in 2008.
Dr. Holovati brings years of leadership experience ensuring credible development, implementation, measurement and evaluation of biomanufacturing, cell therapy, and medical laboratory related initiatives, as well as service in education, accreditation, policy and governance. She also serves on several international and national committees, including, American Association of Blood Banks Cell Therapy Standards Committee, Health Canada Lymphohematopoietic Cells Standards Committee, International Society for Cell Therapy Lab Practice Committee and Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine Education Committee. She has been involved with ICCBBA organization since 2016, first as a member, then a chair of NATTAG, as well as a member of ICCBBA Standards Committee.
TREASURER: Kathleen Hopping
An accomplished professional with a commitment to excellence in leadership in quality & regulatory compliance across corporate and non-profit healthcare sectors, Ms. Hopping brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organization.
Ms. Hopping currently serves as a Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at Vitalant, a leading US blood and biotherapies healthcare organization, providing hospitals and patients across the US a safe blood supply, specialized laboratory services, transfusion medicine expertise, and world-renowned research, with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has built US government relationships through hundreds of blood license Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) submissions, to include labeling submissions, to FDA. She has organizational responsibility for interpretation of and compliance to laws and regulations related to blood banking, transfusion medicine, tissue, cellular therapies, biotherapies, and research. In a prior role she was a member of the BioCare executive team, a $1B company, which includes BioCareSD, a leading US specialty distributor of life-saving therapies and LogiCare3PL, a US provider of time and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical logistics services. In this role she worked to apply GS1 Standards for FDA Drug Supply Chain Security Act and Traceability compliance.
With a career spanning over two decades, Ms. Hopping has continually demonstrated her commitment to excellence and quality and regulatory compliance related to lifesaving products, specifically blood and biotherapies. Her dedication to these fields is evident through her involvement in various national and international committees, including the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) Regulatory Affairs Committee and the Circular of Information Task Force Committee. Ms. Hopping is also a member of the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society and she hold a Regulatory Affairs Certification-US.
Ms. Hopping’s journey with ICCBBA began in 2018, initially as a Member and later taking on roles of increasing responsibility within the organization. She currently serves as the chair of the ATAG and has participated in ATAG as a Technical Expert and Chaired one of the subcommittees (Bacterial Testing Strategies for Platelets – US Guidance). Her active involvement and leadership within ICCBBA highlight her dedication to advancing ISBT 128 standards and best practices in blood banking automation.
In addition to her impressive professional accomplishments, Ms. Hopping is deeply committed to ongoing education, policy development, accreditation and licensing, and governance within her field. Her dedication to the ongoing development of standards and practices ensures the delivery of safe and effective medical products of human origin to patients worldwide.
Matthew J. Kuehnert
Matthew J. Kuehnert, MD is deputy editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed open access journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Matt has been recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in biovigilance, including methods for monitoring transfusion and transplant adverse events to ensure patient safety.
From 2017 to 2021, he was Chief Medical Officer of the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (also known as MTF Biologics), one of the world’s largest nonprofit processors of human tissue. Before 2017, while a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service, he coordinated investigations, surveillance, and policy as CDC’s Director of the Office of Blood, Organ, and Other Tissue Safety.
He completed his undergraduate education at the University of California at San Diego and received his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons. He trained in Internal Medicine at Stanford University and the University of California at San Francisco, and in Infectious Diseases at Emory University. An Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Emory University, he is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Mickey Boon Chai Koh
Dr. Mickey Koh received his medical degree in Singapore followed by subsequent specialist haematology training including his PhD in London. He holds 2 concurrent positions (UK and Singapore) and has been doing this for more than 12 years. Dr. Koh is the Head of Haematology at St George’s University Hospitals, London, UK and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Infection and Immunity Clinical Academic Group, St George’s University of London. He is also the Program and Medical Director of the Academic Cell Therapy Facility at Health Sciences Authority, Singapore which is a governmental and grant funded internationally accredited GMP facility overseeing translational research and clinical trials in all areas of cell based medicine.
