June was a whirlwind. I moved from the large-scale bustle of the EHA Congress in Milan to the focused, quieter environment of the ICML meeting in Lugano. These two events, although different in scope and rhythm, reminded me why I love this field. By no means the science was inspiring, but it was the people, the exchanges, and the energy around learning that truly stayed with me.
EHA 2025: Reconnecting in Milan
Milan was fast. Sessions filled the hours, corridors buzzed with activity, and familiar faces appeared at every turn. This year, EHA meant something more to me. I finally met my mentor from the EHA Mentorship Programme in person. I also reconnected with peers from the Masterclass and with hematologists I’ve worked with through different projects across Europe. While on coffee breaks, we spoke about research, exchanged clinical experiences, and planted the seeds for future collaborations.
It wasn’t just coffee and chill. There were plenty of sessions I chose to follow. However, the session that left a deep impression on me was the Presidential Session in the Golden Hall, where Professor Jesús San Miguel was honoured. His contribution to multiple myeloma is immense, but what struck me was the humility and warmth with which he spoke.
“I am a very rich man. I have many friends, six children and eleven grandchildren who prefer their grandma, and a wife who is also my friend.”
That sentence reminded us that behind the research and the trials, there is always life and connection. He closed by quoting Sartre:
“Happiness doesn’t consist of doing what you like, but of liking what you do.”
It was a powerful reminder that joy in medicine is not found only in outcomes, but in purpose.
Another session that stayed with me long after was on the emotional burden in haematology, opened by Fleur van der Valk. Using art and imagery, the speakers reflected on the internal experiences of clinicians. Concepts like the window of tolerance and the river between chaos and rigidity were brought to life with paintings, metaphors, and honest words. It was a reminder that being present in our profession requires being present within ourselves first.
ICML 2025: Focus and Stillness by the Lake
Lugano was smaller and quieter, but that was its strength. I came for the kickoff meeting of the Advanced Studies in Lymphoma program, but what unfolded was much more than academic. I met new people from across the world (Australia, Poland, the UK, Italy and so on), and the conversations went beyond protocols and trial data. They were friendly, thoughtful, curious, open.
Each day, I woke up looking forward to the day sessions. The program was intense but balanced. I never felt lost in the schedule. I often sat by the lake with a coffee in hand, laptop open, following a session online or reviewing notes while listening to the soft rush of water nearby. I had time to learn, reflect, and just be, while detaching from the daily routine and stress.
The memorial lectures were indeed memorable. A standout session was the Gianni Bonadonna Memorial Lecture by Prof. David Scott from Vancouver, who spoke about the evolving classification of aggressive lymphomas. His insights into dark zone lymphomas, mutational landscapes in DLBCL, and future diagnostic models helped put many puzzle pieces together. It was the kind of lecture that realigns your understanding and subtly reshapes how you see your patients.
From CAR-T imaging predictions to autoimmune complications in lymphoproliferative disease, the sessions were clinically sharp and research-driven. But it was the thoughtful pace, the ease of following content without pressure, and the sense of being part of a committed learning community that made the experience rich.
Final Thoughts
June left me fulfilled. Not only because of what I learned, but because I had the space to grow, connect, and step outside the day-to-day clinical rhythm. It reminded me that medicine can be inspiring, human, and joyful when we share it, when we are curious, and when we take the time to let it move us.
Looking ahead to this fall, I’m excited for the next chapters. I’ll be attending the Multiple Myeloma Training in Madrid, followed by the OMI Salzburg seminar, and then the Venice workshop. Each one is a different kind of challenge, a different rhythm, a new opportunity to listen, learn, and evolve.
These journeys are not just about adding knowledge. They are about expanding perspective, renewing purpose, and returning home with something more to offer, not only to patients, but to myself.
