Workshop 1: Practical AML MRD Pediatric and Adult Approaches
Organisers: Margarita Maurer-Granofszky (Vienna, AT) and Francesco Buccisano (Rome, IT)
Level: Intermediate level flow cytometrists. Maximum number of places:30

Flow-cytometry is a diagnostic technique that allows a multiparametric, fluorence-based assessment of surface, cytoplasmic and nuclear antigen expression on a suspension of blood, bone marrow or solid-tissue cells. Besides having a key role in acute leukemia lineage assessment, multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) has a fundamental role in response assessment by the evaluation of Measurable residual disease (MRD). MRD has emerged as a powerful prognostic biomarker in acute leukemia, deeply influencing risk stratification, post-remission management, and transplant decision-making both in adult and pediatric setting. Advances in MFC have increasingly enabled sensitive detection of leukemic persistence, uncovering disease dynamics that are imperceptible with conventional morphology. Despite these technological developments, important challenges remain regarding standardization, interpretation, timing of assessments, and integration of MRD into therapeutic algorithms across diverse patient populations. In this workshop we will illustrate the current state of the art, guidelines and standization efforts carried on by expert laboratories and scientific organizations, we will highlight diferences and similarities between children and adult monitoring, we will show exemplificative cases and we'll allow the participants to challenge theirselves in the hands-on session.

Workshop 2: Good laboratory practices in a flow cytometry lab, do’s and don’ts
Organiser: Jeroen te Marvelde (Rotterdam, NL)
Level: Basic. Maximum number of places: 25

Flow cytometry plays a critical role in modern clinical diagnostics, particularly in hematology, immunology, and minimal residual disease assessment. In an accredited diagnostic setting, technical precision, documentation, and standardization are directly linked to patient safety and clinical decision-making.

This four-hour pre-congress course provides a focused and practical overview of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) tailored specifically to clinical diagnostic laboratories. Participants will review key aspects of the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases, with emphasis on sample processing, biosafety, instrument standardization, internal and external quality control, competence of personnel, and assay validation.

Also gating strategies and structured reporting will be part of the course, with hands on data analysis.

Workshop 3: CAR-T cell monitoring, why and how
Organisers: Gerulf Hänel (Munich, DE) and Veit Bücklein (Munich, DE)
Level: Intermediate level flow cytometrists. Maximum number of places: 30

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has become a standard of care for patients with B-cell lymphomas and multiple myeloma. As clinical use expands, precise and reliable monitoring of CAR-T cells is increasingly critical. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of CAR-T cell expansion, persistence, and phenotype not only predicts therapeutic response but also correlates with adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of clinical CAR-T cell monitoring. This will include an introduction to current CAR-T cell detection methods, which will focus on flow cytometry but will also cover PCR-based assays highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. Attendees will receive an in-depth overview of currently available CAR-detection reagents, as well as practical guidance on sample preparation. The workshop will further address CAR-T cell quantification using the two-platform method integrating absolute leukocyte counts determined by hemacytometers versus single-platform quantification using counting beads. Besides these more technical aspects, practical guidance will be given concerning sampling time points post CAR-T cell infusion, choice of anticoagulants and stabilization agents for blood sampling, as well as monitoring of CAR-T cell related neurotoxicity by analysing cerebral spine fluid. In addition, the workshop will include hands-on analysis of patient samples, addressing gating strategies and common pitfalls in CAR-T monitoring, ensuring participants gain practical, directly applicable expertise.

Workshop 4: Spectral Flow cytometry, design of 50+ markers
Organiser: Thomas Liechti 
Level and maximum number of places: to be confirmed
More information will follow.

Workshop 5: Flow diagnosis of Innate errors of immunity
Organisers: Winfried Pickl (Vienna, AT) and Herbert Strobl (Venna, AT)
Level and maximum number of places: to be confirmed
More information will follow.