His work combines a healthy mixture of clinical haematology, stem cell transplantation, collaborative research, clinical grade cell manufacturing, and academic teaching with a broad interest encompassing all cellular therapeutics from transfusion and regenerative medicine.
He is active in the international arena and has led capacity building projects in Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Vietnam looking at infrastructures for setting up transplant programs and safe blood transfusion on behalf of the WHO and other governmental bodies.
Some of his other current/recent positions are:
- Visiting Professor: Taipei Medical University
- VExecutive Secretary of the WBMT (Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation) a WHO affiliated NGO
- VChairperson of the Cellular Therapies Working Party at ISBT
- VVice-Chair, ISCT Presidential Taskforce on Unproven Cell Therapies, International Society of Cell Therapy
- VChief External Examiner for Haematology Post Graduate Examination, University of West Indies
- VHas been invited by World Health Organization (WHO) as an expert advisor for Transfusion Medicine and Medical Products Human Origin
Diletta Trojan
Born on 14th August 1987 in Treviso, Italy
Education
2013 Professional National Register in Biology
2009-2011 Specialistic University Degree in Medical Biology University of Padova, Main topics: Pathology, Microbiology, Genetics, Anatomy, Histology
2006-2009 Degree in Biology, University of Padova Main topics: Chemistry, Physyology, Evolution, Biochemistry, Biology
Professional Experience
August 2018 – Present Director of Fondazione Banca dei Tessuti del Veneto, Responsible Person for all tissue bank activities
October 2019 – Present President, European Association of Tissue and Cell Banks (EATCB)
2013- July 2018 Quality Manager and Research activities, Fondazione Banca dei Tessuti di Treviso, Main activities:
– Quality and operations management,
– Support of EU projects,
– Collaboration with competent authorities and European establishment,
– Publications management
– Collaboration with surgeons for clinical research and development of new tissues
2010-2011 RESEARCHER activities Universitè Pierre et Marie Curie – Hopital Saint Antoine (Paris)
– Colon cancer research
– Mouse models
– Genetic tests
Aseem Tiwari
MD, Pathology. Certified National Accreditation Board of Hospitals (NABH) assessor and certified Transplant coordinator from NMDP, US. Presently Senior Director, Department of Transfusion Medicine at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
Life member of Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohematology (ISBTI) and Indian Society of Transfusion Medicine (ISTM); currently Vice-President of ISTM
Over 150 publications in indexed national and international journals. Is reviewer to several journals. Recipient of H D Shourie award of Indian Society of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology (ISBTI) for 2009 and J R Jolly award of ISBTI in 2016, Mother Teresa award of ISBTI (2024)
Claudia Cohn
Dr. Cohn earned her PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, her MD from Louisiana State University and completed her Transfusion Medicine fellowship at University of California, San Francisco. She is the Medical Director of the Blood Bank Lab at University of Minnesota, the Chief Medical Officer for the AABB and Chair of the Advisory Committee for Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability for the US Department of Health and Human Services. Her main academic interests include refractory platelet management, hemovigilance and appropriate use of blood components.
Francisco Martinez Flores
MD degree by Statal University of Mexico (UAEM) and PhD in Biomedical Sciences by the Institute of Biomedical Researches of the National University of México (UNAM) and external Doctoral Fellow of the Gene Therapy Center of the University of Alabama A Birmingham, USA (UAB).
Is a researcher in biomedical sciences focused on gene and cell therapies, tissue transplants and molecular pharmacology.
Designer and creator of the first Skin & Tissue Bank of the Ministry of Health of Mexico, and promoter of donation and transplant of skin and Tissues.
He was director of the National Registry of Transplants of México and Secretary, vice-president of the Latin American Association of Tissue Banks and President elected since 2022 of the Latin-American Association of Tissue Banks (ALABAT).
Actually, he is the chief of the Skin and Tissue Bank in the National Institute of Rehabilitation of México “Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra”; head of the research program of Cryobiotic and Advanced Medical Biological Therapies and professor of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine of the National University of Mexico.
Recently, is a member of the expert group on the development of the WHO´s Policy Brief in Tissue Transplantation and awarded with the WUTBA Award 2024.
